20th December.—Return of Her Majesty’s forces to Wady Halfa, leaving 1000 men at Dongola till Turks could come from Berber.
The frontier to be Wady Halfa. All steamers, &c., to be handed over to the Turks. The two millions to be paid in four instalments.
Suakin and Massowah to be free ports under the Turks.
Egypt is responsible for the pensions of those who return to Egypt. Turkey is responsible for the pensions of those who stay in the Soudan. I see nothing to prevent the whole affair being settled by the end of January, and the whole expeditionary force from being in Cairo at the end of February.
As for the slave-trade, one cannot help it.[102]
I cannot see why France could object if we let her have some “say” in Egypt. She will thwart all we do there unless we do let her have a “say.”[103]
We make up with Turkey by this action, and she would aid us to prevent Egypt being annexed by any other Power.
Remember we have no time to lose—that we must make our choice at once—and that choice must be one of a strong decisive kind, with no shifting hopes of something turning up. Our expedition is very ticklish, very expensive, and utterly unremunerative.
If once our men get sickly up here, and our programme is a skedaddle, the consequences might be most disastrous. The skedaddle programme would cool all the people against us, and strengthen the Mahdi immensely; and then there is no way to avoid the heats, unless by the skedaddle programme; but if you agree with the Turks, you avoid the heats and the skedaddle programme, and have people with you.