176 EGYPT AND THE SOUDAN.

to Egypt was made public. On the same day that Sir E.

Strickland's letter appeared Mr. J. Hindson wrote to the newspapers offering a contribution of 200, and, though it was at first uncertain whether the British government would accept the proposal of New South Wales, other munificent offers followed, one of the first being that of Mr. W. H. Halliday, a wealthy "squatter" of Brooking, who offered a contribution of "1000 a year for as long as the Australian force was engaged in assisting the imperial army in Egypt. Many other proposals immediately followed, accompanied by encouraging letters to Mr. Dalley expressing sympathy and approval for the course taken by the government. Among them were letters from Mr. Daniel Cooper, the eldest son of Sir Daniel Cooper, Bart., inclosing cheque for "iooo; another from Mr. James Fairfax offering "iooo a year for three years if necessary (a subsequent letter from the same gentleman contained "iooo on behalf of his brother, Mr. E. R.

Fairfax, who was in England); an offer of "1000 a year from the Evening News to the patriotic fund, and numerous contributions of "ioo and smaller sums, beside offers to supply valuable contributions in kind. The generous impulse continued, and it soon became evident that there would have been no difficulty in obtaining double the number of volunteers who were selected to form the contingent, and double the amount necessary to equip and provision them. Mr. Thomas Walker of Concord sent "iooo, Mr. W. B. Levy of West Maitland wrote offering 1000 a year to be used as Mr. Dalley might think fit; subsequently Mr. J. Dyson offered ,£2000 a year for two years, and the smaller sums of 100 and under came in as though some good investment had been opened by the government; while the quantities of goods and provisions offered could scarcely have been received but for the promptitude with which Messrs. Maiden Hill and Clarke gave up their great wool-store on the Circular Quay as a depot for the stores intended for the expedition.1 A larger number of volunteer officers than would 1 The author has to acknowledge his indebtedness to the excellent account of the organization of the expedition published by the Southern Cross Publishing Company, Pitt Street, Sydney, for these and some other details.