13 SEPTEMBER 1884, Page 1

Lord Northbrook and Lord Wolseley have arrived in Cairo, and

have gone through the regular solemn farces in the way of interviews with the Khedive. Lord Wolseley keeps his own counsel, but it is asserted that the Nile Expedition has already commenced, a regiment—the 1st Sussex—having been sent to Dongola. It is hoped that on its arrival the liludir will finally take his side, and that the Mahdi's followers will be alarmed by the approach of the white troops. Arabs are not very amenable to moral force, and will probably wait to see their enemies' faces ; but the rumour of the advance will encourage General Gordon, and perhaps induce him to write to his superiors. At present, he writes to the Mudir of Dongola only, and always in Arabic. The Nile has not been so low for twenty years, and grave fears are entertained lest the expedition should be rendered impossible. As we understand the matter, however, a low Nile will delay, but not baffle, General Wolseley's plan, by compelling the troops to take a little earlier to their boats. The local authorities, including some special correspondents, gravely resent the selection of the Nile route in preference to that by Snakim and Berber, as also, we perceive, does Sir Samuel Baker. They send the most low- spirited predictions, asserting that everything is " too late," and leave an impression that they derive information from some one who strongly recommended the Suakim route. It was supposed that this was General Stephenson ; but it may be Baker Pasha, who, "under the highest orders," has been left out of the arrangements. Apart from other reasons, he is an unlucky commander.