492 THE STORY OF THE KHEDIVATE.

Three days had not elapsed from the hoisting of the British flag over the capital of the Soudan when news reached Khartoum that a number of white men were encamped at Fashoda, a village on the White Nile, about three hundred miles to the south, and that an expedition had already been sent by the Khalifa, some weeks before to ascertain who the strangers were, and what was the object of their arrival. The Sirdar had doubtless learnt from home all that was known there about the Marchand Mission, and resolved, with his usual promptitude, to start at once and investigate for himself the meaning of this strange intelligence. It is characteristic of the man that, in order to avoid the possibility of the news leaking out prematurely, he insisted on all newspaper correspondents returning to Cairo, on the plea that the war waged against the Khalifa was virtually at an end.

The flotilla which carried the Sirdar, together with a company of the Cameron Highlanders and two Soudanese battalions, left Khartoum on the loth of September, On their way they encountered the Khalifa's expedition, which, on the plea of being in waiting for reinforcements, had apparently made no active effort to dislodge the new-comers from their position. The Dervishes, on learning that Khartoum had fallen, contented themselves with firing a few shots, and offered no further opposition. On the 1 8th the flotilla arrived within sight of Fashoda, and discovered that an encampment had been constructed