CONTENTS. vn to send Colonel Stewart and Mr. Power to Berber, 162 Votes of Censure in Parliament by Sir Stafford Northcote and Sir Michael Hicks Beach — Mr. Gladstone and the Marquis of Hartington defend the Action of Government — An Expedition to relieve Gordon foreshadowed, . . . .170 Financial Position of Egypt in 1S83-S4 — Useful Reforms instituted — The Indemnity Commission for settling Losses caused by the Burning of Alexandria closed — A Financial Statement drawn up, and a Conference held — Lords Northbrook and Wolseley sent to Egypt, . . .183 CHAPTER VII.

A Relief Expedition decided on — Sir Samuel Baker's Letter to the Times on Egyptian Affairs — The Mudir of Dongola — The Army of Occupation in Egypt — Preparations at Woolwich — Mutiny of a Turkish Battalion at Cairo, . . . .186 The four alternative Routes to Khartum — The Suakim-Berber Railway — Heavy Consignments of Plant and Materials for the Railway— The Project abandoned — Despatch of British Troops and their Arrival in Egypt, . . . . .192 The Nile Route to Khartum determined on — Engagement of Canadian Voyageurs — Whale-boats for the Nile Passage — Stores and Provisions — The "Sinews of War" sent to Lord Wolseley — The Scene at Assiout, ...... 202 Geography of Upper Egypt and Nubia — Assiout the ancient "City of the Wolves" — Up the Nile to Assouan and Korosko — From Korosko to Wady Haifa— The Cataracts up to Abu Hamed — Upper and Lower Nubia, and the Belad es Sudan or "Country of the Blacks," . . . 209 The Route of the Expedition — The Cataracts —The Nile Valley above Wady Haifa-New Dongola — Korti, the chief Town of the Shaikeyeh District, . . .213 PAGE Difficulties of the Expedition — The British Force in Egypt — Possible Advantages ol the proposed Soudan Railway Scheme — Conditions of the Nile Ascent — Stages ol the Route — Stations established— A Nile "Nuggar," 21S Official Objections to the presence of Newspaper Correspondents — Enterprise of the modern " War Correspondent " — A Correspondent's Journey across the Desert — His Notes on Camel-riding — The Difficulties of the Journey — Ignorance and Fanaticism of the People of the Soudan — Scarcity of Food Supplies, . . . 225 Hauling the big Steamers up the Cataracts — Passage of the Nassif-el-Kheir — The Railway Buildings and Plant at Wady Haifa — The Scene on the River Banks — The Times Correspondent describes the Passage of the Steamer, .... 234 The Journey from Wady Haifa to Dongola — Qualities of the British Soldier in the trying Labour — "Tommy Atkins" when off duty, . . . . . .241 Dangers of the Nile Voyage — Accident to the Boat in command of Lieut. Crawford — Sir H. Stewart joins Major Gough, . 244 Lord Wolseley's Telegrams to Sir Evelyn Baring — The Story of the Murder of Colonel Stewart, Mr. Power, and M.

Herbin the French Cousul — The Stoker Hussein's Account of the Massacre — Further Details obtained by Major Kitchener, 245 The Engagement of Canadian Voyageurs for the Passage of the Nile — Cheerfulness of the Men — Ascent of the Ambigol Cataract — The Dongolese Boatmen and Nubians, 249 The enormous Labour of the Expedition — The Canadian Voyageurs' Opinion of the Work — Passage of the first or Pioneer Boats described by an Eye-witness — Names of the five Canadians in charge of these Boats, ...... 252 A Messenger from Major Kitchener arrives from Dongola — Lord Wolseley receives