leaving for the south I handed to M. Marchand a formal
written protest on the part of the Governments of Great Britain
and Egypt against any occupation of any part of the Nile valley
by France, as being an infringement of the rights of those
Governments. I added that I could not recognise the occupation by
France of any part of the Nile valley.

"I left at Fashoda a garrison of one Soudanese battalion, four
guns, and a gunboat under Major Jackson, whom I appointed
Commandant of the Fashoda district, and I proceeded to Sobat,
where the flag was hoisted and a post established on September 20.
We did not see or hear anything of the Abyssinians on the Sobat,
but were informed that their nearest post was about 350 miles up
that river. The Bahr-el-Jebel being entirely blocked by floating
weed, I gave orders for a gunboat to patrol up the Bahr-el-Ghazal
in the direction of Meshra-er-Rek. As we passed Fashoda on the
return journey north, I sent M. Marchand a letter stating that all
transport of war material on the Nile was absolutely prohibited,
as the country was under military law. The chief of the Shilluk
tribe, accompanied by a large number of followers, has come into
Major Jackson's camp. He entirely denies having made any treaty
with the French, and the entire tribe express the greatest delight
at returning to allegiance to us.

"M. Marchand is in want of ammunition and supplies, and any that
may be sent to him must take months to arrive at their
destination. He is cut off from the interior, and is quite
inadequately provided with water transport. Moreover, he has no
following in the country, and nothing could have saved his
expedition from being annihilated by the dervishes if we had been
a fortnight later in crushing the Khalifa."

The gist of this despatch was communicated to the French Government,
accompanied by a notification that the Sirdar's "language and
proceedings" had the complete approval of Lord Salisbury. M. Delcasse
was evidently at his wits' end to escape from an _impasse_ which was
chiefly of his own creation.

In an interview with Sir E. Monson on September 27 he wished to put
off a final decision till he had received the despatches which M.
Marchand had forwarded in duplicate by way of the French Congo and
Abyssinia respectively.

"To gain time, M. Delcasse," writes our Ambassador,