CHAPTER III. THE MAHDI AND GENERAL HICKS PASHA. The Mahdi’s Early Training—His Piety—He claims Power as a Great Sheikh—State of the Soudan—His First Yictories — Hicks Pasha — His Difficulties — Intended Soudan Committee—Expedition to Gebel-Ain—Steamers laid up for Want of Fuel—Egyptian Troops object to Outposts — Extract from Hicks’s Despatch about his Skirmish at Marabia—Col. Farquhar’s Correspondence— Report respecting Yusef Pasha’s March from Fashoda— Destruction of iiis Force for Want of Guards—Mr. O’Donoyan—Mr. Power — Difficulties about Water— Disgraceful Reinforcements. To explain properly how the Suakim expedition came about, it will be necessary to go back to the events in Egypt during the last twelve months. The landing of the British army, the battle of Tel- el-Kebir, the masterly political and strategical move ments of Lord "Wolseley, are known to all in England. But it is not so well known that the troubles in the Soudan, Kordofan, and the equatorial provinces, had commenced about that time. Had Arahi been really a patriot, the small rising that it was then could have been suppressed at once ; for the Mahdi, or Saviour, was then but a very unimportant man, with a very small following. As Colonel Stewart in his
