nd conditions on which Gordon would consent to return to the Upper
Nile was resumed. He explained his views at length to the Minister,
Cherif Pasha, who had succeeded Nubar as responsible adviser to the
Khedive, concluding with the ultimatum: "Either give me the Soudan, or
I will not go." The only compromise that Gordon would listen to was
that the Khedive's eldest son should be sent as Viceroy to Khartoum,
when he, for his part, would be willing to resume his old post at the
Equator. The Egyptian Ministers and high officials were not in favour
of any European being entrusted with such a high post, and they were
especially averse to the delegation of powers to a Christian, which
would leave him independent of everyone except the Khedive. But for
the personal intervention of the Khedive, Gordon would not have
revisited Cairo; and but for the same intervention he would never have
been made Governor-General, as, after a week's negotiation with
Cherif, an agreement was farther off than ever, and Gordon's patience
was nearly exhausted. The Khedive, really solicitous for Gordon's
help, and suspecting that there was something he did not know, asked
Mr Vivian to explain the matter fully to him. On hearing the cause of
the difficulty, Ismail at once said: "I will give Gordon the Soudan,"
and two days later he saw and told General Gordon the same thing,
which found formal expression in the following letter, written on 17th
February 1877, the day before Gordon left for Massowah:--

"MY DEAR GORDON PASHA,--Appreciating your honourable character,
your energy, and the great services that you have already
rendered to my Government, I have decided to unite in one great
Governor-Generalship the whole of the Soudan, Darfour, and the
Equatorial Provinces, and to entrust to you the important mission
of directing it. I am about to issue a Decree to this effect.

"The territories to be included in this Government being very
vast, it is necessary for good administration that you should
have under your orders three Vakils--one for the Soudan properly
so called and the Provinces of the Equator, another for Darfour,
and the third for the Red Sea coast and the Eastern Soudan.

"In the event of your deeming any changes necessary, you will
make your observations to me.

"The Governor-Generalship of the Soudan is completely independent
of the Ministry of Finance.

"