RELICS OF. GENERAL GORDON.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7697, 21 March 1887, Page 3

RELICS OF. GENERAL GORDON.

Two extremely interesting relics of the late General Gordon liavo recently been presented to the British Museum by his brother, Sir Henry Gordon, and are exhibited in a case at the end of the Grenville Library, to the right of the entrance lo the King's Library, and close to the various autograph letters of distinguished persons. The firat of these is a pen-and-ink sketch map by Gordon himself of the scene of his campaign against the Taiping rebels in China, with the dato of the capture of each town written under it. The map covers only the scene of the lighting in the neighborhood of Loo-chow, extending on the west to Nankin ; hut this includes practically all the fighting of the " ever- victorious army" while under Gordon. The second is the decree ' issued by the Emperor of China to Li Hung Chang, at that time Vice-Governor of the province of Kian«-su and Gordon's nominal superior, ordering him to acquaint the latter that on account of his " skill in strategy and ability in warfare " lie was to receive a decoration of the highest order in Ihn empire, and also a sum of 10,000 taels (£#000), which Li was required to count and pay over with his own hands. As a matter of fact Gordon took the decoration, but refused the money, ■whereupon Prince Knng, then Prime Minister, addressed to the British Government a despatch in terms .of extraordinary warmth, praying tiiat the Queen would adequately reward Gordon for his preeminent services. The -document in the British Museum is a copy of tiie decree made by Li Hung Chang and handed toGordon. I n miiini — w i— me— »m— mm ■■ ■ imt