oss the Bayuda desert, to Metemmeh, as the Gordon relief
column did; or that, if we are not coming that way, we intend to follow
the river bank up to Berber. Unquestionably his best course, if he
considers, as we may be sure he does, that the force under his command
is strong enough to crush us here, would be to push across the desert,
and fall upon us before reinforcements arrive. But it is reported, and
I believe truly, that the Khalifa, his father, has positively refused
to let him do so; still, sons have disobeyed their fathers before now.

"There is, it is true, the difficulty of water; but that is not so
serious, in the case of a Dervish force, as it is with us. In the first
place, they can march twice as far as we can. In the second place, they
are accustomed to go a long time without water, and are but little
affected by the heat. Lastly, they have nothing to carry except their
weapons, a few handfuls of dates, and their water gourds. Still, we
know that the forces that have, one after another, arrived here have
been greatly weakened by the journey. However, Mahmud may attempt it,
for he must know, from his spies here, that we have at present no such
land transport as would be required, were we intending to advance
across the desert. He may, therefore, move at least a portion of his
force to Berber; trusting to the fact that, even did we make an advance
south from here, with the intention of cutting off his retreat to
Khartoum, he would be able to reach Metemmeh before we could get there.

"Undoubtedly, a British general, if commanding a force constituted as
Mahmud's is, would make a dash across the desert and fall upon us;
unless, indeed, he felt certain that, after the difficulties we
encountered last time we attempted to take the desert route, we should
be certain to advance by the river, step by step, continuing the policy
that we have followed since we began to push forward from Assouan.

"Mahmud is in a very difficult position. He is controlled by his father
at Khartoum. Among those with him are many important Emirs, men of
almost equal rank with himself; and he could hardly hope that whatever
decision he might personally arrive at would be generally accepted by
all; and those who opposed him would do so with all the more force, as
they could declare that, in making any movement, he was acting in
opposition to his father's orders.

"However, our total ignorance as to Mahmud's plans and intentions is
mos