On Friday, January 25th, Sir Colin Scott - Moncrieff delivered
a lecture on the Nile at the Royal. Institution. After mentioning that, though Isis and Osiris had long been forgotten, every native still knew the night—that of June 17th—on which the miraculous tear shed by Isis on the tomb of Osiris was supposed to fall into the river and cause it to rise, Sir Colin went on to consider the possibility of a hostile Power on the Upper Nile cutting off the water. He evidently considers that it would be a perfectly easy task for a civilised Power. Even if a friendly Power like Italy were to occupy Khartoum, and were to develop the Soudan by means of irrigation, she would starve Egypt, or at any rate prevent her growing her cotton crops. " But, more than this, a civilised nation on the Upper Nile would surely build regu- lating sluices across the outlet of the Victoria Nyanza, and control that great sea as Manchester controlled Thirlmere." This would be an easy operation. The Nile supply would then be in human hands, and if Egypt had the bad luck tc be at war with this people, they might flood Egypt or cut off the water at their pleasure. " Was it not evident, then, that the Nile, from the Victoria Nyanza to the Mediterranean, should be under one rule ? " We have not the slightest wish to encourage the forward policy in the Soudan, which we hold to be impolitic at the present moment, but unquestionably Egypt cannot be considered entirely safe unless she controls the upper waters of the Nile.
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