Mehemet Ali,
from a painting in the possession of theOriental Club.

LONDON: EDWARD ARNOLD: 1904.

[v]PREFACE

I have tried to tell inoutline the story of the regulation of the Nile and some of itsconsequences. A rash project, perhaps, for one who is not anengineer; but, then, this book is not written for engineers, andpolitics enter largely into it.

I have had some special opportunities of observation, and I havemany friends to thank for the help which they have given me. Inparticular I am much indebted to the Standard, whosespecial correspondent in Egypt and the Soudan I had the goodfortune to be during a part of 1902-1903.

Anyone who wishes to gain a real acquaintance with theprinciples and details of Egyptian Irrigation should read themonumental and interesting work by Sir W. Willcocks, K.C.M.G., onthat subject, to which my indebtedness is large.

The standard work on the Soudan is not yet written. There is butone man who combines the necessary knowledge, experience, andattainments to do it, and he, fortunately for the Soudan, is—andwill be for a long time to come—too fully occupied[vi] with his arduous andmultifarious duties. I mean, of course, the presentGovernor-General, Sir Reginald Wingate. No official of the SoudanGovernment, least of all he, has leisure to write a book; but Isincerely hope that the materials for it are steadilycollecting.

S. P.

[vii]CONTENTS