he Khedive as Governor-General of the
Provinces of the Equator from 1874 to 1876, and of the Soudan from 1877
to 1879.

The story of the stand he made against the forces of the Mahdi at
Khartoum, and of the long-delayed expedition which was sent to his
relief, are among the saddest annals of modern history.

Khartoum was the capital of the Soudan, and an important commercial
center.

General Gordon was forced to make a stand here against the Mahdi, and
was besieged in Khartoum from March, 1884, to January, 1885. The city
which had held out so bravely was at last taken by storm and General
Gordon killed. The relief expedition which he had been expecting and
hoping for arrived just two days after the city had fallen.

With the fall of Khartoum the Egyptian power in the Soudan was
overthrown.

Lord Wolseley made a campaign against the Mahdi's forces, but it was too
late.

The Soudanese were lost to Egypt. A strong effort is now being made to
reconquer them.

The British officers in the Egyptian army have been ordered back to
duty, and it is said that action will be taken in a few weeks. It is
expected that the Mahdists will fight to the death, but they will not be
as powerful this time as they were before, as they are now no longer
united. The tribes south of Khartoum are in open revolt against the
Mahdists, and a part of their forces will have to be detached to quell
them.

* * * * *

The news from India is still very discouraging.

A fresh outbreak has occurred on the outskirts of Calcutta. Eight
thousand workers employed in the silk mills on the Hoogly River have
started for Calcutta to help the rioters.

The troops at Barrakpur, fifteen miles north of Calcutta, have been
ordered out to intercept the strikers, and prevent their advance upon
the city. They are also carefully guarding the bridges which span the
Hoogly River. This river is one of the mouths of the Ganges.

While the immediate cause of the outbreak was the quarrel over the
mosques, about which we told you last week, it seems that the anger
against Europeans is really due to the measures which have been taken to
stamp out the plague.

In India there are many races of people who, while they all live under
the same rule, have each their own special habits and customs.

These curious customs are rigidly observed. Some must not drink milk,
some must not touch lard, none of them must eat food prepared by persons