THE IRONY OF EVENTS. 3 extending your operations far beyond the sphere which her majesty's government is prepared to sanction. As regards the Sennar garrison, her majesty's government is not prepared to sanction the despatch of an expedition of British troops up the Blue Nile in order to secure its retreat. From the last telegrams received from General Gordon, there is reason to hope that he has already taken steps to "withdraw the Egyptian portion of the Sennar ofarrison. You will use vour best endeavours to ensure the safe retreat of the Egyptian troops which constitute the Khartum garrison, and of such of the civil employes of Khartum, together with their families, as may wish to return to Egypt.

" As regards the future government of the Soudan and especially of Khartum, her majesty's government would be glad to see a government at Khartum which, so far as all matters connected with the internal administration of the country is concerned, would be wholly independent of Egypt. The Egyptian government would be prepared to pay a reasonable subsidy to any chief or number of chiefs who would be sufficiently powerful to maintain order along the valley of the Nile from Wady Haifa to Khartum, and who would agree to the following conditions: — " i. To remain at peace with Egypt, and to repress any raids on Egyptian territory. 2. To encourage trade with Egypt.

3. To prevent and discourage by all possible means any expeditions for the sale of and capture of slaves."

How strangely these general orders read now! Blow strangely they must have read even at the time that the two columns were preparing to start from Korti on a march which had already become a fight, not only against the enemy and against the physical obstructions of the desert and the rapids, but against time. The irony of events had made the guarded and almost apprehensive precision with which the government repeated their political formula nearly as ludicrous as their obvious want of knowledge of the actual conditions with which they had reluctantly consented to deal only from their own point of view, whence they saw little or nothing of the real situation.

Lord YYolseley was authorized to conclude any arrangements