220 The Advance on Dongola [1896 



Governments, so as to make a diversion in favour of the I'talians at 

 Kassala. There is no doubt that troops have been forwarded up the 

 river for some time past, as long ago as when we were on our way- 

 down from Keneh (a fortnight ago), but the final decision to advance 

 must have been come to suddenly. Even now I can hardly believe it, 

 it would be a most flagrant sacrifice of Egyptian for European interests, 

 although there would probably be little resistance at Dongola; it must 

 entail a re-opening of the war with the Soudan, and what has Italy 

 done for Egypt to deserve Egyptian help? 



" 20th March. — I wro'te to the ' Times ' in the sense of my first im- 

 pression of the affair, but I find that the facts are even more damning 

 to our government than I had supposed, and for once I have done 

 Cromer an injustice. Anne saw Lady Cromer on Thursday and she 

 complained bitterly to her of the thing having been decided by Lord 

 Salisbury ' over Lord Cromer's head,' who had strongly disapproved of 

 it. Moreover, Mohammed Abdu, who was here yesterday, tells me 

 that the Egyptian Ministry was also opposed, Mustapha Fehmy saying 

 that they had no money, and that it was impossible. Even the Khedive, 

 who was keen on an advance to Dongola two years ago, objected to 

 fighting for Italy, though I hear from Hadji Mahmoud that His High- 

 ness is to start up the river 'the day after to-morrow. Hadji Mahmoud 

 got the news from Ali Pasha Lalla, and the vice-regal camels have 

 already been despatched by train to Girgeh. I am sorry he should in- 

 tend this, as he will get into trouble if he has done it off his own bat, 

 and if at the suggestion of Ki'tchener or Cromer they will turn it to 

 his disadvantage. Mohammed Abdu, however, was to see him to- 

 morrow, and I hope will give him good advice. 



" I sit most of the day at Sheykh Obeyd's tomb, watching the birds 

 through a glass. There are half-a-dozen kinds nesting in the sont 

 bushes there: the Nubian shrike, a kind of blackcap with a black 'throat, 

 the Palestine redstart, and two small warblers. There are also the 

 thrush, the Egyptian dove, the crow, a pair of spotted cuckoos, a 

 hoopoo, and a chat. 



" 22nd March. — A large party of visitors. Lady Galloway, who 

 has come back from a journey up the Nile, which she has made with 

 Lady Jersey. Then 'the Potocki party, Joseph and his wife, Zamoyski 

 and his wife, Prince Radziwill and two other Poles. We had tea at 

 the tomb and showed off the horses. 



" It is certain now that Cromer had nothing to do with the new 

 Soudan campaign, the thing having been arranged between the Em- 

 peror of Germany and Frank Lascelles (this was 'the account given me 

 by our Polish friends). The Emperor, I imagine, has promised to 

 support our staying on in Egypt in return for the help given by us 



