EGYPT AND THE SOUDAN.

which would fulfil the general conditions laid down in these

instructions, which went on to say, with what appears now to be

sadly amusing solemnity:—"The main difficulty will consist in

the selection of an individual or a number of individuals having

sufficient authority to maintain order. You will, of course, bear

in mind that any ruler established south of Wady Haifa will have

to rely solely on his own strength in order to maintain his position.

. . Under certain conditions the Egyptian government would

be prepared to pay a moderate subsidy in order to secure

tranquillity and fairly good government in the valley of the Nile. Beyond the adoption of this measure neither her majesty's govern- ment nor the Egyptian government are prepared to assume any

responsibility whatsoever for the government of the Nile valley

south of Wady Haifa."

Even with the knowledge which we have acquired from the

present narrative—up to the period of the marching of the " desert

column" on the way to Metammeh—we read these instructions

with a feeling of surprise—almost of pity; but we must remember

that having arrived at this point we are more than two months

ahead of the date when these general instructions were sent to Lord Wolseley at Cairo, and at that time the majority of people in England were looking forward to the smashing of the Mahdi and

a victorious march of British troops into Khartum for the rescue

of Gordon, while others, hearing of steamers sent by Gordon to

Shendy, were saying that if Wolseley did not take care what he was about it would be he who would have to be rescued by

Gordon. Such were the vague notions and general want of an

accurate estimate of the situation while Stewart and Wilson were

advancing to Abu-Klea and Brackenbury was pushing forward to Handab, the first rendezvous for the Nile column.

To the first of these—the march from Korti to Metammeh we will now for a moment return, for to that "desert column," as

it was called, immediate steps for the rescue of Gordon had been

intrusted, and we have briefly diverged from the story of their

arrival at Gakdul to tell of the message that reached England of

the ensuing engagement at Abu-Klea.