250 WITH KITCHENER IN THE SOUDAN must Stay till the last of the white troops had gone down.

That may be a very long time, as there is no saying what may come of this Fashoda business. Besides, the Khalifa has fairly escaped, and if out of the sixty thousand men with him some thirty thousand got ofi, they may yet rally round him, and in another two or three months he may be at the head of as large a force as ever. I don’t think, after the way the Egyptians fought the other day, there will be any need for white troops to back them. Still, it is likely that a battalion or two may be left. However, we had practically to choose between going at once or waiting at least a month, and you may be sure that the censorship would be put on with a round turn, and that we should not be allowed to say a word of the Fashoda business, which would be the only thing worth telegraphing about. So we have all voted for going.

“ Of course we understand that this pressure has been put upon us on account of this curious affair at Fashoda. Fortunately none of us are sorry to be off. There is certain to be a pause now for some time, and one does not want to be kicking one’s heels about in this ghastly town; and though it is rather sharp and peremptory work, I cannot say that I think the Sirdar is wrong. Whoever these men may be, they must go, that is certain ; but of course it will be a somewhat delicate business, and France—that is, if they are Frenchmen who are there—is sure to be immensely s<)re over the business, and it is certainly very desirable that nothing should be written from here that could increase that feeling. I have no doubt the Sirdar telegraphed home for instructions as soon as he got the news of the affair, and I imagine that his going up in the morning with five gun-boats is proof that he has already received instructions of some sort. I hope this force is not French. The feeling against us is tremendously strong in France, and they certainly will not like backing down; but they will have to do that or figbt, and with all their big