428 AGRICULTURE, COMMERCE, ETC. 



Khartum, or by enlarged and emended editions of Anglo-Egyp- 

 tian slave conventions ! But if Europeans have no money for 

 such purposes, or prefer to waste men and means from Zanzi- 

 bar, we have at any rate the missionaries. 



I took a great deal of pains during my stay in Khartum to 

 prevail on the mission there to undertake the establishment of 

 stations in this country, not in the foolish manner of past times, 

 but after the model of the French station in Bagamoyo, though 

 perhaps with rather less religious ballast and less psalm-singing. 

 Whether they were alarmed by Mgr. Comboni's death, or what it 

 was, I do not know, but there was so much talk of getting per- 

 mission from Rome, temporary difficulties, want of money, &c, 

 that nothing is to be hoped for in that direction. The C. M. S. 

 do not see their way to send a mission here ; the other societies 

 may think differently, but I have no connexion with them ; and 

 the Germans — do you suppose they have money for the purpose ? 

 There remains only Mgr. Lavigerie, with his Turcos and Zouaves 

 — what do you think of my opening a correspondence with 

 him ? From what I see and hear, he would be just the man 

 to take an interest in this kind of thing, and he seems to have 

 means enough at command to go to work at once, which is just 

 what I want ; for I should like before my death to have a better 

 guarantee for the preservation of the work I have done than 

 could be afforded by the prospect of seeing a highly respectable 

 Bey step into my place, who would neither understand nor love 

 the country and its inhabitants. I refrain for the present from 

 further and longer explanations ; a buon intenditore poche parole. 

 You are almost the only one who really knows our country, 

 and takes an interest in its prosperity and misfortunes, and 

 for that very reason I was unwilling to keep these ideas from 

 you. Should you be able to interest yourself in my dreams, 

 and to make your influence felt on behalf of this country, which 

 you have been the principal instrument in making known to 

 the world, my half-formed projects will soon take shape under 

 your hand and become realised, to my great satisfaction. Pray 

 do not blame me for troubling you by asking your help and 

 advice — I have no one that I can trust, and am, too, an official. 

 I beg you, therefore, to consider all my utterances as quite 

 private, but above all to let me know your views, and, should 



