GORDON'S DEATH. The Late Mahdi's Account.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 346, 27 February 1889, Page 4

GORDON'S DEATH. The Late Mahdi's Account.

In connection with the narrative of Cordon's death as publi=hed by us on Monday, the 18th instant, readers will peruse with interest the subjoined remarkable despatch of the late Mahdi's, lecently printed in an English Parliamentary paper, with the correspondence reciting the circumstances under which Got don was killed and Khartoum fell into the Khalifa's hands :—: — ' 12th Rajab, 1.302 (April 28th, 1885.) 'Fiona the miseiable Mahomed Ahmed, who is called El IVTahdi, to his miserable Wali, Karainalla-cl-Sheikh. ' After praises to Almighty Cod — ' Prom the poor slave of God, iMahome" El Alahdi-bin-Abdnllah, to his fiiend and j his Governor, Karamalla - bin - Sheikh Mahomed, God grant him, etc. Ipiesentto you excellent salaams, etc. Then I inform , you, oh, my dear friend, that, according to the fulfilled promise of God, the city of Khartoum was entered bv the help of God on the 9th Rabeen-el-Akhur (January 26, 1885), at the instant of daybreak, through the helpers of our religion, who were ready, and jumped over the ditch, acting upon the command of the Lord of the whole world ; it was a quarter of an hour or less that they came upon the enemies of God, their cutting oil* even from the beginning to the end of them, and the surrounding of them, notwithstanding they were strong in their arms of strength. From the commencement they fled away from before the troops of God, and though thinking to obtain safety by entering enclosures and shutting the doors, they were met face to face, and hewn with swords or stabbed with spears until their cries were terrible, and they were cut to pieces ab once there upon the ground, and then the troops of God foil upon the rest of the people who had shut the doors fearing the same fate and were taken up and killed properly, and there were none left remaining of them but little childron and free slaves. ( But as to the enemy of God, Gordon, though we had warned him and talked

kindly to him that he might return to God, yet he never did so, because his miserable state had. been foreordained, and also the access of his foolishness, before his fate was ended, and he was sorry for the sins he had sown in this world ; and he v/a3 removed by God to the place of his wrath which is a bad place to remain. ' The end of this guilty people is that they were cut oft, which, thank 3 to God, befalls those who are to receive fire as their reward, whilst light is reserved for those who bhall receive heaven as their dwelling place. ' Then ho began to bless himself and his people in prayer. There wsre 10 persons only of our people who were killed in this holy strife for the conquest of Khartoum, and the rest of our people neither received wound nor hurt. ' All has happened by the Providence of God, &c. And we bow our heads in thanks to God for the hep we have received from Him. May you also do so. Bow the head to God, and thank His Holy Name.'