THE FALL OF KHARTOUM. 379 necessity for armed intervention. It is obvious that, if any steps were to be taken to relieve Gordon, promptitude of action was the one thing needful.

But when people do not want to do a thing, they are always ready to catch at any excuse for postponing its performance. Lord Wolseley, who, it was understood, was to have the command of the expedition, was strongly in favour of using the Nile route. Sir Frederick Stephenson, the General in command of the army of occupation, preferred the Suakin-Berber route. The Government decided in favour of the former, chiefly, I fancy, on the ground that the preparations required for transporting an army up the Nile must necessarily delay the actual despatch of our troops for a considerable period. It was not till the 27th of September that Lord Wolseley left Cairo with his staff. The only step taken up to that period, in the way of relieving Gordon, was the despatch of half a battalion of British troops to Wady Haifa. It is but fair to the late Commander-in-Chief to acknowledge that he did all he could to impress upon the Government the necessity for earlier action. On the 24th of July, he urged Lord Hartington, then Secretary of State for War, to send at once a British force of 3000 men to Dongola, and used the following significant words : — ** But you must know that time presses. I believe that such a force could be sent from England and reach Dongola about October 15th, if tlie Government is in earnest and acts at once. Remember we cannot command things, and all the