Relations with Abyssinia 153 placed an embargo on corn along his southern frontier. This incensed the slave traders, who drew their supplies from Darfur, and a further cause of quarrel was the invasion of Bahr el Ghazal territory by Darfur troops in pursuit of slaves. Zubehr accordingly prepared for an invasion of the province. The Egyptian Government, seeing the danger of his acquiring fresh strength, determined upon taking the conquest into their own hands, giving out as a pretext that the repeated hostile expeditions of the Sultan had made it necessary to occupy Darfur. Two expeditions were accordingly organised— one from the north under the command of Ismail Yakub Pasha, and one from the south under Zubehr. In one of the ensuing battles the Sultan and two of his sons were killed, and Darfur fell into Egyptian hands. Zubehr was made a pasha, but he claimed a right to be made governorgeneral of the new province, and his acknowledged power was likely to make him formidable. His request, however, was refused, and though at first he intended to assert his independence, he in the end decided to push his claim at Cairo. Here he was, however, detained, his son Suliman, of whom more hereafter, meanwhile taking his place in the provinces.

Darfur having thus become an Egyptian province, the Exploration Khedive sent out two scientific expedition*, composed of and Kordcv staff officers and attaches, to report on the capabilities fan > 1874 * of the country. These left Cairo on the 5th December, 1874 : one, under Colonel Purdy, was to enter Darfur on its northern frontier; the other, under Colonel Colston, by the east from Kordofan. The latter expedition was afterwards commanded by Major Prout, when Colston was incapacitated by sickness. Reports of these expeditions were compiled by the Egyptian General Staff.

Relations with Abyssinia.

The relations between Egypt and Abyssinia have an important bearing on the history of the Sudan, and in future years are likely to exercise a still further influence on this portion of Africa.

The Turks and Arabs have never yet succeeded in subjugating this country, although many attempts have been made to that end. As far back as the sixteenth century