irritation occasioned. Even we have thrown on the floor ours. And in
any case, as we have often reminded our readers, what is prestige? If
any one wants to hit us, let him hit us right there. We regard a blow
at our trade as far more deadly than a blow at our prestige.

"The situation as we see it demands immediate reparation on our
part. The principal grievance of the Shriek arises from the existence
of our fort and garrison on the Kowfat river. Our proper policy is
to knock down the fort, and either remove the garrison or give it
to the Shriek. We are convinced that as soon as the Shriek realises
that we are prepared to treat him in the proper Christian spirit,
he will at once respond with true Mohammedan generosity.

"We have further to remember that in what we do we are being observed
by the neighbouring tribes, the Negritos, the Dwarf Men, and the Dog
Men of Darfur. These are not only shrewd observers but substantial
customers. The Dwarf Men at present buy all their cotton on the
Manchester market and the Dog Men depend on us for their soap.

"The present crisis is one in which the nation needs statesmanship
and a broad outlook upon the world. In the existing situation we
need not the duplicity of a Machiavelli, but the commanding prescience
of a Gladstone or an Alfred the Great, or a Julius Caesar. Luckily
we have exactly this type of man at the head of affairs."

After completing the above I set to work without delay on a similar
exercise for the London Times. The special. excellence of the Times,
as everybody knows is its fulness of information. For generations
past the Times has commanded a peculiar minuteness of knowledge
about all parts of the Empire. It is the proud boast of this great