h enough to advance such a large sum, so after a
while the Khedive sold the shares he owned in the Suez Canal Company to
the British Government, and the canal was then owned half by England and
half by France.

Having such a heavy financial interest in the country (the cost of the
canal was about one hundred million dollars), both England and France
were anxious to have some control of the government of Egypt to prevent
any legislation that might be hurtful to the development of their
enterprise.

For some years England and France exercised a joint supervision over
Egypt, but later it was arranged so that England assumed sole charge.

Much was done by England to develop the natural resources of the
country, and all went well until the rebellion of the Mahdi in 1881.

The Mahdi claimed to be a Moslem prophet.

The prevailing religion of Egypt and its provinces is Mohammedanism.

Now the Mohammedans believe that a great prophet, or Mahdi, will come to
lead them. Under his generalship they expect to gain possession of the
whole world.

More than one ambitious man has come forward and claimed to be the
Mahdi.

Whenever such a leader has appeared the people have flocked to his
standard, and through blind faith that success must attend their cause
under his leadership, have done some brave deeds.

The most important of all the Mahdis was the chief who came forward in
1881, declared himself to be the long-expected prophet, called the
people to his standard, and, taking the field against the British and
Egyptian troops, overthrew the Egyptian power in the Soudan.

At first the rising of this new Mahdi was not considered serious, but
after a time the rebellion assumed such serious proportions that it
became evident that Egypt alone could no longer hold her provinces in
the Soudan.

She appealed to England for help, and in 1884 the famous General Gordon
was sent out by the British Government to help the Khedive.

There were many military posts scattered throughout the Soudan, and the
object of General Gordon's mission was to relieve these garrisons, and
withdraw them safely from the troubled territory.

General Gordon was known as "Chinese" Gordon, on account of a brilliant
campaign he made in China, for which he was decorated with the yellow
jacket and peacock feather by the Emperor of China. He was chosen to go
to the aid of the Khedive because he had had long experience in Egypt,
having been in the service of t