GORDON, Charles George (1833-1885). General; killed at Khartoum.
Autograph Letter Signed ("C.G. Gordon") to Sir Samuel Baker, the explorer and Gordon's predecessor as Governor-General of the Soudan, discussing matters in Egypt and expressing his views of the situation in Basutoland.
2 pages 8vo, Qu[een]s Town, C
In May 1882, Gordon arrived in the Cape Province, expecting to take up his duties as administrator of Basutoland. However, he was instead offered the post of commander of the Colonial forces, a post which he had previously declined and which he now accepted with reluctance. Gordon, who had succeeded in establishing cordial relations based on mutual respect with the inhabitants of the various regions in which he had been posted, be it China or the Sudan, entered into negotiations with leading Basuto chieftains. His negotiations with Masupha, one of these chieftains, were preempted by the duplicity of the Cape government, who prompted an attack on Masupha by another Basuto chief. Infuriated, Gordon resigned, and left the Cape on 14 October, less than two weeks after this letter.
"Thanks for your kind letter 24 Augt. just to hand. Glad to see your brother has got appt to look after Egypian (sic) Army, and if you would like it, would wish you had Soudan Govr Genl with residence at Cairo. Nubar . . . and Cherif will never hold together especially with a scamp like Tawfiq I shall be curious to see what revelations are made, up to a certain point, I believe Tawfiq egged Arabi on. I am just on my return from Basutoland, they are a fine people the best blacks I have ever seen. I went up with one of Ministers officiously not officially. he wanted complete subjection and status quo ante bellum which as Basutos had beaten Colony they will not accept. the war cost Colony 4 Million, so they will not go to war again. I wanted . . . independence given Basutos, so I left, and do not know what will happen. The Cape Govt is very weak Dutch party is strong, and what with insubordinate officers whom I cannot suppress I have enough of it, only I do not like to desert the Ministry. What I say is "the bad Administration of your Provinces produces war with natives remedy this defect & you will have no war." the Govt shilly shallies and does nothing, so I say "it is not fair to expect me to fight people whom you drive into rebellion, for I am not a colonist.""
In the midst of a highly unstable situation in Egypt, Cherif Pasha, the nationalist former prime minister, had made common cause with 'Urabi Pasha, known here as Arabi, to form the National Party. Tawfiq Pasha, the pro-European Ottoman-appointed Khedive of Egypt, found himself forced to make concessions to them, to the alarm of the great European powers. Britain invaded Egypt in August, propping up the Ottoman regime.
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