Egypt : handbook for travellers / edited by K. Baedeker.

Date:
1885-1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Egypt : handbook for travellers / edited by K. Baedeker. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    in advance to cut off this hend and open communication with Khartum from Shendy, while the main body continued its laborious ascent of the Nile. The advanced brigade under General Stewart accomplished its march across the Bayxlda Desert (see Map, p. 30) with complete success, gaining severely contested victories over large bodies of the Mahdi’s followers at Abu Klea (Jan. 17th) and at a point near Me- temmeh (Jan. 19th). Stewart, however, was mortally wound- ed at the latter engagement. The British reached the Nile at Gubat, just above Metemmeh, on the evening of Jan. 19th, and on Jan. 24th a small body of men under Sir Chas. Wilson set out for Khartum in two steamboats which Gordon had sent to meet them. Sir Charles reached Khartum on the 28th, but found that it had already fallen on the 26th, ap- parently through treachery, and that Gordon was either dead or in the hands of the Mahdi. Upon the news of the fall of Khartum the British government, after consultation with General Wolseley, decided that it was necessary to arrest the progress of the Mahdi, and determined to dispatch reinforce- ments of 10,000 men to Souakin, to co-operate with Wolseley from that base. The construction of a railway from Souakin to Berber was also resolved upon. At the time the Hand- book went to press the plan of Wolseley’s farther operations was not definitely known; but the loss of Khartum and the approach of the hot season had greatly complicated his task, and the advanced brigade had been recalled to join the main body. Though an absolutely trustworthy account of the fate of General Gordon has not yet been received, there is almost no room to doubt that he perished at the capture of Khartum. IV. Hieroglyphics. By Professor 0. Ebers of Leipsic. The ancient Egyptians used three kinds of writing, the Hieroglyphic, the Hieratic, and the Demotic, to which, within the Christian era, was added the Coptic. The first and earliest is the pure Hieroglyphic writing, which consists of figures of material ob- jects from every sphere of nature and art, together with certain mathematical and arbitrary symbols. Thus snail, axe, □ square, ? senti. This is the monumental writing, which is oftener found engraved on stone than written with a pen. For the speedier execution of long records the Egyptians next developed the Hieratic writing, in which the owl Q, i. e. ^) almost ceases to be recognisable, and in which we possess literary