The Fall of Khartoum.—General Gordon Captured.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 5476, 6 February 1885, Page 2

The Fall of Khartoum.—General Gordon Captured.

The news of tho fall of Khartoum' and capture of its gallant defender, two days before the first detachment of the relief expedition reached its destination, will cause a feeling of profound regret through-

out; tho civilized world. Tho fortunes of Cioncral Gordon, holding at bay hordes of fanatical onomios by tho power of an indomitable courage, havo onlistod tlio solicitude of bravo mon everywhere. The flnal catastrophe to a defenco which appeared invulnorable is accounted for by treachory. llt appears to have happened when the littlo garrison was weakened by tlio withdrawal of a portion of its force in tlio four stoamers which are reported as having gone down tho river undor command of Misri Pasha, and which returned with , Sir Charlo? Wilson. Tho besieging hordes would, of course, redouble thoir exertions, owing to tho near proximity of tho British and tho knowledge that a more formidable onemy would soon havo to bo reckoned with. Tho nature of tho troachory by which tho Gonoral has boon botrayed is not montionod, but wo shall probably learn that pome diaaffectod troops in tho garrison have admitted the oncmy to tho position which the commander had rendered iniproguablo. The fdllof Khartoum will cause a complete chango in tho conduct of tho relieving expedition. If Gonoral Gordon is nlivo ho must bo rescued at uny sacrifice ; and tho ro-capturo of Khartoum, which tho Qoneral had mado so formidable, is a very different operation from entering its opon gatos and making forays from thence on tho enemy. If Gordon is dead, thoro will still bo heavy work to porfonn in punishing tho robots and crushing tho Mnhdi's powor. For those operations tho rolievlng forco in small, and considerable dolay will no doubt occur boforo tho column now advancing by tho river, taking Berber en route, can effect a junction with the troops undor Sir Charles Wilson. Thoro is atill hopo that Genoral Gordon may bo proscrvodalivo—ho has beon in tho hands of Arab onomios before and como out scatheless—but the fato of Colonel Stewart and party is an illaugury for any Englishman whoso life becomes dependent upon the generosity of the followers of tho Soudan prophet.