for
"The Great Round World"

* * * * *

[Illustration: THE GREAT ROUND
WORLD
AND WHAT IS GOING ON IN IT.]

VOL. 1 JULY 21, 1897. NO. 38

England is preparing to send an expedition into the Soudan to reconquer
the province of Dongola, which was lost during the revolt of the Mahdi
in 1881-85.

Many of you have probably heard all about the Soudan war, in which the
brave General Gordon lost his life. But that you may understand the
matter fully, it will perhaps be as well to go over it again.

The Soudan is a vast tract of land in Africa, the boundaries of which
are not very clearly defined. Roughly speaking, it extends from the
Atlantic Ocean on the west to Abyssinia (King Menelik's country) on the
east; and from the desert of Sahara on the north, southward to the
Guinea Coast and the Congo Basin.

Part of this country was owned by Egypt. If you look at the map you will
see that Egypt borders on the Soudan.

The portion of the Soudan owned by Egypt comprised Lower and Upper
Nubia, the White Nile region, and the territories around the Red Sea and