88 EGYPT AND THE SOUDAN.

the part of Gordon. It showed plainly enough what was the truth, that neither the government nor anybody else, including Gordon himself, who was not in the midst of the rebellion, knew what was the precise condition of affairs in the Soudan, or could calculate on the rapid and extensive spread of the insurrection and the irrevocable manner in which the chiefs and their followers were committed to it. The answer was prompt enough, no time was lost in replying: — "Your message to General Gordon, referred to in your telegram of to-day, is approved, and you are authorized, if you think it necessary and desirable to do so, to convey to General Gordon our approval of it."

But there was another flutter. The "panics" had not been avoided by keeping the message to Mr. Clifford Lloyd secret, for the public anxiety was directed to the safety of the man who was then crossing the desert without knowing what was taking place at Suakim. Gordon was still seriously considering the advantage of securing the co-operation of Zebehr Pasha. He believed the ruling passion of the man to be money, and considered that if he were but well subsidized he would not injure even the person against whom he had a " blood feud," but would by his still potent influence and the hope of continued wealth and authority gain over the tribes from the Mahdi and consent to establish a regular government in the Soudan under the former tribal chiefs or mudirs.

He was convinced that he would renounce slave-hunting, and that the provincial governors might be paid an annual sum to compensate them for not permitting slave-dhows on the river or caravans on the land to pass through their territories. But beyond this Gordon turned his eyes towards the Bahr Gazelle and the Equatorial provinces, whither he and Stewart and Power might go, and by taking the scheme of the King of the Belgians abolish the operations of the traders in the Soudan, prevent the slave-hunting in these provinces, and so succeed in dealing a death-blow to the traffic from Khartum to the Coneo. The o British government, after serious consideration, did not agree with him that the appointment of Zebehr would effect these objects They came to the decided conclusion that the restoration of such