390 THE STORY OF THE KHEDIVATE.

make this recommendation only because we consider it to be the necessary consequence of the decision of her Majesty's Government to abandon the province of Dongola at once, but that it must in no way he taken to imply our agreement with that decision."

It was all in vain. Evacuation pure and simple was the order of the day. On the 14th of May, Sir Evelyn was informed that the British troops must all be withdrawn, and that a sufficient force must be left at Wady Haifa to guard the frontier. By this decision the whole of the Soudan, with the exception of the Red Sea ports, was surrendered to the rule of the Mahdi. Mr. Gladstone resigned shortly afterwards on the defeat of his Budget proposals. Lord Salisbury succeeded to office on the 24th of June. By this time, however, the evacuation was nearly completed. Moreover, as the Conservatives were in a minority in the existing Parliament, and had, as the event proved, a very scanty prospect of obtaining a majority in the Parliament about to be elected, they could hardly be expected to take upon themselves the grave responsibility of reversing the decision of their predecessors. At any rate, they failed to do so. In concluding my brief sketch of this " campaign without an end," let me quote a passage from a despatch written by Lord Wolseley to Lord Salisbury', just after the latters accession to office, which seems to me a marvellous proof of sound judgment— " You cannot get out of Egypt for many years to come. If the present policy of retreat be persisted in, the Mahdi will become stronger and stronger, and you will have to increase