wished to go up to Soudan, and I refused. I left for
Aden in May, and in June 1878 Suleiman broke out in revolt, and
killed the 200 regular troops at Bahr Gazelle. I sent Gessi
against him in August 1878, and Gessi crushed him in the course
of 1879. Gessi captured a lot of letters in the divan of
Suleiman, one of which was from Zebehr Pasha inciting him to
revolt. The original of this letter was given by me to H.H. the
Khedive, and I also had printed a brochure containing it and a
sort of _expose_ to the people of Soudan why the revolt had been
put down--viz. that it was not a question of slave-hunting, but
one of revolt against the Khedive's authority. Copies of this
must exist. On the production of this letter of Zebehr to
Suleiman, I ordered the confiscation of Zebehr's property in
Soudan, and a court martial to sit on Zebehr's case. This court
martial was held under Hassan Pasha Halmi; the court condemned
Zebehr to death; its proceedings were printed in the brochure I
alluded to. Gessi afterwards caught Suleiman and shot him. With
details of that event I am not acquainted, and I never saw the
papers, for I went to Abyssinia. Gessi's orders were to try him,
and if guilty to shoot him. This is all I have to say about
Zebehr and myself.

"Zebehr, without doubt, was the greatest slave-hunter who ever
existed. Zebehr is the most able man in the Soudan; he is a
capital general, and has been wounded several times. Zebehr has a
capacity of government far beyond any statesman in the Soudan.
All the followers of the Mahdi would, I believe, leave the Mahdi
on Zebehr's approach, for they are ex-chiefs of Zebehr.
Personally, I have a great admiration for Zebehr, for he is a
man, and is infinitely superior to those poor fellows who have
been governors of Soudan; but I question in my mind, 'Will Zebehr
ever forgive me the death of his son?' and that question has
regulated my action respecting him, for I have been told he bears
me the greatest malice, and one cannot wonder at it if one is a
father.

"I would even now risk taking Zebehr, and would willingly bear
the responsibility of doing so, convinced, as I am, that Zebehr's
approach ends the Mahdi, which is a question which has its pulse
in Syria, the Hedjaz, and Palestine.

"It cannot be