owing to the unprecedented lowness of the Nile, no
confidence is felt in the practicability of hauling boats over the
cataracts till the end of September." General Gordon pasted this into
the Journal, and wrote opposite to it, "It was not a low Nile, it was
an average Nile, only you were _too late_"--a verdict which events
only too completely justified. It will be of interest to give here a
few brief extracts selected from Gordon's remarks regarding the Relief
Expedition:--

"If it is right to send up an expedition now, why was it not right
to send it up before?"

"We are a wonderful people; it was never our Government which made
us a great nation; our Government has been ever the drag on our
wheels."

"I am afraid to say what numbers have been killed through this
present policy, certainly some 80,000; and it is not over yet."

"I altogether decline the imputation that the projected expedition
has come to relieve me. It has come to save our national honour in
extricating the garrisons, &c., from a position in which our action
in Egypt had placed these garrisons. I was relief expedition No. I.
They are relief expedition No. II. As for myself I could make good
my retreat at any moment if I wished. Now realise what would happen
if this first relief expedition was to bolt and the steamers fall
into the hands of the Mahdi; this _second_ relief expedition (for
the honour of England engaged in extricating garrisons) would be
somewhat hampered. We, the _first_ and _second_, are equally
engaged for the honour of England. This is fair logic. Earle[15]
comes up to extricate garrisons and (I hope) succeeds. Earle does
not come to extricate me.... I am not the _rescued lamb_, and I
will not be."

[15] Gordon thought that General Earle was to be in command of
the whole force. As a matter of fact he was in command of the
brigade that was going by water the whole way to Khartoum. He was
killed on the way.

In spite of his great anxiety, and the worries through which he was
called to pass, Gordon never seemed to lose his sense of humour. There
are many amusing entries in his Journals, of which the following may be
taken as fair specimens:--

"A horse escaped from the Arabs, formerly belonging to Government.
It gave _no_ information; but from its action, may be supposed _not
to believe in the Mahdi_."

"