1898] Death of Charles Villiers 287 



Abdul Hamid, son of Hamoud, his first cousin once removed, and 

 Hamoud Mattaab, his nephew. Both, they say, claim ' the seat,' and 

 are appealing to Constantinople for support. This may bring the Turk 

 into Nejd, for the Sultan was never so powerful in the desert as now. 

 Still, it is a far cry to Hail. 



' The Soudan campaign is being pushed on, and British soldiers are 

 being sent up the Nile, on a pretext of defence against an attack by the 

 Khalifa. How anybody can be green enough to believe these official 

 tales I cannot understand. The true reason is the advance of the 

 French expedition [under Marchand] to the Upper Nile at Fashoda, 

 and so the desire to be beforehand with them at Khartoum. The send- 

 ing of British troops is not at all because they are needed, for our 

 English regiments are inferior in every way to the Egyptian ones 

 for such work, but to gratify the English Government, and especially 

 the Queen, who considers the glory of her reign tarnished by the death 

 of Gordon and who wants it avenged. If Egyptian troops alone re- 

 captured Khartoum it would be a reproach to the British army, which 

 was defeated in its attempts to relieve Gordon there. They like, too, 

 to be able to say that the British military Occupation is necessary to 

 Egypt for its frontier defence — only another false excuse in the 

 long list of false excuses for staying in Egypt begun twenty years ago. 



"21st January. — Gorst and his two sisters and Captain Fitzclarence 

 lunched with us. Gorst has given me a list of the people reported 

 to have been killed at Siwah on the 20th April of last year in a local 

 fight. It includes several of my friends there, including Hassuna, but 

 I feel sceptical about the whole story. 



" 22nd January. — A visit from Cogordan, the French Minister here. 

 We talked about the Soudan expedition. He tells me Kitchener will 

 be in command of forty thousand troops including those recently taken 

 over from the Italians at Kassala, and the ten thousand English who 

 were in Egypt. Of the Marchand expedition he disclaimed its im- 

 portance, and laughted at the talk that a French flag will be found 

 flying at Khartoum. 



" 26th January. — Old Charles Villiers is dead, the father of the 

 House of Commons. I remember him at Frankfort as long ago as 

 the winter of 1860-61, dining at our Legation with the Malets. He 

 impressed me at the time as the most wonderful and delightful talker 

 I had listened to. He seemed to take an interest in me too, and drew 

 me out till I talked a deal of boyish nonsense. The recollection of his 

 wit and charm is strong with me still." 



Here follows another six days' journey in the Eastern desert on 

 deluls, travelling fast and map-making as we went, as I was anxious 

 to complete my survey of the country north of the Kalala range. It 



