THE ADVANCE ON DONGOLA. 477 the Dervishes in a joint campaign. It is, however, easily intelligible that the French — whose sole immediate object was, with the help of Abyssinia, to obtain a footing on the West Nile before England had had time to capture Khartoum, and thereby to claim an effective occupation of the Soudan — should have been anxious to secure the neutrality of the Dervishes. It is therefore probable enough that communications were exchanged at this period between the Khalifa and the French authorities in the Western Soudan, by whom Marchand was despatched on his adventurous mission. But, in as far as I am aware, no positive evidence on this subject is forthcoming.

Be this as it may, there is no question that, in the spring of 1896, the rumours, to which I have alluded, obtained considerable currency in Egypt. At this period I received letters myself from friends in Cairo, who were in close relations with the Khedivial Court, informing me that there was mischief brewing in the Soudan, and that the NeguSy flushed with his victory over the Italians at Adowa, intended to send an Abyssinian army to the Soudan. Not much was known about the object of this expedition beyond the fact that it was certainly hostile to British interests. Surprise was expressed in these letters that the Government at home was taking no action against the danger thus threatened.

It is so much the custom of Englishmen to disparage their own Government, and to accuse it of want of foresight and of blind ignorance of the