THE IRONY OF EVENTS. 3

extending your operations far beyond the sphere which her

majesty's government is prepared to sanction. As regards the

Sennar garrison, her majesty's government is not prepared to

sanction the despatch of an expedition of British troops up the

Blue Nile in order to secure its retreat. From the last telegrams

received from General Gordon, there is reason to hope that he has

already taken steps to withdraw the Egyptian portion of the

Sennar garrison. You will use your best endeavours to ensure the

safe retreat of the Egyptian troops which constitute the Khartum

garrison, and of such of the civil employes of Khartum, together

with their families, as may wish to return to Egypt.

"As regards the future government of the Soudan and

especially of Khartum, her majesty's government would be glad

to see a government at Khartum which, so far as all matters

connected with the internal administration of the country is

concerned, would be wholly independent of Egypt. The Egyptian government would be prepared to pay a reasonable subsidy to any

chief or number of chiefs who would be sufficiently powerful to

maintain order along the valley of the Nile from Wady Haifa to Khartum, and who would agfree to the followine conditions

:

" I. To remain at peace with Egypt, and to repress any raids

on Egyptian territory. 2. To encourage trade with Egypt.

3. To prevent and discourage by all possible means any expeditions

for the sale of and capture of slaves."

How strangely these general orders read now! How strangely

they must have read even at the time that the two columns were

preparing to start from Korti on a march which had already become

a fight, not only against the enemy and against the physical obstruc-

tions of the desert and the rapids, but against time. The irony of

events had made the guarded and almost apprehensive precision

with which the government repeated their political formula nearly

as ludicrous as their obvious want of knowledge of the actual

conditions with which they had reluctantly consented to deal only

from their own point of view, whence they saw little or nothing

of the real situation.

Lord Wolseley was authorized to conclude any arrangements