A second Blue-book on Fashoda was published on Monday, which
adds a good deal to the general knowledge of the causes of the present crisis. The most important despatches are one from General Kitchener to Lord Cromer covering a letter from Major Marchand, and another from Lord Salisbury to Sir E. Moisson relating his most recent conversation with Baron de Courcel. Major Marchand in his letter dated September lath states that he has, "by order of my Govern- ment, occupied the Bahr-el-Ghazel as far as Meshra-er-Rek and the confluence of the Bahr-el-Ghazel with the Bahr-el- Djebel, as well as the Shilluk country on the left bank of the White Nile as far as Fashoda, which I entered on July 10th last." He, however, kindly " welcomes " the Sirdar to Fashoda "in the name of France." He further informed Sir H. Kitchener in an interview that if the Sirdar proposed to use force, " he himself could only submit to the inevitable, which would mean that he and his companions would die at their posts." The Sirdar did not, of coarse, fire upon the French, but took possession of Fashoda, prohibited war material being brought to the Nile, and established posts along the valley of the Bahr-el-Ghazel which France claims.
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