WHAT GORDON IS DOING. 55 self-imposed duty towards us by means of British troops, to hire Turkish regiments 1 If England will not arrest the advance of the Mahdi, why not give £500,000 to the Turks to do so 1 It would not cost more. Again, if the Government has decided to do nothing, would it not be better to say so to the townspeople, instead of persuading them to hold out, day after day, and thus to jeopardize their chances eventually with the rebels'? General Gordon might tell them to make the best terms possible with the enemy, while we might try to get together the garrison, and attempt to escape, leaving the townspeople to their fate. The hope deferred of English intervention is making the people heart-sick. I have only two sources of hope in this crisis —first, the expectation of an English relieving column ; secondly, the plan of a retreat across the Equator. Because I am confident that General Gordon is abandoned by the Government, and that without Zebehr Pasha he can never beat the rebels, I fear that he will be driven to retreat by Central Africa. For to-day arrived an unciphered telegram sent from Sir Evelyn Baring to Berber, saying that no English troops would be sent to that place—in a word, clearly indicating that General Gordon and the others who have been faithful to the Government are thrown over. To retreat on Berber is impossible. Sir Evelyn Baring’s unciphered telegram to that place will quickly be spread abroad, and the Arabs will learn that the members of the English Government have turned down their thumbs while General Gordon is struggling here. A retreat on the Congo will entail great hardships.”

Still worse news comes. Hussein Pasha Khalifa, Governor of Berber, pathetically telegraphs that he “trusts now in Providence alone,” since he has been abandoned by the Government. The insurgents show themselves as far north as the Cairo-side of that town ; N ubar Pasha declares he will not take the responsibility of refusing aid, and hastily requests the Khedive to summon a council. Gordon meanwhile telegraphs Sir Samuel Baker that he is surrounded by 2,500 Arabs, and goes the length of proposing that an appeal be made to wealthy Englishmen and Americans to advance £200,000 to enable the Sultan to send 2,000 or 3,000 Turkish regulars to Berber, by which to dispose of the Mahdi. Earl Granville issues a circular note inviting a con¬ ference on the subject of Egypt. At Cairo a most uneasy feeling prevails : the stagnation is degenerating into administrative anarchy ; no one feels secure j credit is destroyed ; the crops are threatened ; and the people show lively signs of discontent.

Then come the following telegrams :— No one will go to Khartoum at any price.

The position is declared to be desperate.

Exasperation against England is increasing.