340 THE STORY OF THE KHEDIVATE.

shortly after the news of the massacre of Kashgil had become known, and asked him what was the policy he himself would recommend in view of the reported intention of the British Ministry to insist upon the evacuation of the Soudan. His answer was that our military authorities in Egypt should determine what was the southernmost point of the Nile they could hold securely with the forces at their disposal, that they should then make this point their base, and that from this base, as occasion offered, they should push southward step by step till they had finally recovered command of Khartoum. If this policy had been adopted and avowed, it would have been better for Egypt, for England, and for the interests of humanity. Unfortunately, this policy was incompatible with the desire of our Government to get out of Egypt at any cost, and still more incompatible with Mr. Gladstone's determination to leave no loophole open by which the country, supposing public opinion should turn in favour of our occupying Egypt permanently, could escape from the obligations contracted in her name. If our Government had contented themselves with saying that, for the time being, the military resources of Egypt were not sufficient to justify a fresh advance on the Soudan, but that the abandonment of the campaign was only a temporary necessity, the suspension of hostile operations would have been acquiesced in by the Egyptian public as a military necessity. Unfortunately a good deal of the misplaced sympathy which had been wasted at home