THE EGYPTIAN SUDAN wherein General Gordon was murdered. The British and Egyptian flags were flying over the roof, and a 40-pounder siegegun stood on each side of the main gate, which was guarded by British and Sudani soldiers. A road had been marked out along the river front, and was in process of construction, and most of the natives in the town seemed to be engaged in making bricks and building Government Offices, houses, &c. An hotel had been started under the management of Mr. Arnaucf, about a mile down the river, and there several of the officers lived. Lord Cromer was visiting Khartum at the time, and was arranging and inspecting with Sir F. R. Wingate the work of every branch of the Administration.

Through the kindness of the Sirdar I was allowed to witness a very interesting ceremony at the Palace. A number of men and two or three women of the Shilluk and Dinka tribes had walked from their native land, which lies some hundreds of miles to the south of Khartum, m order to present their fealty to the " great chiefs " of the " White Queen," and it was arranged that the ceremony should take place one day at noon on the verandah of the Palace, which faces south. The Delegates of the tribes were led in before Lord Cromer, who was wearing a large number of orders, the Sirdar, and a few British officers and ladies, and having taken up their position, one of them stepped forward and with appropriate gestures and in simple language told his Lordship that they had come to tender their allegiance to him as the representative of the " White Queen," to express their undying loyalty to him, and to ask his protection so that they might henceforward live in their own country in peace, and carry on their trading arrangements in security. They went on to say that they now regarded him as the head of their tribes, and as a proof of this they said they had brought with them the head-dress or crown which could only be worn by the chief of their tribes, and this they wished to be allowed to put on his head. Lord Cromer then made a suitable reply, which was at once translated to the Delegates in good and fluent Arabic by Mr.

Boyle, and which gave them great satisfaction. Two men, one a Shilluk and the other a Dinka, then produced a wonderful object which resembled a black-green flower-pot more than anything else, 322