Zibers Conspiracy. 307 Suleiman's blind ambition. He had arranged to proceed afterAvards at the head of his troops to the capital of the Sondan, and, from this seat of the Governor-General to oblige the Viceroy to set his father Ziber at liberty.

Among the papers which I found there was one, the last letter from Ziber to his son, which had been transmitted by a confidant, in which was the following order : — " Free Bahr-el-Ghazal from the Egyptian troops ; attack and make yourself master of Shakka." In fact the troops which marched from Dem Suleiman upon Delgauna had orders to attack Shakka. All this proves that the insurrection had been long and carefully planned, and that the strings were moved from Cairo, in Ziber Pasha's palace.

' It therefuie cannot be doubted that there was connivance between Ziber Pasha and the future Mahdists who revolted not long after, assisted by the same elements on which his son Suleiman had relied during the earlier revolt. — J2d.

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