Khartoum was the capital of the Soudan, and an important commercial center. General Gordon was forced to make a stand here against the Mahdi, and was besieged in Khartoum from March, 1884, to January, 1885. The city which had held out so bravely was at last taken by storm and General Gordon killed. The relief expedition which he had been expecting and hoping for arrived just two days after the city had fallen. With the fall of Khartoum the Egyptian power in the Soudan was overthrown. Lord Wolseley made a campaign against the Mahdi's forces, but it was too late. The Soudanese were lost to Egypt. A strong effort is now being made to reconquer them. The British officers in the Egyptian army have been ordered back to duty, and it is said that action will be taken in a few weeks. It is expected that the Mahdists will fight to the death, but they will not be as powerful this time as they were before, as they are now no longer united. The tribes south of Khartoum are in open revolt against the Mahdists, and a part of their forces will have to be detached to quell them. * * * * * The news from India is still very discouraging. A fresh outbreak has occurred on the outskirts of Calcutta. Eight thousand workers employed in the silk mills on the Hoogly River have started for Calcutta to help the rioters. The troops at Barrakpur, fifteen miles north of Calcutta, have been ordered out to intercept the strikers, and prevent their advance upon the city. They are also carefully guarding the bridges which span the Hoogly River. This river is one of the mouths of the Ganges. While the immediate cause of the outbreak was the quarrel over the mosques, about which we told you last week, it seems that the anger against Europeans is really due to the measures which have been taken to stamp out the plague. In India there are many races of people who, while they all live under the same rule, have each their own special habits and customs. These curious customs are rigidly observed. Some must not drink milk, some must not touch lard, none of them must eat food prepared by persons who are not of their religion, and many of them must not leave their own country. If they neglect these customs they are said to lose caste--which means that they lose their social position among their special tribe, family, and friends. To lose caste is a very serious thing to a native of India. Europeans are, as a rule, very careful not to offend the natives in these matters, and are most particular to observe all the customs in regard to caste. But at the time of the plague it was not possible to exercise this care. When human lives were in danger the doctors did not try to find out what caste sick persons belonged to, but did what they thought best for them. We know for ourselves, in our own families, that the rules of the Health Board in regard to sickness are not always agreeable to us.