THE NORTHBROOK MISSION Effect in Egypt of the withdrawal of the British troops from the Soudan — Recurrence of financial difficulties — Difficult position of Nubar as Premier — Sir Evelyn Baring summoned home to consult with her Majesty's Government — Lord Northbrook sent out to Egypt — He orders funds ihypothecated to the service of the Debt to be paid into Treasury — Continental Powers protest — International courts decide in favour of the protest — The London Conference — The Suez Canal neutralized — Proposal to construct second canal — Zobehr Pasha imprisoned at Gibraltar.

I MUST now revert to the story of Egypt as distinguished from that of the Soudan. Throughout the whole period of the Nile campaign, Nubar Pasha remained nominally at the head of public affairs. He had, however, neither time nor opportunity for carrying out the ideas he had at heart The whole organization of the State was out of gear. In Europe the military campaigns conducted by our forces in Egypt had produced a very marked effect. The energy, the courage, and the discipline of our troops under the most trying conditions had raised our military prestige. The amount of blood and money we had lavished on behalf of Egypt strengthened the Continental belief that we were never likely, except under compulsion, to abandon a tenure for which we had