THE RECONOUEST OF THE SOUDAN. 67 the still more useful news about the latest Dervish move, which clearly pointed to plans against either Kassala or Berber.

was thus formally restored to the rule of Egypt.

There is no doubt that the transaction was not at allpleasing to KingMenelek ofAbyssinia.

When he made peace withItaly in1896 it was stipulated that in the event of Italy giving up any of her African possessions, they were to be ceded to "Ethiopia," and to no other Power. There is no doubt that he believed he had in this waysecured the reversion ofKassalafor his empire; but Italy was already under engagements to restore the fortress to Egypt in the event of a re-occupation of the Soudan. So there was a prior claim, on which England and Egypt were now taking action. All the same, it is to be regretted that Italy did not clearly explain this reservation as to Kassala when the treaty of Addis Abeba was being signed. Its omission left the way open for serious trouble between England and Egypt on the one side, and Menelek on the other, and it would be a seriousmatter for any Power on the UpperNile to have to reckon as an enemy the "King 01 Kings," with his huge arm}-, in his mountain citadel.

Soon further reports from the enemy's camp settled the question definitely. Berber was the object aimed at. But, meanwhile, the Sirdar hadprovided forall contingencies. He left Cairo withhis staff on the14th. He had to leave the Dongola garrisons intact, to provide a force to replace the Italian garrison at Kassala on New Year's Day, and to concentrate at Berber and EdDarner an army that could meet Mahmoud face to face ifhe moved on Berber, and strike at his flank if he tried to march on Kassala. In order to keep the garrisons up to full strength, and have anarmy in the field strongenoughfor all contingencies, he might need a few more battalions thanhe actually hadupon the Upper Nile. So he informed the Home Government that he would probably have to ask for a small British force to strengthen his hands in dealing with Mahmoud. In any case, some British regiments would be needed later in the new year for the advance onKhartoum. So it would be a good thing for some of them to have a little experience of campaigning in the Soudan evenifMahmoud'sadvance did not prove to be a veryformidable affair.

Colonel Parsons, thenew Governor of Kassala, soongave the Friendlies an opportunity of showing their mettle. After Baratieri's capture of Kassalain 1804,the Dervishes had formeda line of militarypostsalong the Atbara river. Those on the lowerriver had been abandoned in 1897, after the loss of Berber. On the upper river they had small garrisons at El Fasher and Asubri. A party ofcamel-men belonging to the Kassala garrison raidedEl Fasher on December 22nd and drove the Dervishes out. Asubri had a larger garrison, and when attackedby another body of Friendlies it stood a short siege. The attacking force was strengthenedonDecember 27 by the arrival of the captors of El Fasher, and at midnight Asubri surrendered. The garrison had lost forty-four killed, including two emirs. These successes, small in themselves, addedconsiderably to thesecurity of the Kassala garrison, giving it two useful advanced posts from which to reconnoitre the country beyond the Atbara, and getting rid of the only Dervish garrisons in theneighbourhood.

The Sirdar established his headquarters at Wady Haifa, apoint from which he couldeasily keep in communication with both the Soudan and Egypt, and rapidly reach the front beyond Berber by the Abu Hamed railway. Up to Christmas week all the reports from the south showed that the Dervishes were still occupied withpreparationsfor an advance,but that so far no reinforcements for Mahmoud had actually left Khartoum. Duringthis periodthe Egyptian staff had arranged for the takingoverof Kassala. Colonel Parsons, who was to act as Governor under the new regime, went up to Kassala in the beginningof December to settle the details with the Italian officers. The garrison consisted chiefly of "Friendlies " acting under their own chiefs, and some companies of native troops under Italian officers. It was decided that the Friendlies should continue to act in the same capacity under the Egyptian Government, and the option was given to the native soldiers to transfer their services to the Egyptian army. On Christmas Day the Italian tricolour was saluted by an Egyptian battalion which had been marched up from Suakin, and by the batteries of the fort. Then the red flag of Egypt was hoisted in its stead, and Kassala So the year which had seen the capture ot AbuHamed andBerberclosed witha new success. Now that the Egyptian flag flew at Kassala, it might be said that the twelvemonth just ended had carried the Khedive's flag nearly400 miles further to the southward. The boundariesolthe Dervish power had shrunk veryrapidly sincethe