2 28 EGYPT AND THE SOUDAN.

any of the vessels belonging to their country now navigating the Nile. The Mudir of Dongola, an Egyptian clerk, or an officer's native servant might be allowed a passage, but the representative of an English newspaper on no account whatever. As matters stand, should an unfortunate correspondent be chased to the bank by a crowd of howling Arabs, the officer in command of any government craft, if he did his duty, would be obliged to refuse him refuge, saying civilly, no doubt, but firmly, ' No correspondents allowed on government boats.' We are thus, in a manner, branded officially as outcasts, although we come neither asking nor receiving medals or honours, but seeking simply, while willing to share the dangers and hardships of the troops, to do our duty."

Well, of course, "special newspaper correspondence" was not one of the duties recognized by the military authorities as, perhaps, it should have been. At all events, it was at that time discountenanced by the commander-in-chief, and to him, as compared with the more hospitable and friendly disposition of other officers of rank, the prohibitions were attributed. In the case of the correspondent whose complaint has been quoted, however, the public were perhaps the gainers, for not being allowed to go by the steamer he determined to return to Wady Haifa from Dongola, to accompany the first batch of Nile boats. He made the journey to Wady Haifa by camel by the reverse route which would soon be taken by the camel corps, travelling from Wady Haifa or Sarras to Dongola. The consequence was that he wrote in his " special letter" a very entertaining account of his journey by the camel route of 245 miles, " which, on good trotting camels, if no baggage is carried, might be traversed in five or six days. For some time previously, in Dongola," he wrote, " we had all been busy supplying ourselves with camels. From eight pounds each, the market price of a good animal had risen to fifteen pounds and twenty-five pounds. As many Englishmen during the present expedition are beginning to learn, the camel is not a pleasant beast to ride. The novice for the first time on a camel's back experiences a general feeling of insecurity. In the event of a mishap, the distance to be traversed before the ground is reached is felt to be