42 THE WAR IN THE SOUDAN.

It will be well if we enter into this intricate subject at some little length,

seeing that on the solution of this problem depended (indeed we may say depends) the whole of the future conduct of affairs in Egypt.

The state of the Soudan at the time of Gordon’s arrival at Cairo was this : The Mahdi’s power had swelled to gigantic proportions. It now extended from beyond El Obeid to within a few miles of Suakim. His troops were elated with successes, and having been promised a certain and immediate entrance into paradise by death on the battlefield, they fought with a reck¬

lessness that might truly be called supernatural. They were consequently to be dreaded. Sincat was in their hands ; the battles of El Teb (which to a slight extent decreased their ardour) had not yet been fought; Tokar was not yet saved. Osman Digna was rivalling his master in daring. The Egyp¬ tian garrisons were faltering, and the rebels were correspondingly exultant. Every day added fresh numbers to the foe. Years of oppression had done their work but too well, and it might be said without exaggeration that the

whole Soudanese were clamouring for ‘ home-rule.’ Deeply impressed with this, the British and Egyptian Governments decided to bring about a sort of

compromise. The Mahdi was not to be considered as an integral part of the problem at all. The people were to be won back by assurances of kind government; their estates were to be deeded over to them ; their debts for unpaid taxes were to be repudiated—they were, in short, to be coaxed into loyalty—not to any hated power, but to governors of their own choice—from among their own families. To bring this about the man was chosen whom they knew, whom they could trust, who had trusty friends amongst their chiefs, and to whose rule they had been already accustomed.

I cannot do better than to append here the memorable memorandum of General Gordon, which gives in his own words his views of what lay before him.

“ Memorandum, by General Gordon.

“ I understand that Her Majesty’s Government have come to the irrevo¬ cable decision not to incur the very onerous duty of securing to the peoples of the Soudan a just future Government. That, as a consequence, Her Majesty’s Government have determined to restore to these peoples their independence, and will no longer suffer the Egyptian Government to interfere with their affairs.

“ 2. For this purpose Her Majesty’s Government have decided to send

me to the Soudan to arrange for the evacuation of these countries, and the safe removal of the Egyptian employes and troops.

“ 3. Keeping Paragraph Ho. 1 in view—viz., that the evacuation of the Soudan is irrevocably decided on, it will depend upon circumstances in what way this is to be accomplished.