POSITION OF THE GARRISONS. \2J plans, and it was necessary to do something, for the European consuls were asking Gordon if Khartum was menaced, and whether he could help them to go to Berber. The very fact of these Europeans leaving would be significant evidence to the people of the town and the provinces that no assistance was likely to arrive. Gordon asked Sir E. Barinq- what he would recommend him to say in order to neutralize the ill effects of their departure, and added, u You know exactly the position of the garrisons, so far as I can explain it, and that there is no probability of the people rallying round me, or of paying any attention to my proclamation." Such was the change that had occurred in the aspect of affairs in less than three weeks. It was no longer worth while to hold on to Khartum, unless a diversion of British troops to Berber were to be made, or the proposal to appoint Zebehr were accepted. It would be impossible for Gordon to help the other garrisons, and he would only be sacrificing the troops and employes at Khartum; he therefore uro;ed that he should be instructed at once whether he should evacuate Khartum, and with all the troops and employes remove the seat of government to Berber, necessarily sacrificing all outlying places except Berber and Dongola. A prompt reply was necessary, as even the retreat to Berber might not be in his power in a few days, and would be difficult even if carried out at once, so difficult that he would have to leave large stores, and nine steamers, which could not go down, and as he might utterly fail in getting the Cairo employes to Berber, because of questions that might arise there and at Dongola, he could only be responsible for the attempt to accomplish it, while, if once the Mahdi got into Khartum, operations against him would be very arduous, and could not serve Sennar and Kassala. If the immediate evacuation ol Khartum were determined upon irrespective of outlying towns, Gordon proposed to send down all the Cairo employes and white troops to Berber with Colonel Stewart, who would there await the orders of the srovernment. Gordon would at the same time resign his own commission. He would then take all steamers and stores up to the Equatorial and Bahr Gazelle provinces, and consider those provinces to be under the; King of the Belgians.