"THE ONLY WAY." 93 that probably the mass of civil employes would refuse to leave the Soudan even if they were dismissed and their expenses paid to Cairo. It was absolutely necessary, however, to reduce all establishments to a minimum, and he proposed, if these people refused to leave the country, to make them sign a paper releasing the Egyptian government from future responsibility for them.

His first object was to send to Cairo the families of all deceased employes, soldiers, &c, and to attempt the pacification of the country and the reopening of communications. When these objects were fulfilled, it would be necessary to consider what must follow. For a considerable time the country had been accustomed to a more or less controlling and directing government, to a system of posts, telegraphs, legal courts, and financial and other departments; and to disturb, if not annihilate, this system at a moment's notice appeared to him to be handing over the country to complete anarchy. Supposing the Eastern Soudan tranquillized, its administration " Soudanized," native mudirs appointed, refugees all sent to Cairo, the Equatorial and Bahr Gazelle provinces evacuated, and the Egyptian troops ready to leave. Supposing the firman dissolving the connection between Egypt and the Soudan to have been read, and the result would be that each mudir would aim at securing his own independence, and that a period of violent and protracted commotion would ensue, which might react prejudicially on Egypt owing to the intimate connection which had so lone obtained between the two countries, lie suggested, therefore, that the Egyptian government should maintain its position as a suzerain power, nominate the governor-general and mudirs, and act as a supreme court of appeal, but with a controlling influence strictly moral, and limited to giving advice.

He was then of opinion that the prestige of the Cairo government was not seriously shaken except in so far as the conduct of its troops in the field was concerned, and that the people regarded that government as representing the sultan and would look with horror on a complete separation. It is not difficult to sec, therefore, why he clung to the notion of the appointment oi a clever, crafty, influential, and able governor such as Zebehr, who,