266 KHARTOUM CAMPAIGN.

closed to the British public, and I acted upon that conviction.

The ‘ Safieh ” remained up the Nile, making fast to the bank about 100 miles north of Fashoda, to await the return of the ** Tewfikieh” with orders from the Khalifa and reinforcements to destroy the French. No doubt there was an attempt made to carry out an Anglophobe idea of effecting a friendly alliance with the Mahdists so as to secure to France the right of access to the Nile and the Bahr el Ghazal. It was an effort to achieve the impossible, to negotiate a treaty with wild beasts. Had the dervishes, or even the ‘« Safieh's ” people who were drumming up recruits, been granted a fortnight to do it in the Marchand expedition would have been totally destroyed. The ‘* Tewfikieh”” arrived in a dust-storm and passed the Sirdar's gunboats unseen, and it was not until she got to Omdurman that the dervish reis and crew realised what had happened. With quick wit the skipper acted, for those who go upon waters are of a catholicity of creed and good-fellowship very different from ordinary landsmen. He ran his craft to the bank, landed with one of his crew and paid a visit to headquarters, where he surrendered himself and his craft. Both were at once accepted, and during the course of the same day the “ Tewfikieh ” again hoisted the Khedivial flag and was employed in towing and ferry work. The captain and crew stood by their ship working her, and though dressed as dervishes were on the flotilla muster-roll for wages and rations. The like befell the other dervish steamers that came into the