The Enemy Approaches
Thus patiently waiting, each daily duty was accomplished. Then came
alarming news from the north. Kerem Allah spread broadcast this
proclamation of the Mahdi written in the bombastic style of the Orient:
"In the name of God, the all merciful, all pitiful! Glory to God, our
gracious Lord and our prayers and submission to our master Mohammed
and his own.
"This from Mohammed, the Mahdi, Son of Abdallah, to his
representative, Kerem Allah, son of the Sheik Mohammed, upon whom may
God shine in His goodness and ever protect. Amen!
"Receive from me this greeting and the mercy and blessing of God. I
desire you to know that in accordance with the unfailing promises of
God and His unchanging goodness, the city of Khartoum was captured
with the help of the Living and Eternal on Monday, the ninth Rebi Ahir
of the current year, early in the morning. The soldiers of the
faithful stormed the entrenchments with faith in God, the Lord of the
world, and in a quarter of an hour or less the enemies of God fell
into their hands. They were destroyed to the very last one and their
defences also. Although they were strong they were shattered at the
first attack of the army of God and sought safety by rushing into the
villages, but our army followed them and slew them all with sword and
lance. The others who had closed their doors in their fright were
taken prisoners and killed and only a few of the women and children
were spared. But Gordon, the enemy of God, whom we have often
admonished and warned to desist and surrender to God, has never
consented since he was a rebel and leader before. So he met his fate,
reaping what he had sowed, and God sent him to the place of His wrath,
and thus the house of the unjust was destroyed, thanks be to God, Lord
of the world, who chastises those who deserve it with fire and rewards
the just with a home in Paradise. God protect thee from the faithless,
Amen, with the sanction of the Highest and Greatest, the Sender of
good. Only ten of our own followers died the death of faith in this
victory and no others were injured. This is the mercy of God and from
him is the victory for which we give Him thanks. And do the same and
take my greeting.
Kerem Allah
Representative of the Mahdi in Bahr-el-Ghazal and Hat-el-Estiva
January 28, 1885
[Illustration: _A SERIOUS ACCIDENT TO EMIN_]
Upon the heels of these dreadful tidings came the news that Amadi had
fallen. Singularly enough this lesser calamity made more impression than
the terrible event at Khartoum, for the connection with Egypt was now
forever broken and all hope of help from the north vanished. But as
false reports had come from Kerem Allah so frequently they simply did
not believe it, but regarded it rather as an invention intended to
induce Emin to surrender. Great differences of opinion existed as to the
measures to be adopted. Some were in favor of retreating northward, but
Emin regarded the road to the south as the only right one. The force of
Kerem Allah was only five miles distant and in one day they could reach
Lado and then there would no longer be room for hope.
Captain Casati, an Italian traveller, who was in Lado at this time, as
it was too hot at Bahr-el-Ghazal, vigorously opposed Emin's decision. "I
know that the danger is imminent," he said, "but that is no reason why
we should fly."
"But what else can we do?"
"Defend ourselves. Lado cannot fall in a short time. The enemy cannot
long maintain a siege with many people, for the country is destitute of
subsistence. He must buy corn at Makraka and that is a long way off."
"But they are already well provided. The Arabs supply them with
everything they need, and we here in Lado, even if we are not overcome
by arms, will perish from hunger."
"That cannot be possible. We have the river behind us. We can get corn
from the fertile country of Gondokoro."
"Yes, but if we go southward we will find corn in the country of the
Mahdi, and if we get through to Lut it will be easy for us to establish
communication with Unjoro and Uganda."
"My dear Doctor, do you not think the retreat will be even more
difficult and dangerous than the defence?"
"How? What have we to fear?"
"Kerem Allah, you say, is marching victoriously against Lado. Before he
succeeds he will find out what direction we are taking for our retreat.
He will follow us, not by way of the river, but by a shorter route
across the country. Imagine yourself attacked from the heights and cut
off from the river and tell me then if there will not be a catastrophe."
"What would you do? What do you think?"
"Leave the country by the northeast. But to do this the retreat must be
made cautiously and quietly. I am not speaking of the soldiers. Alarmed
by the fall of Amadi, they will not resist a retreat. And if we take a
northward route, they will be more confident and follow."
"And do you think that such a plan, if I submit it to my officers, will
be accepted?"
"Without doubt. They will depend upon the assurances of their master as
usual and give their full consent."
In the morning after this conversation Emin held a council in the divan
at which all the officers and officials were present. The decision was
left to them whether they should go north or south. "To the south," was
the universal answer. Possibly they had the feeling that Emin favored
that direction.
Casati was very indignant, but Emin was right. Going to the north
through a country subject to the Mahdi, with distant Egypt as their
terminus, while Khartoum lay in ashes, was going to certain death.
Certainly if the governor had acted without the consent of his people,
they would have believed the senseless report that he would sell them as
slaves in Unjoro and there make his escape to the coast alone. Emin's
black soldiers were not accustomed to yield absolute obedience. From
time to time their opposition had to be overcome by the lash, and who
can say that they might not finally have made a successful resistance
when they found themselves leaving their homes and wandering about in
unknown regions? In the meantime Emin went south with his whole force,
officials, wives, and children, and piles of baggage to establish
himself at his residence in Madelai. No Mahdist disturbed the expedition
nor did they hear of pursuit or any attempt to cut them off. Casati had
taken too gloomy a view of the situation.
In Madelai they heard nothing of the fearful hordes of Kerem Allah. The
people gladly turned to farm labor and the looms were at work again.
Emin resumed his scientific pursuits and had it not been for his utter
seclusion from the world and his lack of ammunition which had been
nearly exhausted in subduing the savages in his vicinity, he and his
people, who were absolutely loyal to him, might have been glad to remain
to the end of their lives in this lost nook of the world. It was
imperative, however, to secure the possibility of return, and on this
account Casati was sent to King Kabrega at Unjoro, whom Emin had
previously known and who had given him many proofs of his friendship.