Egypt, No.11, 1883], which at one time supported at least twenty millions of inhabitants.  But this is not all.  Of the total EP2,354,354 only EP996,223 can be accounted as military expenditure.  For the remaining EP1,358,131 Egypt possesses 500 miles of railway, 900 miles of telegraph, and a flotilla of steamers.  The railway will not, indeed, pay a great return upon the capital invested, but it will immediately pay something, and may ultimately pay much.  The telegraph is as necessary as the railway to the development of the country; it costs far less, and, when the Egyptian system is connected with the South African, it will be a sure source of revenue.  Lastly, there are the gunboats.  The reader cannot have any doubts as to the value of these vessels during the war.  Never was money better spent on military plant.  Now that the river operations are over the gunboats discharge the duties of ordinary steamers; and although they are, of course, expensive machines for goods and passenger traffic, they are by no means inefficient.  The movement of the troops, their extra pay, the supplies at the end of a long line of communications, the ammunition, the loss by wear and tear of uniforms and accoutrements, the correspondence, the rewards, all cost together less than a million sterling; and for that million Egypt has recovered the Soudan.

The whole EP2,354,354 had, however, to be paid during the campaigns.  Towards this sum Great Britain advanced, as has been related, P800,000 as a loan; and this was subsequently converted into a gift.  The cost to the British taxpayer of the recovery and part acquisition of the Soudan, of the military prestige, and of the indulgence of the sentiment known as ‘the avenging of Gordon’ has therefore been P800,000; and it may be stated in all seriousness that English history does not record any instance of so great a national satisfaction being more cheaply obtained.  The rest of the money has been provided by Egypt; and this strange country, seeming to resemble the camel, on which so much of her wealth depends, has, in default of the usual sources of supply, drawn upon some fifth stomach for nourishment, and, to the perplexity even of those best acquainted with her amazing financial constitution, has stood the strain.

‘The extraordinary expenditure in connection with the Soudan campaign,’ wrote Mr. J.L.  Gorst, the Financial Adviser to the Khedive in his Note of December 20, 1898 [Note by the Financial Adviser on the Budget of 1899:  Egypt, No. 3, 1899], ’has been charged to the Special Reserve Fund.  At the present moment this fund shows a deficit of EP336,000, and there are outstanding charges on account of the expedition amounting to EP330,000, making a total deficit of EP666,000.’

’On the other hand, the fund will be increased, when the accounts of the year are made up, by a sum of EP382,000, being the balance of the share of the Government in the surplus of 1898, after deduction of the excess administrative expenditure in that year, and by a sum of EP90,000, being part of the proceeds of the sale of the Khedivial postal steamers.  The net deficit will, therefore, be EP194,000; and if the year 1899 is as prosperous as the present year, it may be hoped that the deficit will disappear when the accounts of 1899 are closed.’