374 THE STORY OF THE KHEDIVATE.

responsibilities of General Gordon and the British Government. It must be apparent, from what I have already written, that I am not an ardent partisan of either the General or the Gladstone Ministry. Common fairness, however, compels me to admit that both parties were placed in a position of exceptional difficulty, and that both had reason to complain of one another. I hold that the Government were greatly to blame for not making it clear to Gordon at the outset that his mission was intended as a demonstration, not to be followed up by armed intervention. I hold that Gordon was equally to blame for accepting the mission without making it clearly understood that, in the event of failure, he was to be supported by armed intervention. There is no necessity to accuse one party or the other of deliberate breach of faith. All that can truly be said, is that the Gordon mission to the Soudan was one which would never have been proposed by a wise Government, or accepted by a wise General.

Shortly after Gordon reached Khartoum, he issued a proclamation, stating - that all rebels who continued in arms after the date of the proclamation would be severely punished," and that " British troops are now on their way, and will in a few days reach Khartoum."

In as far as I can learn, he had absolutely no authority for the latter statement, except his own conviction that the British Government was in duty bound to send troops for the rescue of the Egyptian garrisons, and might therefore be relied upon to do i