WARS OF THE NINETIES 188 replied that he had only carried out the orders of his Government, and that until he received orders to the contrary from it, his plain duty was to remain at Fashoda. Hisorders hadbeen to occupy the Bahr-el-Ghazal and the Fashoda province. Then came the critical stage of the conference, which had best be told in the Sirdar's own words:— necessary for the defence of Fashoda against a second attack, which Iexpected the Dervishes to make about September 25th. Your arrival has prevented it." The letter ended by saying that the writer would be happy to welcome the Sirdar at Fashoda "in the name of France."

Thus atlastFrenchand BritishrivalryinAfrica had culminated in the two countries being brought face to face on the Upper Nile. The Sirdar's instructions had fully provided for this contingency. The chief point for the present was to assert the rights of Egypt withoutprovoking a conflict on the spot. This was the reason why the Sirdar had brought with him such an overwhelmingforce.

"I pointed out thatIhad the instructions of the Government to re-establish Egyptian authority in the Fashoda Mudirieh (province or district), andIasked M.Marchand whethei he was prepared— on behalf of the French Government— to resist the execution of these orders;he must be fully aware,Isaid, that the Egyptian and British forces were very much more powerful than those at his disposal ; but, at the same time,Iwas very averse to creating a situation which might lead to hostilities. I thereforebegged M.Marchand to most carefully consider his final decision on this matter. ] further informed him that Ishould be pleased to place one of my gunboats at his disposal to conveyhim andhis expeditionnorth.

Fashoda was in sight at ten o'clock. From the steamers the French flag was seen flying from a tall mast close to the Nile bank, and near the ruins of the old Government buildings.

A Senegalese sentry walked up and down near the flag. Farther back from the river was the French camp, fortified partly with new works, partly by adapting to this purpose portions of the old Government buildings and ruined wall of Fashoda. It could be seen that a mudwalled redoubt nearest the river, and the trenches that ran back from it to two smaller flanking works, were lined with blackriflemen. Their faces peered over the low rampart. The garrison,whichat the first glance was estimated at about 300 men, was evidently on the alert.

"In answer to this M. Marchand did not hesitate to admit the preponderating force- at my disposal, and his inability to offer effective armed resistance; if, however, he said, Ifelt obliged to take any such action, he could only submit to the inevitable, which would mean that he and his companions would die at their posts. He begged, therefore, thatIwould consider his position, and would allow thequestion of his remaining at Fashoda to be referred to his Government, as without their orders he could not retire from his position or haul down his flag;at the same time, he said, he felt sure that, under the circumstances,the order for his retirement wouldnot be delayedby his Government, and that then he hoped to avail himself of the offerIhad made him. Ithen said to him,< DoIunderstand that you are authorised bythe French Government to resist Egypt in putting up its flag and reasserting itsauthority in its formerpossessions— such as the Mudirieh of Fashoda'? M. Marchand hesitated, and then said he could not resist the Egyptian flag beinghoisted.Irepliedthat myinstructions were to hoist the flag, and thatIintended to do so."

It was then arranged that Colonel Wingate and Captain Germain should land together and select a convenient spot for the hoisting of the Egyptian flag outside the ground actually occupied by theFrench camp. A bastion of the old fortifications was selected for this purpose, As the steamers came up abreast of the fort a boat, mannedby Senegalese,put off from the shore. In the stern, under the tricolour, sat two officers in white unifoim. One of them was Captain Marchand. Compared with the portrait of him, taken before his long march across Africa, he looked worn and somewTiat aged, and he had grown a beard and long side whiskers. The other was his staff officer, Captain Germain.

The two Frenchmen were received by the Sirdar on board the Dal,with compliments on the success of their long and arduous journey. Then, seated at a table under the awning the Sirdar and Colonel Wingate representing England and Egypt, and Captains Marchand and Germain representing France, proceeded to discuss the situation. The Sirdar told the Frenchmen he was authorised to state that the hoisting of their flag in the Nile valley was a direct infringement of the rights of Egypt and of Great Britain, against which he protested in the strongest terms. Marchand