32 THE WAR IN THE SOUDAN.

death hate God from the beginning. Then we are sure that God, and only

God, sent the Mahdi, so as to take away your property, and you know this

since the time of our Lord Mahomet’s coming. Pray to God, and he con¬

verted. There is nothing between us but the sword, especially as the Mahdi has come to kill you and destroy you unless God wishes you to Islam. The Mahdi’s sword be on your necks wherever you may escape, and God’s iron be round your necks wherever you may go. Do not think you are enough for

us, and the Turks are only a little better than you. We will not leave your heads unless you become Mussulmans and listen to the Prophet and laws of God, and God said in His dear book those who believe Him fight for Him, and th"se who do not believe in Him shall be killed.” Here follow many

verses from the Koran referring to permission to kill infidels. “ Therefore

God has waited for you for a long time, and you have thought that He would

always go on waiting for you ; but God said He would wait for you as you

were bad. People but know that during the time of the Mahdi he will not accept bribes from you, and also will not leave you in your infidelity, so there

is nothing for you but the sword, so that there will not remain one of you on the face of the earth, therefore Islam.

On the other hand it may be said : He is no prophet; he is deceiving his disciples; even the Mussulmans of India declare he is noMohammedan; the just rule of England will be superior to any Oriental government ; he is iu revolt against the rightful powers ; Egypt under England is better able to judge

what is best for the Soudanese ; and his defeat will lead to the rapid spread

of civilization.

Some of the former of these considerations, added to the extreme diffi¬ culty which, it was felt, attended any attempt to bring the whole of the Soudan provinces completely under subjugation, seem to have had great weight with the British Cabinet. The instructions issued to General Gordon

on the occasion of employing him as the pacificator of these regions show

this. “Her Majesty’s Government,” said Lord Granville, “are desirous that you should proceed at once to Egypt, to report to them on the military situation in the Soudan, and on the measures which it may be advisable to take for the security of the Egyptian garrisons still holding positions in that country, and for the safety of the European population in Khartoum. You

are also desired to consider and report upon the best mode of effecting the evacuation of the interior of the Soudan, and upon the manner in which the

safety and the good administration by the Egyptian Government of the ports

on the sea coast can best be secured. In connection with this subject, you should pay especial consideration to the question of the steps that may use¬ fully be taken to counteract the stimulus which it is feared may possibly be