第81章

In accordance with a stipulation in the Treaty of Paris， an international commission had been appointed to improve the navigation of the Danube； and Gordon， who had acted on a similar body fifteen years earlier， was sent out to represent Great Britain. At Constantinople， he chanced to meet the Egyptian minister， Nubar Pasha. The Governorship of the Equatorial Provinces of the Sudan was about to fall vacant； and Nubar offered the post to Gordon， who accepted it. 'For some wise design，' he wrote to his sister， 'God turns events one way or another， whether man likes it or not， as a man driving a horse turns it to right or left without consideration as to whether the horse likes that way or not. To be happy， a man must be like a well-broken， willing horse， ready for anything. Events will go as God likes.'

And then followed six years of extraordinary， desperate， unceasing， and ungrateful labour. The unexplored and pestilential region of Equatoria， stretching southwards to the Great Lakes and the sources of the Nile， had been annexed to Egypt by the Khedive Ismail， who， while he squandered his millions on Parisian ballet-dancers， dreamt strange dreams of glory and empire. Those dim tracts of swamp and forest in Central Africa were-- so he declared-- to be 'opened up'； they were to receive the blessings of civilisation， they were to become a source of eternal honour to himself and Egypt. The slave-trade， which flourished there， was to be put down； the savage inhabitants were to become acquainted with freedom， justice， and prosperity. Incidentally， a government monopoly in ivory was to be established， and the place was to be made a paying concern. Ismail， hopelessly in debt to a horde of European creditors， looked to Europe to support him in his schemes. Europe， and， in particular， England， with her passion for extraneous philanthropy， was not averse.

Sir Samuel Baker became the first Governor of Equatoria， and now Gordon was to carry on the good work. In such circumstances it was only natural that Gordon should consider himself a special instrument in God's band. To put his disinterestedness beyond doubt， he reduced his salary， which had been fixed at ā10，000， to ā2，000.

He took over his new duties early in 1874， and it was not long before he had a first hint of disillusionment. On his way up the Nile， he was received in state at Khartoum by the Egyptian Governor-- General of the Sudan， his immediate official superior.

The function ended in a prolonged banquet， followed by a mixed ballet of soldiers and completely naked young women， who danced in a circle， beat time with their feet， and accompanied their gestures with a curious sound of clucking. At last the Austrian Consul， overcome by the exhilaration of the scene， flung himself in a frenzy among the dancers； the Governor-General， shouting with delight， seemed about to follow suit， when Gordon abruptly left the room， and the party broke up in confusion.

When， 1，500 miles to the southward， Gordon reached the seat of his government， and the desolation of the Tropics closed over him， the agonising nature of his task stood fully revealed. For the next three years he struggled with enormous difficulties--with the confused and horrible country， the appalling climate， the maddening insects and the loathsome diseases， the indifference of subordinates and superiors， the savagery of the slave-traders， and the hatred of the inhabitants. One by one the small company of his European staff succumbed. With a few hundred Egyptian soldiers he had to suppress insurrections， make roads， establish fortified posts， and enforce the government monopoly of ivory. All this he accomplished； he even succeeded in sending enough money to Cairo to pay for the expenses of the expedition.

But a deep gloom had fallen upon his spirit. When， after a series of incredible obstacles had been overcome， a steamer was launched upon the unexplored Albert Nyanza， he turned his back upon the lake， leaving the glory of its navigation to his Italian lieutenant， Gessi. 'I wish，' he wrote， 'to give a practical proof of what I think regarding the inordinate praise which is given to an explorer.' Among his distresses and self-mortifications， he loathed the thought of all such honours， and remembered the attentions of English society with a snarl. 'When， D.V.， I get home， I do not dine out. My reminiscences of these lands will not be more pleasant to me than the China ones. What I shall have done， will be what I have done. Men think giving dinners is conferring a favour on you... Why not give dinners to those who need them？' No！ His heart was set upon a very different object.

'To each is allotted a distinct work， to each a destined goal； to some the seat at the right hand or left hand of the Saviour. (It was not His to give； it was already given-- Matthew xx， 23.

Again， Judas went to "HIS OWN PLACE"--Acts i， 25.) It is difficult for the flesh to accept： "Ye are dead， ye have naught to do with the world". How difficult for anyone to be circumcised from the world， to be as indifferent to its pleasures， its sorrows， and its comforts as a corpse is！ That is to know the resurrection.'

But the Holy Bible was not his only solace. For now， under the parching African sun， we catch glimpses， for the first time， of Gordon's hand stretching out towards stimulants of a more material quality. For months together， we are told， he would drink nothing but pure water； and then ... water that was not so pure. In his fits of melancholy， he would shut himself up in his tent for days at a time， with a hatchet and a flag placed at the door to indicate that he was not to be disturbed for any reason whatever； until at last the cloud would lift， the signals would be removed， and the Governor would reappear， brisk and cheerful.