4 EGYPT AND THE SOUDAN.

which would fulfil the general conditions laid down in these instructions, which went on to say, with what appears now to be sadly amusing solemnity: — "The main difficulty will consist in the selection of an individual or a number of individuals having sufficient authority to maintain order. You will, of course, bear in mind that any ruler established south of Wady Haifa will have to rely solely on his own strength in order to maintain his position. . . . Under certain conditions the Egyptian government would be prepared to pay a moderate subsidy in order to secure tranquillity and fairly good government in the valley of the Nile.

Beyond the adoption of this measure neither her majesty's government nor the Egyptian government are prepared to assume any responsibility whatsoever for the government of the Nile valley south of Wady Haifa."

Even with the knowledge which we have acquired from the present narrative — up to the period of the marching of the " desert column" on the way to Metammeh — we read these instructions with a feeling of surprise — almost of pity; but we must remember that having arrived at this point we are more than two months ahead of the date when these general instructions were sent to Lord Wolseley at Cairo, and at that time the majority of people in England were looking forward to the smashing of the Mahdi and a victorious march of British troops into Khartum for the rescue of Gordon, while others, hearing of steamers sent by Gordon to Shendy, were saying that if Wolseley did not take care what he was about it would be he who would have to be rescued by Gordon. Such were the vague notions and general want of an accurate estimate of the situation while Stewart and Wilson were advancing to Abu-Klea and Brackenbury was pushing forward to Handab, the first rendezvous for the Nile column.

To the first of these — the march from Korti to Metammeh — we will now for a moment return, for to that "desert column," as it was called, immediate steps for the rescue of Gordon had been intrusted, and we have briefly diverged from the story of their arrival at Gakdul to tell of the message that reached England of the ensuing engagement at Abu-Klea.