THE WAR

IN

EGYPT AND THE SOUDAN.

CHAPTER VI.

The Question of the Soudan and England. Opinion of the Ex-khedive. * State of Affairs at

Khartum. Embarrassment of the British Government. Gordon Interviewed. The Vox Populi. Gordon agrees to return to the Soudan. Starts for Egypt. His Mission, and its Object. Zebehr Pasha again. The Journey and Arrival at Khartum. Active Measures. Halfiyeh.

Position of Berber. Discussions in England. Egyptian Financial Changes.

It is not to be wondered at that the Egyptian ministry was

greatly perturbed. In the beginning of the year 1S84 they had had to face the probability of an attempted invasion of Egypt

itself by the savaq-e and rebellious forces of the Mahdi. The condition of the Soudan provinces was almost hopeless so far as

the maintenance of the authority of the government was concerned.

It had become too evident that Egyptian troops could not stand

before the wild and reckless onslaughts of the Baq-qara, the

Hadendovva, and other fierce tribes of the desert, who had entered

on the war stimulated by violent fanaticism, and seemed to be determined to pursue it to the death. The victories of the false prophet and his lieutenants had so raised his reputation that a host of new adherents followed his standard, and made up for

the vast numbers who had been slain when they were confronted by sections of tribes as resolute and warlike as themselves, and

who, though inferior in numbers, had been led by men with some knowledge of warfare and military tactics, and were provided with firearms in addition to the ordinary weapons, so that they were able to sustain the feeble courage or to threaten the cowardice of

the untrained Egyptian recruits.

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