The Government adheres steadily to its promise not to extend
the area of operations in the Soudan, and on Friday the British troops were already quitting Suakin. The black garrison will, however, remain, and strong outworks have been thrown up, so as to prevent the dervishes, should they return, from again shelling the town. The correspondents on the spot report grave local objections to the course pur- sued, the friendly tribes wishing the British to make another attack upon Osman Digna in Handoub. If defeated -there, they say, he will fly, and they will themselves prevent his returning any more. That is all very well ; but the Soudan is wide, and as we cannot pursue the enemy to his destruction, we may as well make the contest a purely defensive one. It looks very much as if the friendly Arabs were willing to drive away the dervishes, with whom they are now at permanent fend, but would like very inn& to do it by expending British troops instead of risking their own lives. That is good policy on their part, but-is not precisely the role which this Government desires to play.
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