No. 37. My Lord, Sir E. Baring to the Marquis of Salisbury.—(Received February 28.) Cairo, February 20, 1887. I HAVE the honour to transmit to your Lordship herewith copy of a Khedivial Decree which appeared in the "Journal Officiel" of yesterday with respect to the responsibility which will henceforth be incurred by Ministers, Heads of Departments, and other high officials in the event of their sanctioning the payment of moneys beyond the sums allowed them, of their making alterations in the accounts of the Budget without the previous authorization of the Council of Ministers, or of their adopting measures contrary to the existing Laws and Regulations. I have, &c. Article 1er. Les Ministres, les Chefs d'Administration ou tous autres hauts fonctionnaires qui auraient ordonné des paiements pour des dépenses engagées par eux, en dehors de crédits alloués, ou opéré des virements entre les chapitres du Budget sans une autorisation préalable de notre Conseil des Ministres, ou pris des mesures contraires aux Lois et Règlements en vigueur, pourront être tenus à en répondre devant une Haute Cour Administrative. Art. 2. La Haute Cour Administrative sera présidée par le Président de notre Conseil des Ministres et, en cas d'empêchement, par le doyen d'âge des membres du Ministère. Elle sera composée des Ministres non impliqués dans la poursuite, du Conseiller Financier, et d'un Conseiller Khédivial désigné par nous. Art. 3. La Haute Cour Administrative sera saisie de la poursuite, à la requête de notre Conseil des Ministres. A partir de ce moment, le Ministre, le Chef d'Administration, ou le haut fonctionnaire poursuivis demeureront suspendus de leurs fonctions. Art. 4. La Haute Cour Administrative réglera elle-même la procédure à suivre devant elle. Elle jugera d'après sa conviction, sans être astreinte à des règles déterminées au point de vue de la preuve, après avoir, en tous cas, invité l'inculpé à présenter personnellement et verbalement sa défense. Art. 5. En cas de culpabilité, l'arrêt motivé de la Haute Cour Administrative établira la responsabilité pécuniaire de l'inculpé et prononcera le blâme ou la révocation, sans préjudice, en aucun cas, de l'action pénal ou civile à exercer. Art. 6. Nul recours ne sera admis contre l'arrêt de la Haute Cour Administrative. Art. 7. La démission du Ministre, du Chef d'Administration, ou du haut fonctionnaire traduits devant la Haute, Cour Administrative ne pourra pas être acceptée avant la solution de la poursuite. Art. 8. Tous nos Ministres sont chargés de l'exécution du présent Décret. (Signé) No. 38. My Lord, Sir E. Baring to the Marquis of Salisbury.—(Received February 28.) Cairo, February 20, 1887. I HAVE the honour to transmit to your Lordship herewith translation of a telegram which has been received from Shuhdi Pasha respecting affairs on the frontier near Wady Halfa. I have, &c. THE intelligence obtained here from 27th January to date concerning the preparations of the rebels is that Wad-el-Nejumi sent back to Noor Kunuzi those who had deserted him, and ordered him to advance from Sowardah to Firket; eight days ago the former sent to the latter 800 men from New Dongola as a reinforcement; other Emirs have also been designated to start and follow the 800 aforesaid. It is worthy of notice that in proportion as the troops at Halfa are decreased, so does the strength and boldness of the rebels for advancing increase. Detailed Report by mail. Please submit this to His Highness. No. 39. Sir, Foreign Office to Mr. A. Vizetelly. Foreign Office, March 2, 1887. I AM directed by the Marquis of Salisbury to transmit to you herewith an extract from a despatch from Her Majesty's Agent and Consul-General in Egypt,* describing a conversation he had had with a Greek named Cristo Agha, who has recently escaped from Khartoum, having been present in that city during the whole period of its siege and capture by the rebel forces. Cristo Agha states that there are at present ten Europeans at Khartoum, of one of whom he was able to give certain particulars; and I am to request that you will be good enough to inform Lord Salisbury whether the description given corresponds with the appearance of your father, Mr. Vizetelly. I am, &c. My Lord, Mr. A. Vizetelly to the Marquis of Salisbury.—(Received March 5). 61, Hornsey Park Road, March 4, 1887. IN reply to the communication of the 2nd instant, addressed to me by your Lordship's direction, I beg to state that the description given by Cristo Agha certainly corresponds with the appearance of my father, Frank Vizetelly, with one exception, viz., that he could hardly be called a short man. I think his height was about 5 ft. 9 in., but being a stout man, he had not the appearance of being so tall. When last in England he did not wear a beard, but, no doubt, if he is still alive, he has allowed it to grow. The hair on his face grew with great profusion, and undoubtedly his beard would be a very full one. About the middle of the year 1884 a native alleged that an English artist, who had escaped the general massacre of Hicks Pasha's army, was alive at Obeid, and the description given by this man was as follows: "A stout man, about 54, great haired, aquiline nose, handsome; very red complexion." [71] * No. 34. E 2 This is exactly my father's description, and it, to a great extent, tallies with the description given by Cristo Agha. Moreover, I do not think that any other Englishman accompanied Hicks Pasha's expedition as a professional artist, and the first reports of the massacre stated that my father was saved, he having been some distance from the army at the time of the catastrophe. Altogether, I think there is great probability that my father is still alive, and this has always been my impression; indeed, it is solely in consequence of the want of the necessary funds that I have not myself gone to Egypt with a view of prosecuting inquiries, and, if possible, going in search for him. I inclose a photograph of my father taken some years ago, but no doubt still strongly resembling him, although he did not wear a beard at the time it was taken. I send the photograph, because your Lordship may possibly think it desirable to send it to Cairo, in order that it might be shown to any one bringing information as to the safety of Europeans who accompanied Hicks Pasha's expedition. I am, &c. My Lord, Sir E. Baring to the Marquis of Salisbury.-(Received March 7.) Cairo, February 27, 1887. I HAVE the honour to transmit to your Lordship herewith, translation of a Report by Shuhdi Pasha on the subject of the state of affairs on the frontier near Wady Halfa. I have, &c. Intelligence obtained between January 27 and February 14, 1887. and (Translation.) January 27.-both natives of Dulligo in Mahass district, came in and said that they left their village twelve days' ago, because of the lack of food there, for all the produce of agriculture had been taken by the dervishes. The natives are in great distress because of the conduct of the dervishes, and desire the Government of His Highness. All natives on the way facilitated the coming down of informants to regions. Nejumi is at Dongola. In Dulligo there are 70 dervishes, in Sowardah 30, and around Firket 1,400 with Noor Kunuzi and Mahommad Ahmad. Informants came In the east bank. Same date.of the village of Nowarat-el-Lahoot, in the Fayoum, came in. He had been in the Baker Pasha expedition at Suakin as an artilleryman. He is four months out from Berber and came by the west side, stopping at Dongola fifteen days, where there are some of the Egyptian race, for whom it is very hard to get away, as any who are caught trying to escape are surely killed. Prices are high in the Soudan. The rebel patrols come as far as Ambagol. the people from the Shagiah country northwards like the Turks. In Argo district he learned from one of the dervishes that had come down with Kunuzi to Abkah that their falling back was out of fear of the Government troops, the dervishes accompanying Nejumi are few. February 3.a slave of Odrees Ahmad of the Bishareen Arabs, has come in, nine days from a place called Walad-Abbad, in the Khandak district; he still has bread and water with him. Nejumi and his dervishes came to Dongola and are there. Informant came by the eastern road and has no news. He came because he had quarrelled with his owner. February 6. of Dongola, came; he had some time ago been sent thence by the dervishes to Sukkot, whence he fled and came by the east. Nejumi and his dervishes at Dongola suffer from lack of food. They are numerous. Informant had stopped at Firket four days, where the dervishes are few. Around Sowardah there are a few who go and come thence to Firket, where Kunuzi is. Every dervish who can, runs away. All natives on his way helped informant down. He had been among those who had come to Abkah with Kunuzi, who fell back out of fear of the Government troops. February 8.-, one of our spies, came in, having been as far as Tangoor Rapids, where he got some information from some natives whom he can trust. Kunuzi is at Firket with about 1,000 followers-men, women, and children all told. They will remain there for the present and not advance north of Okmeh till the cavalry arrives, which is to be sent to Nejumi at Dongola from Khartoum. learned from a man at Akashah that the two special messengers previously sent with a letter to Nejumi from the Halfa Intelligence Department had reached him, and he had kept them till he should show them his army on parade, after which he would dismiss them with a reply, and until now the two specials had not returned. The reports there among the natives were that the letters sent were to the effect that the Government had made Khor Moossa Pasha the frontier, and that the English were going off to their country, and all their supplies were sent from Cairo. February 12.-——, a Garareesh of Abkah, came in. He says, "I had taken a letter from the Chief of the Halfa Intelligence Department to deliver to Nejumi, and I went with my companion, Abd-el-Salam; Kunuzi and Mohammad Ahmad, who are at Firket with about 1,000 men, sent with us an escort on dromedaries as far as Dongola town, where we saw Nejumi and gave him the letter. He asked us about the number of troops and guns here; we replied, Many.' He said, 'I shall send the letter to Abdulla Ta'aishi;' and after nine days he sent my fellow-messenger and the letter to Ta'aishi. He had before this opened the letter and said, 'This is the seal of Sheikh Mohammad Mirghani, Grand Master;' then he said, wonderingly, What has brought thee, O thou Grand Master, in with these heathen that thou hast put thy seal with them?' Then on Friday he gathered all the natives and said to us messengers, 'These are our followers; are they more, or the Halfa soldiers?' So I said, 'Ye are more numerous, O thou Ameer.' So he was pleased. I estimated all that were collected-men, women, children, and slaves-to be at the outside 20,000, all natives of the place. Then he gathered his Ameers and read the letter to them secretly, and did not divulge its contents. Dates are the only provisions they have. The natives mourn for the Government days, and pray for the restoration. Nejumi also told us we should bring our families and join Noor Kunuzi; we said we could not, as we are too near the troops. He said, 'I will give you about 100 dervishes to bring you away.' We said, 'It is impossible.' He said, All right; remain till I come down to you and I shall take you. The rumours among the natives are that they will come down hither at the rise of the river in the date season." February 13. and have come from Dongola in six days, being sent by to inform Government of the starting of Osman Azrak and Mirghani, son of Sowar-el-Zahab, with seven banners, numbering in all 800 men, nine days ago, from Dongola northwards to join Kunuzi, and of the designation of other Ameers to follow them hereafter, namely, Abd-el-Haleem and Walad J'barah. It is generally supposed that after the dervishes are dispatched down-stream their families will be installed around Karmah on the east, so as to be secure from inroads of Saleh Bey, of the Kabbabish; after which Nejumi, with the rest of the army, will move on. Informants then said that two specials had come to Nejumi, sent by the Halfa Government, with a letter from the Grand Master Mohammad Mirghani, which was read, in the presence of the two specials, out to the public, wherein it was stated that the Government had fixed the frontier at Khor Moossa Pasha, and that the infidels had gone off to their own country, and that henceforth there should be no shedding of blood between Moslems; and after Nejumi had ended reading the letter, he said, in a voice to be heard by all, "God is the greatest over the heathen," and, drawing his sword, swore that whatever might be, he would fight in the cause of God; and that both the specials had been shown the forces at Dongola, both natives, dervishes, and cavalry; that one of the two specials had been sent to Khartoum; that Saleh Bey Fadi Allah had had spies in the Khartoum regions who reported to him that about 500 camels laden with cereals had started from Khartoum bound for Dongola, whereupon Saleh Bey sent his men, who met the camels near Aboo-Kuleywat, killed the dervish escorts with the convoy, except the Bazingars, whom they took, together with the camels and cereals, and conducted all to the said Bey; the Hamar and the Zizadiah Arabs and those of Doleeb have joined Saleh Bey, so that the total of his cavalry is about 1,000, with coats of mail. It was also rumoured that Nejumi had ordered his Ameers to advance with their dervishes as far as Khor Moossa Pasha, and, when the troops came out to meet them, to fall back as though beaten, so as to draw the troops on, and to thereupon meet them with stout heart and singleness of purpose; it is also said that a large party of dervishes will proceed to the Dubeyrah region, north of Halfa, to cut off communications. All the people of Dongola Province long for the restoration. I have seen a letter from Nejumi to the Officer Commanding Halfa garrison, acknowledging the receipt of a letter, and saying he had sent it to Abdalla Ta'aishi, the Caliph of the would-be Mahdi, and would act according to instructions from the latter, and inclosing a letter from himself to the Grand Master Mirghani; but I know not its contents. The summary of intelligence is given in my telegram No. 47. February 14, 1887. No. 42. My Lord, Sir E. Baring to the Marquis of Salisbury.-(Received March 8.) Cairo, February 27, 1887. I HAVE the honour to forward, for your Lordship's information, copy of a despatch which I have received from Her Majesty's Consul at Jeddah respecting the revival of trade between that place and Berber. I have, &c. (Signed) E. BARING. Inclosure in No. 42. Sir, Consul Jago to Sir E. Baring. Jeddah, February 17, 1887. I HAVE the honour to inform you that recently a large number of Soudan Arab traders from Berber and Khartoum has arrived here from the other side, north of Rowayah, with a few slaves, gold and silver ornaments, &c. Having disposed of these, they have now left on their return with cargoes of Manchester goods, dhourra, cloth, &c., for the Berber market, said to value over 200,000 dollars, partly belonging to themselves and partly to Hadramee merchants of Jeddah, whom they have persuaded to join them in the venture. Ten boats have now left, having cleared for Massowah or Yambo. They hug the eastern coast of the Red Sea among the reefs until they arrive near El Wedj, whence they strike across to the Soudan side, fetching as near as possible a place called Alu Bishlish, said to be the nearest point for Berber. Should these ventures prove successful they will no doubt increase, as much demand is said to exist at Berber for manufactures. P.S.-I have brought these facts to the knowledge of Mr. Cameron. No. 43. T. S. J. Sir, War Office to Foreign Office.-(Received March 9.) War Office, March 9, 1887. I AM directed by the Secretary of State for War to transmit to you, for the information of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, the inclosed copy of a telegram addressed to General Officer commanding, Cairo, with regard to affairs in Egypt. I am, &c. (Signed) RALPH THOMPSON. |