428 AGRICULTURE, COMMERCE, ETC.

Khartum, or by enlarged and emended editions of Anglo-Heyptian slave conventions! But if Europeans have no money for such purposes, or prefer to waste men and means from Zanzibar, we have at any rate the missionaries.

I took a great deal of pains during my stay in Kharttm to prevail on the mission there to undertake the establishment of stations in this country, not in the foolish manner of past times, but after the model of the French station in Bagamoyo, though perhaps with rather less religious ballast and less psalm-singing. Whether they were alarmed by Mgr. Comboni’s death, or what it was, I do not know, but there was so much talk of getting permission from Rome, temporary difficulties, want of money, &Xc., that nothing is to be hoped for in that direction. The C. M.S. do not see their way to send a mission here; the other societies may think differently, but [ have no connexion with them; and the Germans—do you suppose they have money for the purpose ? There remains only Mer. Lavigerie, with his Turcos and Zouaves —what do you think of my opening a correspondence with him? From what I see and hear, he would be just the man to take an interest in this kind of thing, and he seems to have means enough at command to go to work at once, which is just what I want; for I should like before my death to have a better guarantee for the preservation of the work I have done than could be afforded by the prospect of seeing a highly respectable Bey step into my place, who would neither understand nor love the country and its inhabitants. I refrain for the present from further and longer explanations ; a buon intenditore poche parole. You are almost the only one who really knows our country, and takes an interest in its prosperity and misfortunes, and for that very reason I was unwilling to keep these ideas from you. Should you be able to interest yourself in my dreams, and to make your influence felt on behalf of this country, which you have been the principal instrument in making known to the world, my half-formed projects will soon take shape under your hand and become realised, to my great satisfaction. Pray do not blame me for troubling you by asking your help and advice—I have no one that I can trust, and am, too, an official. I beg you, therefore, to consider all my utterances as quite private, but above all to let me know your views, and, should