170 EGYPT AND THE SOUDAN.

By the 12th of February the news of Gordon's death and the fall of Khartum had reached Canada; at the same date it had reached Sydney, Victoria, and Adelaide, and was soon known throughout the Australian colonies.

As early as November, 1884, there had been some tentative offers from our Canadian brethren to send a force to join the army in the Soudan, and now similar offers of immediate participation in our efforts for the suppression of the Mahdi and his lieutenant Osman Uigma, were coming from our brethren in Australasia.

These offers represented aid which, when combined, would have been by no means insignificant. The forces in the colonies which were waiting the answer of our government amounted to some 50,000 men; and if it had come to a question of defence against a really formidable enemy, of course these numbers could have been greatly increased. The Canadian militia had been vastly augmented since the act which followed federation. Canada was said to have a total of 37,000 men of all arms, raised by twelve militia districts; while a number of military schools trained a fair supply of officers. The latest report of the general commanding-in-chief represented the forces as improving in efficiency.

Australia, with a total population that must have passed three millions, needs fewer men under arms, having no common frontier with another state. New South Wales counted a little over 2000 costing 85,000 annually; Victoria had about 3500, of which over 400 were naval; and when the reorganization was complete it was reckoned that she would possess thirteen war vessels, including four cruisers and three torpedo boats. The other Australasian colonies were defended in like manner. New Zealand presenting a total effective of not much less than 6000—a large force, which was necessary on account of the presence of the Maoris, who, though at that time friendly, could not be ignored in the military calculations of the colony. Then there was the Cape, which required a considerable force for its own defence, and could show a total of between 4000 and 5000 regulars and volunteers. We could not look to the South African colonies, however, which had quite enough to do to provide for possible troubles on their own