54 EGYPT AND THE SOUDAN.

ment and by the withdrawal of the Egyptian authority from the interior.

You will be under the instructions of her Majesty's agent and consul-general at Cairo, through whom your reports to her Majesty's government should be sent, under flying seal.

You will consider yourself authorized and instructed to perform such other duties as the Egyptian government may desire to intrust to you, and as may be communicated to you by Sir E. Baring. You will be accompanied by Colonel Stewart, who will assist you in the duties thus confided to you.

On your arrival in Egypt you will at once communicate with Sir E. Baring, who will arrange to meet you, and will settle with you whether you should proceed direct to Suakim, or should go yourself or despatch Colonel Stewart to Khartum via the Nile."

Orders not very easy to interpret in any case where prompt and active measures might be necessary. The sending of reports, and awaiting instructions and replies from the consul-general [it Cairo, who himself might have to wait for answers to his telegrams to the foreign office in London, did not leave much margin for exercising necessary and immediate action for the purpose of evacuating a beleaguered town already almost hopelessly environed, and for effecting the task of bringing the people and the garrison through a hostile country, or embarking them for the Xile journey in boats, more of which had yet to be provided. It may be conceded that all such instructions given by a government comparatively ignorant of the obstacles that may be in the way of carrying out their instructions, and with little knowledge of the vicissitudes that must accompany the endeavour to achieve the desired results, are mostly so vague and guarded as to paralyse active efforts, if the words are taken in their literal significance. The interpretation of them makes all the difference; and the man who does nothing rather than seem to exceed his authority may well retire behind the official sentences, while the earnest man may accept them with his own translation of their meaning, and should he succeed may rise to great reputation and reward, while, should he fail, the government may be screened by the same