Sir Samuel Baker writes a very interesting letter to the
Times of Wednesday, in which he, for the second time, deals with what he evidently considers the very grave danger run by Egypt, owing to the possibility of a deflection of the waters of the Nile. Indeed, he seems to think it by no means impossible that the work has already been begun, and that the present low Nile, which is causing great difficulties in Egypt, may actually be due to some such deflection. We do not our- selves believe that there is any real reason for alarm. The fact, however, that the notion cannot be treated as ridiculous, brings home in a very striking way the horror of great darkness which broods over the upper waters of the Nile, and, indeed, over the whole North-Eastern corner of Africa. In that mysterious land, the greatest and most experienced living traveller has disappeared, and apparently left no trace. From thence comes the strangest rumour that has ever reached the modern world, —the rumour that a white conqueror has, as if by magic, appeared at the head of a victorious army of naked savages, and that he is carrying all before him. And now that the veil has fallen again on the upper lands of the river of Egypt, a terror is beginning to spread that behind the darkness is being prepared one of the greatest calamities that has ever afflicted the world. Still, we fancy that in the end the dangers will prove illusory. At any rate, we are certain of one thing. It would be madness to take what apparently is Sir Samuel Baker's advice, and plunge an English army into the Soudan in order to see that the Nile was not being tapped. To protect the river effecterdly, we must conquer up to the great lakes,—i.e., go more than twice as far as Lord Wolseley went.
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