HO EGYPT AND THE SOUDAN.

British nor Indian troops were to be sent to Wady Haifa or to Berber, as no definite proposition was ever concluded to agree with the government of the sultan for the despatch of a Turkish force to the Soudan for the purpose of suppressing the rebellion and pacificating the country, the only alternative was to place in power at Khartum or at Berber some ruler whose influence with the people would enable him to reorganize a settled government on the old native lines. Gordon, baffled, refused, conscious that as the days went by the situation was becoming more difficult, and that it might soon be impossible either to vacate the country or to maintain any effectual opposition to the advance of the Mahdi and the spread of the insurrection, suggested every plan that occurred to him, with the apparent result that the government here, unable to comprehend the actual condition of affairs, began to fear every fresh suggestion, and to regard it as a temptation to abandon that policy of non-intervention in the Soudan which they had in effect already contradicted by the operations in the Red Sea provinces.

It should be noted, however, that Sir Evelyn Baring was no longer either reticent or uncertain. Having weighed the probable results he had come to the conclusion that the appointment of Zebehr was the only way of avoiding increased difficulties that might end in actual disaster. In a similarly frank spirit he said, in reference to the objection to sending British troops to Assouan because of the probable effects of the climate: " I have only to say, that we have undertaken the responsibility of preserving tranquillity in Egypt, and that it is impossible to execute the task without exposing our troops to whatever risks the climatic influences involve." Gordon had quite early pointed out, that should the whole Soudan, comprising Dongola, Berber, Khartum, Sennar, and Kassala, be quieted, and Bogos evacuated, there would be left a large and expensive force and a diminished revenue, as hardly half the tax could be realized for a year or so. Egyptian employes and white troops would have departed, and there would be no money wherewith to pay the forces for the defence of the towns when once the .£100,000 for which he had credits was exhausted. There