No. 652.
Mr. Beardsley to Mr. Fish.
Agency
and Consulate-General of the United States in
Egypt,
Cairo,
March 24, 1875. (Received April 21.)
No. 293.]Sir: I have the honor to inclose herewith a
translation of an official dispatch from the governor-general of the
Soudan, relating the particulars of the final conquest of Darfour, and
the submission to the Egyptian authority of the entire family and
relatives of the late Sultan, who was killed in battle last year.
Hassab-Allah, the uncle and successor to the late Sultan retired with
his family and retainers to the mountains west of Darfour after the
disastrous engagements which so effectually destroyed the Darfourean
forces, and prepared to resist the Egyptian authorities to the last. The
wise and conciliating measures, however, adopted by the Khedive’s
government toward the inhabitants of the country soon induced one of the
most powerful members of the late Sultan’s family, the Emir Abd-el Raman
Chattoult, to offer his submission and ask permission to return to his
residence at Facher, the capital. He was not only permitted to return,
but he was treated with every mark of distinction due to his princely
rank, and permitted to resume complete control of all his
possessions.
This generous treatment of Abd-el-Raman had the desired effect upon
Hassab-Allah, who, in obedience to an invitation from the
governor-general, soon came down from the mountains and gave in his
submission, with that of all his family. Immediately after this event,
Mohamed Fadhl, son of the late Sultan, and the last of the powerful
chiefs of Darfour to hold out, submitted to the Egyptian authority. The
governor appears to speak but the truth when he says with satisfaction:
“Such is the result of the expedition to Darfour, the complete
submission of the family of the late Sultan and all the population of
the country.”
But little is as yet known in regard d to Darfour, except that it is a
large and important province, with nearly five millions of inhabitants,
and possessing within itself many resources of wealth and prosperity.
The eastern portion is said to be sandy, but susceptible of cultivation,
while the western part is extremely fertile and rich in minerals.
The two exploring parties which left Cairo for Darfour in December, as
reported in my dispatches numbered 262 and 268, will soon be in the
field and at work. They will open new routes, repair old ones, trace the
course of the principal streams, and collect data for a reliable map of
the new territory, and at the same time, by careful researches,
ascertain the importance of its mineral resources, and by systematic
observations define its meteorological phenomena.
The governor recommends the division of the country into departments and
districts, and submits to His Highness the Khedive a practical plan of
government, which, it is believed, will be adopted and carried out.
Materials for the construction of the telegraph are being rapidly
forwarded to Darfour, and it is believed that within a few months
telegraphic communication will be established between Khartoum and
Facher.
In the mean time the Egyptian policy is to conciliate and pacify the
country, and, at the same time, remove from it all disturbing elements.
The Khedive has invited Hassab Allah (and his family) to take up his
residence at Cairo, and the invitation has of course been accepted. The
[Page 1340]
ex-Sultan will be
provided with a palace and paid a pension sufficiently liberal to permit
him to live as befits a prince of his rank. His Highness has already
reached Khartoum on his way to Cairo. He is accompanied by his four sons
and ninety-two persons composing his suite, of whom thirty-two are men
and sixty are women.
An Egyptian steamer has been dispatched to Souakin, on the Red Sea, for
the purpose of receiving the prince and his family and bringing them to
Suez, from whence they will come by rail to Cairo. He will be received
here with all the honors due to his rank.
I am, &c.,
[Inclosure 1 in No.
293.—Translation.]
Dispatch from the Governor-General of
Soudan.
By the dispatch I had the honor to receive lately your excellency was
kind enough to inform me that His Highness, giving us already so
many proofs of his benevolence, has been graciously pleased to
confer upon me the degree of a division general, with the order of
the Medjidié, I class, and on Zubar Pasha the degree of a brigade
general and the Medjidié, III class.
Your excellency was kind enough to inform me at the same time that
His Highness the Viceroy ordered me to compliment the troops on his
behalf, and to express his satisfaction to the whole army.
I consequently united all the officers and soldiers which were
present in Facher, the center of the actual government, and
intimated to them the contents of the dispatch as well as the
compliments and satisfaction of His Highness.
The joy was great and general, and was manifested in the most sincere
manner. Between the thanksgivings and prayers to the Almighty for
the preservation of the days of His Highness, salvos of artillery
were fired, &c., &c.
I then immediately wrote to Zubar Pasha, who is at present in the
hills of Morah, to communicate these happy tidings, and the joy
there was also great and general.
The health of the soldiers is excellent, and they are full of
gratitude toward the Khedive. In regard to their welfare, for which
they have to thank His Highness and his generous orders, they have
continued to prosper in these distant mountains where nobody has
been before them. The whole population of Darfour (I may say all the
villages, ail the districts, and all the dependencies of the
territory) is in a perfect state of quietude and continue their
agricultural and commercial pursuits, encouraged as they are by the
proceedings full of humanity and justice which are being carried out
in accordance with higher instructions.
The Emir, Abdul-Rahman Chattoult, one of the brothers of the late
Sultan of Darfour, someAvhat older than the latter, who had received
intimation of this state of things, called upon us to ask for
protection and for permission for himself, his mother, and his
family to remain in their residence in Facher under protection of
the government of His Highness the Viceroy, with the same rights as
his other subjects.
This request was granted, and I gave him full liberty to proceed as
in the past, and to dispose without any reserve whatever of all his
properties and private agricultural settlements; besides I thought
it my duty to offer him a state robe, embroidered with gold, and a
sword of silver, as well as a horse, with a saddle of gilded
silver.
He manifested great pleasure, and was in haste to write to his
brothers and relations, and at the same time to the family of the
late Sultan, to tell them what had happened to him, and to beg them
to come and join him.
In accordance with the instructions which had been delivered to me
previously, I wrote to Hassab-Allah, the uncle of the late Sultan,
who, after having retired with his staff, had barricaded himself in
the hills of Morah, in the east of Darfour. I requested him to give
in his submission, promising him full security for his person as
well as for his private properties, and I asked him to return with
the family of the Sultan and the chiefs that remained with him, that
they might be re-installed in their estates and occupy themselves
with their own affairs. I further showed him my intention to attach
to the service the most meritorious men and to employ them according
to their abilities.
My letter was sent to him through Zubar Pasha, accompanied by a
detachment, who had orders to use force in case of resistance on his
part. Having received this letter, and being already informed of our
friendly proceedings toward the Emir Abdul-Rashman,
[Page 1341]
Hassab-Allah submitted-to the
instruction of the government, informing me by letter of his
submission. Then he came down from the hills, with his companions,
to meet Zuba Pasha, in a state of perfect submission and Obedience,
without a shot having been fired. I received a letter which
confirmed these facts, and announcing at the same time the
submission of the Emir Mahomed Fadhl, son of the late Sultan. Such
is the result of the expedition to Darfour, “complete submission of
the family of the late Sultan and of all the population of the
country,” and there only remains now the establishment of
administrative principles in this country.
The territory of Darfour being very vast, I should suggest, for the
simple reason of its importance, its division into four departments,
the north, south, east, and west. These departments ought to be
under the jurisdiction of a governor-general, whose residence would
be Facher, the old capital of Darfour, it being the center.
Each of them being equal to one of the departments of the Soudan,
should be ruled by a governor, chosen among the higher officers, and
to whom should be attached—
- (1.)
- Ten officers in the quality of chiefs of district
officers, prefects of the police, &c.
- (2.)
- Ten clerks able to fill their positions, two surgeons, two
dispensaries, two engineers, one cadi, as well as the
necessary clerks.
Each government should have, at the same time, a sufficient force of
regular troops and militia. With reference to the town of Facher, it
ought to have as well a sufficient military force of regular and
irregular troops, and a divan with a sufficient staff of clerks and
employés.
A sanitary inspection and a sanitary board, with the medicines and
dispensaries required, and everything else that is thought fit for
the use of the general government.
The administrative rule once organized on this basis, there must be
provided, in compliance with the orders of his highness the Khedive,
for the transport of the necessary materials for the construction of
telegraphic lines, destined to run through every locality, to
facilitate a rapid exchange of communications between the
sub-governments, the general government, and the Soudan.
