A Prisoner of the Khaleefa

by Charles Neufeld

A PRISONER OF THE KHALEEFA

A PRISONER OF · ·

 

 · · THE KHALEEFA

 

Twelve Years Captivity at Omdurman

 

BY

CHARLES NEUFELD

 

WITH NUMEROUS PORTRAITS AND PLANS

 

LONDON: CHAPMAN & HALL, LD.

1899

PRINTED BY
WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED,
LONDON AND BECCLES.

Dedication

 

TO

 

PUBLIC OPINION

 

CHARLES NEUFELD

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
pages
The calumnies of critics — My female slave — Real object of my journey — Preliminary arrangements — General Stephenson's letter	1-7
CHAPTER I
I START FOR KORDOFAN
Engagement of guides — A neglected warning — Hasseena accompanies the party — Dervishes reported on the road Non-arrival of Hogal — Dervishes sighted at Selima Wells	8-14
CHAPTER II
BETRAYED BY GUIDES
Different routes over the — desert A quarrel amongst the guides — Scouts sent out — Hassan convicted of error — Zigzagging in the desert — A council of war — Surprised by the dervishes — The fight — Taken prisoners	15-28
CHAPTER III
IN THE HANDS OF THE DERVISHES
Conference of the Emirs Farag and Hamza — Halt for the night — Baggage looted by dervishes — The Emirs confiscate all treasure for the Beit-el-Mal — Cross-questioned on my letters — Called a Government spy — Tortured by dervish guards — Rescued by Hamza and reserved for Wad en Nejoumi	29-40
CHAPTER IV
ARRIVAL IN DONGOLA
Display of dervish horsemanship — Flogging among the Ansar — Hasseena is searched — Insults of the rabble — I am brought before Nejoumi — I declare myself a merchant — Evidence of a Christian girl-convert against me — Execution of fourteen Arabs of the party — I am re-examined and sent to the Khaleefa	41-52
CHAPTER V
THE REAL HISTORY OF THE CAPTURE
Extracts from newspaper and official accounts — The antecedents of the guide Gabou — Dissensions in the Kabbabish tribe — Gabou schemes for his own section — Hassan's part in the matter — Gabou reveals the plot to Nejoumi and enlists Hogal on his side — The Emirs prepare to intercept me — Capture of the caravan — Hogal's deceit and its excuse	53-63
CHAPTER VI
DONGOLA TO OMDURMAN
Preparations for the journey — Nejoumi's friendly disposition to the Government — His loss of faith in the Mahdist movement — Why the guide Amin was executed — Horrible death of an old Arab woman — In the market-place of Omdurman — First meeting with Slatin I am chained and tortured — I defy the Khaleefa — A mock execution — The Khaleefa is merciful — Slatin intervenes — Letter to Mankarious Effendi — Imprisoned by Slatin's advice	64-79
CHAPTER VII
THROWN INTO PRISON
Methods of shackling — My first night in prison — Hasseena sent to the head-gaoler's hareem — Mahmoud Wad Said — Ajjab Abou Jinn — The three sons of Awad el Kerim — Sheikh Hamad El Nil — Ahmed Abdel Maajid and his bride — Lessons in Mahdieh — I visit Khartoum in chains — Again before the Khaleefa — My chains removed	80-92
CHAPTER VIII
PRISON LIFE
Prayers — Night in the Abou Hagar — Possibilities of escape — News from Egypt — Idris-es-Saier — His methods of extortion — A prison homily — Effectual blackmail	93-104
CHAPTER IX
MY FIRST CHANCE OF ESCAPE
Ahmed Nur ed Din — His relations with Gabou — We plan an escape — Death of Nur ed Din — My sickness and recovery — Treatment of typhus — I decline to be converted — Meal-time in the Saier — Father Ohrwalder's charity — A famine — The struggle for food — Ministrations of Hasseena — Mutual help amongst the prisoners	105-119
CHAPTER X
PRISON JUSTICE
Escapes from the Saier — The advantages of matrimony — Tactics of the gaolers — I become doctor to the hareems — — Discipline amongst women prisoners — My first flogging — The gaoler dismissed — Method of flogging — I am flogged again — My mental agony	120-133
CHAPTER XI
A SERIOUS DILEMMA
Newspaper calumnies — Hasseena's condition — A disputed paternity — Mohammedan laws of marriage and divorce — I decide to claim the child — Idris disputes the claim — A jury of matrons decides in my favour — Birth of "Makkieh" — The Khaleefa's congratulations — Joseppi, the German baker	134-144
CHAPTER XII
IBRAHIM WAD ADLAN
Friendship with Wad Adlan — His directorship of the Beit-el-Mal — The Khaleefa grows jealous — Adlan thrown into prison — The advantages of trading — Adlan reinstated — I design the Mahdi's tomb — Letters to Mankarious Effendi — The guide Moussa Daoud el Kanaga — Reports from Egypt — Escape of Joseppi — Treachery of spies — Disgrace and death of Adlan	145-159
CHAPTER XIII
THE TRUE HISTORY OF MY ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE
Letters of the German Consul and my manager to Mankarious — Kanaga's visit to Cairo — He receives a letter to Slatin — He is captured at Berber and turns back — The War Office letter to my wife — My answer to calumnies	160-169
CHAPTER XIV
A PRISONER AT LARGE
Belief in evil spirits — Shwybo as an alchemist — He is flogged for his pains — I am told to make saltpetre — Released from my fetters — The gunpowder factory at Halfeyeh — Death of Makkieh — I am transferred to Khartoum — Our gunpowder a deliberate failure — Visits of Father Ohrwalder — News of his escape.	170-184
CHAPTER XV
DIVORCED AND MARRIED
Hasseena's thievish propensities — I am compelled to divorce her — The Khaleefa finds me a wife — I forestall his good offices — Umm es Shole — Mohammedan divorce and re-marriage — A further dilemma — The second child dies — Hasseena proves irreclaimable	185-194
CHAPTER XVI
HOPE AND DESPAIR
Mankarious' first envoy returns — Arrival of second envoy — Rossignoli's guide Abdallah — Projected method of escape — Abdallah's treatment of Rossignoli — Slatin escapes — My chains redoubled — The Khaleefa's fury — Slatin's reputation amongst the Mahdists — His letter read to the Muslimanieh — Confiscation of his wives and property — My deliverer returns — I am again in the Saier	195-208
CHAPTER XVII
A NEW OCCUPATION
Nahoum Abbajee engages me — Emptiness of the treasury — Unsatisfactory state of the currency — I am transferred to the arsenal — I design blocks for the Mint — We do great damage — The Khaleefa's buried treasure	209-215
CHAPTER XVIII
MY SECOND IMPRISONMENT
Idris a reformed character — He ensures my kind treatment — Fauzi's first night in prison — Kadi Ahmed's captivity — His death by starvation — Death of Wad Zarah — Letters from Europe — My replies — My reflections in prison	216-225
CHAPTER XIX
RUMOURS OF RELIEF
Khartoum again — Thoughts of Gordon — At work in the arsenal — Extracting precious metals — Chemical experiments — The troops advancing — I invent a powder-mill — Its manifold defects — I scheme to gain time — Wholesale destruction of metal — Repairing a steamer — My letter to Onoor — In a fever for news	226-241
CHAPTER XX
PREPARING TO RECEIVE THE GUNBOATS
In the Saier as a visitor — I send intelligence to the English — Anxiety amongst my circle — Embassy from Abyssinia — The Khaleefa's reply — Mahmoud disobeys orders — Defeat of Osman and Mahmoud at the Atbara — Manufacture of torpedoes — I decline to assist — My chains redoubled — The torpedoes explode — I become a centre for Government sympathizers — Frustrating the mines	242-256
CHAPTER XXI
NEARING THE END
Conflicting rumours — Appeals to prophecy — I suggest a night attack — I send more information to the army — Mad struggle with a gaoler — Negotiations with Idris — The Khaleefa sallies out — The gunboats open fire — I go mad — Arrival of fugitives — The riderless horse — The Khaleefa's despair	257-268
CHAPTER XXII
AT LAST
Threats of the prisoners — The routed army in flight — Macdonald's brigade — Illuminating the Ratib — Soudanese sang-froid — Sheikh ed Din repulsed — Attack upon Macdonald — Destruction of Yacoub — Flight of the Khaleefa — His narrow escape from the Sirdar — The Sirdar enters the prison — We meet — The head-quarters' mess — Mr. Bennet Burleigh — My German tongue forsakes me	269-280
CHAPTER XXIII
THE SIRDAR AND SAVAGE WARFARE
The looting of Omdurman — Soudanese troops to the rescue — Genial horseplay — A war correspondent's article — The Sirdar errs in giving quarter — Lex talionis — The ferocity of wounded dervishes — No succour desirable — A challenge to correspondents	281-288
CHAPTER XXIV
BACK TO CIVILIZATION
High hopes — Disillusionment — Attitude of the War Office — I am forced to defend myself — Newspaper calumnies — The News Agency representative — A good Samaritan — Sir George Newnes	289-299
CHAPTER XXV
HOW GORDON DIED
Conflicting accounts — A hero's death — Hope deferred — Gordon's last night — Value of my testimony — Father Ohrwalder's evidence — "Ten Years' Captivity" criticized — Justification of Gordon — The trader as missionary — A tribute to Gordon	300-324

APPENDICES
Appendix 1.
Hassan Bey Hassanein	325-331
Appendix 2.
Orphali	332-337
Appendix 3.
Letter dictated by the Khaleefa to General Stephenson	338-339
Appendix 4.
Ibrahim Pasha Fauzi Gordon's favourite officer	340-345
Appendix 5.
Ahmed Youssef Kandeel	346-348
Appendix 6.
The Soudan: its Past, Present, and Future	349-359