Horatio Herbert Kitchener, the eldest son of a lieutenant-colonel, was born in 1850, and, after being privately educated, entered in 1869 the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich as a cadet of the Royal Engineers.  In the spring of 1871 he obtained his commission, and for the first ten years of his military service remained an obscure officer, performing his duties with regularity, but giving no promise of the talents and character which he was afterwards to display.  One powerful weapon, however, he acquired in this time of waiting.  In 1874 accident or instinct led him to seek employment in the surveys that were being made of Cyprus and Palestine, and in the latter country he learned Arabic.  For six years the advantage of knowing a language with which few British officers were familiar brought him no profit.  For procuring military preferment Arabic was in 1874 as valueless as Patagonian.  All this was swiftly changed by the unexpected course of events.  The year 1882 brought the British fleet to Alexandria, and the connection between England and Egypt began to be apparent.  Kitchener did not neglect his opportunity.  Securing leave of absence, he hurried to the scene of crisis.  Alexandria was bombarded.  Detachments from the fleet were landed to restore order.  The British Government decided to send an army to Egypt.  British officers and soldiers were badly wanted at the seat of war; an officer who could speak Arabic was indispensable.

Thus Kitchener came to Egypt and set his feet firmly on the high road to fortune.  He came to Egypt when she was plunged in misery and shame, when hopeless ruin seemed already the only outcome of the public disasters, and when even greater misfortunes impended.  He remained to see her prosperous and powerful; to restore empire to her people, peace to her empire, honour to her army; and among those clear-minded men of action by whom the marvellous work of regeneration has been accomplished, Herbert Kitchener will certainly occupy the second place.  Lord Wolseley on his arrival soon found employment for the active officer who could speak Arabic.  He served through the campaign of 1882 as a major.  He joined the new army which was formed at the conclusion of the war, as one of the original twenty-six officers.  In the Nile expedition of 1885 Arabic again led him to the front, and in the service of the Intelligence Department he found ample opportunity for his daring and energy.  His efforts to communicate with Gordon in Khartoum did not, however, meet with much success, and the Journals bristle with so many sarcastic comments that their editor has been at pains to explain in his preface that there was really no cause for complaint.  Major Kitchener, however, gave satisfaction to his superiors in Cairo, if not to the exacting General at Khartoum, and in 1886 he was appointed Governor of Suakin.  This post, always one of responsibility and danger, did not satisfy Kitchener, whose ambition was now taking definite form.  Eager for more