A Dervish force under Ahmed Fedil was attacked at the end of December on an island in the Nile, south of Khartum, by Colonel Lewis ; 500 of the enemy were killed, their position taken, and 1,500 made prisoners. The British lost 27 killed, and 124 wounded including Major Fergusson of the Grenadier Guards and six officers of the Egyptian army. The remnant of the enemy surrendered to the gunboat "Metemmeh" on the Blue Nile, but Ahmed Fedil himself succeeded in escaping southward.

Lord Cromer laid the foundation stone of the Gordon Memorial College at Khartum on January 5th. He afterwards addressed a body of sheikhs and notables at Omdurman. In his speech on the occasion, he said its object would not be to Anglicize the Sudanese, but to provide mental training and useful, practical knowledge. The teaching would, as far as possible, be in Arabic, and wholly undenominational. He also pointed out the benefits which they would derive from British rule, and assured them that their religion would not be interfered with, and that justice would be impartially administered.

An agreement laying down the principles which will guide the future. administration of the Sudan was signed in Cairo on January 19th by Lord Cromer and the Egyptian Foreign Minister. The following are the principal items :-The word "Sudan" means all territories south of the 22nd parallel of latitude which have never been evacuated by the Egyptian troops since 1882, or having been temporarily lost, have been reconquered by H. M.'s Government and the Egyptian Government in concert, or which may hereafter be reconquered by the two Governments. The British and Egyptian flags shall be used together throughout the Sudan, except in the town of Suakin where the Egyptian alone shall be used. The supreme military and civil command to be vested in a Governor-General, to be appointed by Khedivial decree. Laws for the good government of the Sudan may be made, altered, or abrogated, from time to time, by the Governor-General. No Egyptian law or enactment shall apply to the Sudan, save in so far as the same shall be applied by proclamation of the Governor-General. No Consuls, or Consular Agents shall be accredited in respect of the Sudan without the previous consent of H. M.'s Government. The importation of slaves to be absolutely prohibited.

A Khedivial decree has been published appointing the Sirdar, Lord Kitchener, to be Governor-General of the Sudan. The country has been divided into four first-class and three second-class districts. Major-General Hunter has been appointed Governor of Omdurman, Lieut.-Colonel Lewis Governor of Sennar, and Lieut.-Colonel Jackson Governor of Fashoda.

The Sudan Budget for 1899 shows receipts £E39,500, and expenditure LE356,755. The deficit will be provided from the receipts of Egypt proper. The Duke of Connaught laid the foundation stone at Assuan on February 12, of the embankment for the Nile reservoirs, and with the Duchess paid a visit to Khartum and Omdurman, where they reviewed the troops 9,000 strong under the command of the Sirdar. They were received with great enthusiasm.

The Khalifa is still in Kordofan. He appears to have with him a

In

considerable force, and has made many fierce raids on local Arabs. view of possible contingencies, the various officers appointed to Sudanese commands have been recalled to their posts.

A convention was signed on 21st March delimiting the British and French spheres. Britain retains the Bahr-el-Ghazel and Dar Fur, while France keeps Wadai and Bagirmi. From the Nile to Lake Chad the two Powers mutually concede equal treatment in commercial matters.

BRITISH EAST AFRICA AND UGANDA.-Bilal Effendi, the leader of the recent mutiny, and the murderer of Major Thruston and other Englishmen, has been killed in action, and the mutineers who were broken up and dispersed, are being pursued. The Macdonald expedition has arrived at Mombasa on its return from the interior.

A famine is prevalent in several large districts of the Protectorate, the recent crops having been destroyed by locusts.

SOUTH AFRICA: CAPE COLONY.-The British South Africa Company closed its agencies at the Cape on the 1st January last.

The provisions of the Customs Union Convention came into operation on January 3.

The imports for the past year amounted to £16,682,438, and the exports to £25,318,701. Upwards of £15,000,000 of exports consisted of gold. Goods to the Transvaal came to £3,130,075, and to other territories outside the Customs Union £544,713.

As the result of the Stellebosch election petition, Sir J. Sivewright has been unseated.

WEST AFRICA.-Sir Ralph Moor took up his duties as Consul-General for the NIGER COAST PROTECTORATE in January last.

Operations in the Asaba Hinterland were brought to a successful termination in January. All the towns submitted. Ibu and Ukara were destroyed. Captain Burdon and his officers have returned to Lokoja.

SIERRA LEONE.-Severe fighting on the northern frontier of the Protectorate has taken place between the Frontier Force, supported by the West African Regiment, and insurgent tribes. The enemy having been repulsed, the town of Yebema was occupied.

Sir William Macgregor, K. C.M.G., has been appointed Governor of Lagos. MOROCCO.-The Moorish Government has offered to settle the claims of British merchants and others on account of the disturbances in the M'zab district in 1896 by paying 75 per cent. of the amount claimed.

The final indemnity to the Portuguese and Italian Governments has been paid on account of the attack by the Riff pirates last year.

CANADA. The Dominion Government has offered to contribute an equal share with the Imperial Government of the cost of construction of the Pacific cable, the joint obligation not to exceed five-ninths of the whole cost. The Australasian Colonies have undertaken to contribute the balance.

The revenue for the last six months of 1898 was $22,113,378, being an increase of $4,179,000.

Since the institution of the penny postage rate, correspondence with England has more than doubled.

THIRD SERIES. VOL. VII.

FF

The Nova Scotian Assembly has adopted a resolution to memorialize the Imperial Government on the subject of amending the British North. America Act, in order to secure the reform of the Canadian Senate, so that in case of disagreement between the Commons and the Senate, the Governor-General may call for a joint ballot of both Houses.

NEWFOUNDLAND.-It has been suggested that the French treaty rights should be bought out, which apparently receives universal approval.

The French at St. Pierre have not prosecuted the bank fishing this season to the same extent as formerly, in order to avoid friction with England.

The herring fishery on the southern coast has been very successful.

Lieutenant-Colonel Sir H. E. McCallum, R.E., K.C.M.G., has been appointed Governor.

The sealing fleet, composed of nineteen steamers and carrying 4,000 men, started on the 10th March. It was visited previously by the Governor, who inspected every ship, including the rations and quarters, and afterwards addressed about 3,000 sealers in an eloquent speech which was much appreciated.

NEW SOUTH WALES.-The revenue for the December quarter of 1898 shows an increase of £153,689, as compared with the corresponding period of 1897. The Right Honourable Earl Beauchamp has been appointed Governor and Commander in-Chief. The Legislative Assembly has passed the Federal Bill without amendment.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA.-Both Houses of Parliament passed early in March the Federal Enabling Bill without a division.

QUEENSLAND.-The Legislative Assembly was dissolved in February, and a new Parliament is summoned to meet on May 2nd. The value of the exports last year was £10,079,000, an increase of £1,852,000 as compared with 1897. The imports reached a total value of £5,880,000, showing an increase of £519,000. A good rainfall has occurred in the southern and central districts.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA.-The export of gold amounted last year to £3,991,000, as compared with £2,571,000 in 1897.

Last year's revenue amounted to £2,605,000.

NEW ZEALAND.-The imports last year amounted in value to £8,230,529, and the exports to 10,523,290. A reduction is to be made in railway charges in view of the increasing railway revenue. A reduction is being considered of a penny in the inland postage, which means a sacrifice of about £70,000. The surplus revenue for the year ending March, 1899, is estimated at £500,000. The revenue for the ten months ended January, 1899, showed an increase of £157,000 over the corresponding period of 1897.

:

Obituary. The deaths have been recorded this quarter of: Lord Napier and Ettrick, formerly Governor of Madras ;-Professor A. A. Kanthack, a member of the Leprosy Commission in India in 1895;Major-General H. W. H. Dumaresq, late R.E. (Crimea);-Major A. V. O'Brien (Zulu war 1879);-Major-General W. Rose, late Madras Staff

Corps (Gumsur 1847, Rajahmundry 1857);-Surgeon-General L. S. Bruce, late Indian M.S. (Persia, Mutiny, Afghanistan 1880);-Colonel St. George Caulfeild, late Madras Staff Corps (North Canara campaign) ;-Colonel G. S. Hills, Indian Staff Corps (Afghanistan 1879-80) ;-Colonel G. A. Milman, R.A. (Crimea); General F. Schneider, late Bombay s.c. (Southern Mahratta campaign 1844-45, Mutiny); - Lieut.-General Sir H. E. Weare, K. C.B. (Panjab, Crimea, New Zealand 1863-66);-Mr. C. J. Rogers, for 20 years Principal of the Amritsar Training College ;-Colonel A. C. Nightingale, late 93rd Highlanders (Crimea, Mutiny, Yusefzai campaign); Sir James Mouat, K.C.B., V.C., Honorary Surgeon to the Queen (Crimea, Maori wars);-Lieut.-Colonel J. Jameson, late 19th Regt. (Hazara, Black Mountain 1868, campaigns) ;—Mr. E. J. Dean, late Supt. of Government Printing in India ;-Captain A. W. Baker, West Africa Frontier Field Force (Sudan Frontier 1885-86);-Mr. W. Burgess Pryer, British Consular Agent at Sandakan, British North Borneo ;-Captain F. Shelton, late 98th and 93rd Regts. (China, Panjāb) ;—Major-General F. Spence, C.B. (Crimea, China 1860-62);—Captain R. T. Kirkpatrick, D.S.O. at Nakwai, Central Africa ;-Colonel W. G. Andrewes, late R.H.A. (Crimea);-Brigade-Surgeon Lieut.-Colonel R. Pringle, M.D., late Indian Army; The Right Rev. T. Earle Welby, Bishop of St. Helena ;— S. Winter-Parker, Paymaster-in-Chief R.N. (China 1855-58);--SurgeonGeneral J. Macbeth (Sutlej 1845-46, Panjab 1848-49);—Admiral John Hay (China 1840-41);-General Annenkoff, the energetic constructor of the Russian military railway from the Caspian to Samarkand; BrigadeSurgeon Lieut.-Colonel H. Johnstone, late I. M.S. ;-General J. Gordon, C.B. (Afghanistan 1842, Sutlej and Mutiny campaigns); - General J. C. Brooke, 1.s.C., formerly 63rd Bengal N.I. (Rajputana) ;-Colonel W. C. Mackinnon (Mutiny campaign);--Sir Alfred Roberts, an eminent member of the medical profession in Australia;-Major-General W. R. E. Alexander, formerly Bengal s.c. (Panjāb 1848-49, Burma 1852-53, Sonthal and Mutiny);-Colonel F. Ryley (Afghanistan 1878-79);—Major-General W. H. Smith, late Bengal s.c. (Panjāb 1848-49, Mutiny campaign) ;— Colonel R. W. Aldworth, J.P., D.L. (Crimea, Mutiny);-Lieut.-Colonel H. Leake (New Zealand war 1863-65);-Hon. E. J. Weld-Forester, retired Colonel 13th Regt. (Afghan war 1838-42);-Nubar Pasha, a distinguished Egyptian statesman;-Lieut.-General G. A. Arbuthnot, late Madras L.I. (Mutiny);-Lieut.-Colonel G. C. Synge (Mutiny);-Colonel M. J. J. Mignon, late 1.s.c. (Mutiny);-Colonel H. A. Ouvry, C.B. (Panjāb 1848-49, Mutiny);-Major-General W. H. Hessey, Madras s.c.; -Lieut.-Colonel J. Joyner (Crimea, Mutiny campaign);-Sir L. A. Kershaw, Q.C., Chief Justice of Bombay High Court of Judicature;-Captain J. H. Vanderzee, Burma Military Police ;-S. R. L. Playfair, Madras Artillery 1846, Political Agent, Zanzibar, and afterwards Consul-General Algeria ;-Colonel E. A. Noel (Sutlej campaign 1845-46); Lieut.-General Sir C. E. Nairne, K.C.B. (Mutiny campaign, Yusefzai 1863, Afghan war 1878-79, Egypt 1882);-Lieut.-Colonel R. F. H. Macgregor (Mutiny, China 1860);-Maulānā Hāfiz Ahmad Sahib, the spiritual head of the Mussalmans in Bengal ;-Right Rev. H. I. Matthew, Bishop of Lahore ;—

Major-General F. Gadsden (Burma 1852 and Mutiny);-Captain the Hon. R. F. Somerset, late West Africa Frontier Force ;-Major J. S. Richer (Mutiny campaign, N.W. Frontier 1864) ;-Lieut.-General H. G. Woods (Crimea);-H. F. Wüstenfeld, an Oriental scholar;-Baron de Reuter, the founder of the Great International Telegraphic News Agency; -The Right Rev. A. Bree, Bishop of Barbados ;-Colonel W. W. Egerton (Burma 1885-87);-Surgeon-Major J. Bowron, the patriarch of the Indian Medical Service;-Dr. F. N. Macnamara, Indian Medical Service; Commander F. G. Dundas, late R.N., formerly Imperial British East Africa Company and of the Niger Coast Protectorate, recently Naval Adviser to the Chinese Government ;-Colonel A. J. D. Hawes, D.S.O., I.S.C. (Tumloong, Bezoti, Jowaki, Zaimusht, Zhob Valley and Hazara expeditions); Professor Heymann Steinthal, a distinguished philologist ;-Sir Julius Vogel, the well-known New Zealand Financier and former Premier; -Nawab Sadiq Muhammad, the foremost feudatory of the Government in the Panjáb;-Surgeon Major-General W. Marshall Webb (Crimea) ;— Depy. Inspector-General J. Jee, C.B., V.C., Hon. Surgeon to the Queen (Persia 1857, Mutiny);--Colonel J. Murray, C.B., late 94th Foot (Zulu war 1879);-Lieut.-Colonel E. H. le Marchant, Hampshire Regt. (Afghan war 1878-80).

24th March, 1899.