uO EGYPT AND THE SOUDAN.

take out of these steamers all Egyptian officers and soldiers. I make you a present of these hens, and request you will not let one come back here to me. I include in this all prescribed ranks, pashas, beys, &c. &c. 3. I request yott will take charge of these steamers and not allow any nominee of Tewfik Pasha to interfere with you in this matter. The officers and soldiers of Egypt have been paid, or their pay has been regulated, so you will have no difficulty on that score. If you do not use the steamers at least take out the luns, and send them back empty. You will find that the steamers are well supplied with ammunition, &c. If you please to put black troops on board they will be welcome; but not those heroes of Tel-el-Kebir." This and other letters of the same date were, of course, written when he first sent the steamers down to await the arrival of the troops. There were two letters to Lord Wolseley with some scanty news, and one, the latest of all, addressed to Colonel Watson, dated 14th December, in which Gordon said he expected a crisis within the next ten days, or about Christmas-day. He had evidently given up all hope of help from outside, and asked Watson to say good-bye to his friends and relations. This agreed with the letter of November 4th, in which he said the provisions would about hold out to the middle of December. The small note, which had been dated 29th of December, though it said " All right, can hold out for years," meant little in the light of these official communications; but there appeared to be at least one gleam of hope in it,—Khartum had not been taken. The attack had been deferred, and this was confirmed by the commanders of the steamers. On the 19th of January the town was still holding out. There was a possibility that the pressure upon it would be relieved by the number of men removed to go down to fight at Metammeh, and news of the victories at Abu-Klea and Gubat might have been carried into Khartum and given fresh determination to Gordon and the garrison.

It had become a serious question whether even a modification of the original plan for relieving Gordon at Khartum could be carried out. By that programme it had been settled that Sir