I suppose you know Captain Wissmann has arrived at Medina at the head of a force of over a thousand picked men to fight the Arabs to a finish? Other German officers have met him there with further contingents—Zulus and Makua. Wissmann’s people are mainly Sudanese. I suppose we have done right in enabling him to raise this force on what is practically British territory—British or Portuguese? I like Wissmann personally. After all—as Brentham says—if we hadn’t the pluck to take all East Africa for ourselves at the time we were first challenged by Bismarck, it is better that the German share should be properly controlled and not fall back into a state of anarchy and slave-raiding. But, of course, what ties our hands in all these matters is the intense desire of France to raise the Egyptian question to our disadvantage.—Therefore, don’t think I am girding at the Office for irresolution. The French here make my life a burden to me with their intrigues.... * * * * * Yours sincerely, GODFREY DEWBURN. _From Lucy Brentham to Mrs. Albert Josling, Church Farm, Aldermaston._ Mbweni, Unguja, _April_ 2, 1889. DARLING MOTHER,— I expect you got my letter written early in January after I had got back to Unguja. The news must have come to you as an awful shock. And what it has been to Mrs. Baines I dare not _think_. I expect I shall get some sort of answer from you in a day or two when the mail comes in. But as there is a steamer going to-morrow I dash off this letter to give you other news: _good_ news this time, dearest.