The Relief of Emin Pasha

Abstract

EVERYBODY seems agreed that Dr. Schnitzler, better known as Emin Bey, but recently created Emin Pasha, ought to be relieved; for he does not want to be rescued. For ten years he has been in the Egyptian service, for most of that time as Governor of the Equatorial Province, which, in spite of the Mahdi and his hordes, the death of Gordon, and the collapse of the Egyptian Soudan, he continues to administer with success, and to the comfort and satisfaction of all but slavers. What Emin Pasha has done for science in the little leisure left him by his arduous duties, the readers of Petermann's Mitteilungen and the Proceedings of the Zoological Society know. He is a good type of the kind of explorer that is wanted now that mere pioneering work has been pretty well exhausted: a man well qualified by his scientific training to remain in a particular region for years if necessaty, and study it in all its aspects. We have had such men in the past: some of the greatest names in science could be mentioned as examples. We do not insist in these pages on the great services which Emin Pasha has rendered to civilisation during his residence in the Soudan, first as the noble-minded Gordon's lieutenant, and latterly as one who, in the spirit of Gordon, resolved to stick to what he conceived to be the post of duty at all hazards. Our own Government has virtually admitted its responsibility for the present position of Emin Pasha, but has weakly attempted to shirk its duty by devolving the business of relief on private individuals. Should disaster happen, however, to Emin Pasha or to any expedition sent to his relief, we may be sure that public opinion will not blame any private individuals. Government, however, has gone so far as to promise every assistance short of contributing money.