125-year-old rescue plea written in Arabic on a tiny scrap of paper by General Gordon of Khartoum.

 

1. This is an amazing find, and if the paper is authentic then it is nearly priceless. £700 is a great price for such a bit of history.

   The betrayal of Gordon at Khartoum is one of the darker chapters in the history of the Empire. They knew damn well he was in distress, and they dawdled. It was all politics, because Lord Muckety-muck had his snotty nose out of joint. And thus Gordon was left to die, along with all the British left in the city. Bastards. Oh sure, later on the army came around and wiped out the Mahdis. And Kitchener came out a hero. And Belloc even left us a famous bit of doggerel ...

   Whatever happens, We have got
   The Maxim gun, And they have not

   But Gordon was still hung out to dry.

   Posted by Drew458       01/27/2009  at  02:37 PM  



2. I can’t picture Gordon without thinking of the late, great Charlton “from my cold dead hands” Heston.

   Posted by LyndonB       01/27/2009  at  06:19 PM  

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