TheofficershadalwayslookedforwardtothegloriousopportunityofprocuringafewslavesinCentralAfrica，althoughtheycouldnotexactlydefinethemannerofobtainingthem：thusmysevereordersuponthissubjectcausedaseriousheart-burning，andadesiretogiveupsobarrenanexpedition。
Thestationwasnowcomplete，andwellfortifiedbyaditchandearthwork。Myownlittlestationwasthepictureofneatness。IhadtwoacresofthefinestEgyptiancottongalleen。Everyinchoftheknollwashighlycultivated，thelawnwascloselycut，andthediahbeeah，whichwasourhome，laysnuglyalongsidethebank，closetowhichwasalittlesummer-house，surroundedbyaprolificgarden。ThiswasalittlegemofcivilizationsetinthemiddleofsavageAfrica。My”FortyThieves”wereperfectgentlemenincomparisonwiththelineregiments。
Thesanitaryarrangementsofthestationweregood；therewasverylittlesickness，atthesametimethatupwardsof400mensufferedfromulceratedlegsathead-quarters。
Ourdomesticsweremuchimproved。Thosewhohadbeenslavesliberatedbymefromthetraders’vesselsatTewfikeeyah，hadlearnttheirduties，andhadbecomeveryuseful。Mywifehadtrainedsomenicegirlsofseventeenoreighteentohouseholdduties，inadditiontohalfadozenexcellentboys，whowereallneatlyclothed，andkeptinadmirablediscipline。AmongthesewastheAbyssinianboy，”Amam，”whohadlatelyreceivedhisfreedom。Hewasaprettylittlelad，andhisbrowncomplexionlookedquitelightincomparisonwithhiscoal-blackcomrades。TheAbyssinianbloodshowedinstrongcontrasttothenegrotypearoundhim，andhewasfarsuperiorinintelligencetoanyoftheCentralAfricans。
ThegirlswereunderoldKarka，whohadbeenwithusthroughoutourformerjourney。ThisoldwomanwasveryproudbecauseIhadgiven12topurchaseherfreedominKhartoum。Shewasagoodoldsoul，butwonderfullyfondoffineclothes；andongreatoccasionsshealwaysturnedoutincloudsofsnowymuslinwithrededgesandfringe，likeayoungAbyssinianbeauty。Itwasamusingtoseeheremergefromherhutinfullcostume，herbroad，flatfacebeamingwithsmilesinhappyconsciousnessofuniversaladmiration。
OldKarkawasasortofduenuatowatchoverthemoralsoftheyoungergirls，andtoseethattheydidnotbecometoo”fast”；butIbelievethateventheheartofKarkabeathighwhenacertaincorporalofthegallant”FortyThieves”passedby。OldKarkawasactuallyaccusedofsendingpresentsoffood，carefullycookedbyherownhands，tothehouseofthissamecorporal，Abdullah，thusappealingtohisstomach，whichisthedirectroadtotheheart，inAfricancourtship。Theyoungergirlsandtheboysoftheestablishmentexclaimed，”Mashallah！OldKarka！whowouldhavebelievedit?”
Itwascurioustoobservethedifferencebetweenmystationandthatofhead-quartersatGondokoro：atone，allwascontentmentandgoodorder；
intheother，discontentanddisorder。
IhadconstantcomplaintsfromMr。Higginbothamthatmyorders，thatheshouldbesuppliedwithmenforpublicworks，weredisobeyed，andthateveryobstaclewasthrowninhisway。
MyEnglishmenhadbeen，asusual，veryindustriousandhavingerectedtheironmagazines，theywerenowengagedinbuildingaflat-bottomedbargetoassistintransportingcornfromtheislandssouthofRegiaf。
Theyhadnotbeeninthebesthealth，buttheyneverthelesscontinuedtoworkwithanenergyandspiritthatwereadelightfulcontrasttothesluggishnessandapathyoftheEgyptians。
ImmediatelyonmyreturnfromBelinian，IhadgivenordersthatthirtyvesselsshouldbepreparedtoreturntoKhartoum。
Ihadnotreturnedthesevesselsearlier，asIrequiredallthesailorstoassistinbuildingthestation，andincollectingcornforthetroops。AtthisseasonOctobertheNilewasatitsmaximum，thereforeIhopedtherewouldbenodifficultyinthereturnvoyagetoKhartoumwithemptyvessels，andthestreamintheirfavour。HadIreturnedthemearlier，Ishouldhavebeenobligedtovictualthemforafourmonths’
voyage，atatimewhencornwasextremelyscarce。Thesailorshadnowassistedusinourwork，andtheywouldnotrequireprovisionsformorethantwomonths，astheNilewasfull。
EveryarrangementthatIhadmadehadbeenmostcarefullyconsidered。
TherecanbenodoubtthatthegreatestenemytotheexpeditionwastheWhiteNile。Thisadverseriverhadgivenaseriouscheck。Theworkandfatigueincuttingthroughtheobstructionshadkilledmanymen，andhadlaidtheseedsoffatalcomplaintsamongmanyothers。Themen’sheartshadbeenbrokenattheonset。TherewasevennowafeelingofdespairofthepossibilityofreceivingsuppliesandreinforcementsbyriverfromKhartoum。Weappearedtohaveforsakentheknownworld，and，havingpassedtheriverStyx，tohavebecomesecludedforeverinawildlandofourown，whereallwereenemies，likeevilspirits，andwhereitwasnecessaryeithertoprocurefoodatthepointofthebayonet，ortoliedownanddie。
IftheWhiteNilehadbeenthefine，navigableriverthatIhadknowninformeryears，IbelieveIshouldhavehadnodifficulty，asIcouldhavequicklyovercomethescruplesofmyofficersbydirectreportsoftheirconducttotheKhedive；butwewerelosttotheworldalmostasabsolutelyasthoughquarteredinthemoon。
Ihadproposed，wheninCairo，thatsteamersshouldrunmonthlybetweenKhartoumandGondokoro，withthepostandallnecessarysupplies。Informerdaysthiswouldhavebeenamatterofcourse，andthefactofaconnectionwiththeSoudangovernmentwouldhavesupporteddiscipline；
butthefrightfulobstructionsoftheriverrenderedcommunicationimpossible，exceptbyaregularexpeditioninlargeforce。
Myownheartfeltheavysometimes；butIsaidnothing。Icouldeasilyappreciatethefeelingsofothers，whoseheartswerenotactuallyinfavouroftheenterprise。
NeverthelessIcommanded，andnomatterwhattheobstaclesmightbe，I
hadonlyoneduty。
Anewandsadcalamityhadattackedus。Thewell-knownAfricanhorse-sicknessbrokeout。Inspiteofeveryprecaution，myhorsesdied。
Thediseasecommencedbyanappearanceoflanguor，rapidactionoftheheart，scantinessofurine，costiveness，swellingoftheforeheadabovetheeyes，whichextendedrapidlytothewholehead；stiffnessandswellingoftheneck，eyesprominentandbloodshot，runningatthenoseoffoulgreenishmatterinextraordinaryquantities，——convulsions，death。
MyfavouriteHorse，”ThePig，”wasattacked。Ihadanxiouslywatchedhimdaily，andonemorningIfanciedthattheusualhollowabovetheeyeswasratherfull。Thisfatalsymptomwastootrueawarning。Hepassedthroughtheusualstagesofthecomplaint，anddiedonthesamedaythathewasfirstattacked。
Ihadonlysevenhorsesremainingoutoftwenty-onethathadstartedwithmefromCairo。Inadditiontothese，weretwohorsesbelongingtotheofficers。
Thefactofthehorsesdyingaddedtotheunfavourableimpressionalreadyinthemindsoftheofficersandtroops。Inadditiontothiscalamity，thedroughtatGondokorohadbeenunprecedented。Thenativecultivation，andthatofthetroops，hadallperishedonthelightsandysoilofGondokoro。Rainhadfalleninthevicinity；butthisunfortunatelocalityisverysubjecttodroughts，astherain-cloudsareattractedbyneighbouringmountains，wheretheyexpendthemselves。Therichsoiloftheriverislandswillalwaysinsureacrop，astherootspenetratetoadepthwheretheyobtainmoisturefromtheriver。Asalreadydescribed，thetroopshadworkedsobadly，thatonehalfoftheislandcrophadbeencarriedawaybybirds。Thus，whentheharvestwasintheirhands，theyneglectedtogatherit；theynowcomplainedthatnothingwouldsucceedinGondokoro。
AbouSaoodhadnotgonetoKhartoum，thereforehisjourneytoBeliniantorequestmypermissiontodepart，wasonlyaruseforsomepurposeatpresentunknown。
IshallnowextractverbatimfrommyjournaltheentryuponOctober13，1871：——”October13，Friday——Thetruthhasburstoutatlast。AsIhavelongexpected，theevilspirithasbroodedmischief。”
LatelastnightIreceivedaletterfromRaoufBeyinclosingtwoothers：
onefromtheregimentalofficers，addressedtotheirrespectivelieutenant-colonels；theotherfromthelieutenant-colonels，inclosingtheletters，andsecondingthedeclarationwithapetitionembodyingthesamerequesttothefullcolonel。TheletterfromRaoufBeysupportedthepetitionsandsecondedthegeneralcomplaint。Theburdenofthislengthyandcarefully-arrangedcorrespondence，wasthedeterminationoftheofficersandtroopstoabandontheexpeditionandreturntoKhartoum。Thesealsofeveryofficerwereattached，withtheexceptionofthosebelongingtothe”FortyThieves。”
Inoticedthatalthoughtherewerethreeseparatelettersuponseveralimmensesheetsofpaper，theywereallwritteninthesamehandwriting。
Thisprovedthattheyweretheresultofdictationfromasuperior，andIatoncetracedtheconspiracytothecolonel，RaoufBey，thefriendofAbouSaood。
Ithadbeenpre-arrangedinthisfashion，withoutahintofsuchanintentionhavingbeengiventome，thattheofficersshouldsignaround-robintotheirlieutenant-colonels；thelattershouldsupportandforwardthepetition，togetherwithaletterfromthemselves；thecolonelshouldthenforwardthisgeneralandirresistibleexpressionofpublicopiniontome，togetherwithalongepistlefromhimself，explainingtheabsolutenecessityofageneralabandonmentoftheexpedition，andareturntoKhartoum。
Ifindthesewordsinmyjournal：——”Theselettersfromtheofficersdeclare，thattheexpeditionmustreturntoKhartoum，asthereisnocorninthecountry，andthesoldierswoulddieofstarvation。”Althoughthesepeoplecomplainofwant，theyactuallypurchased126
slavesduringthejourneyfromTewfikeeyah，thusaddingtothenumberofmouths，andatthesametimeactingagainstmypositiveorders。”Theysaythereisnocorninthecountry，butasyettheyknownothingoftheneighbourhood，withtheexceptionofBelinian；andwheninthemidstofplentythey_willnotcollectit。_ThustheKhedive’sofficerswouldactuallyabandontheexpedition，andforsaketheimmenseamountofstores，merchandise，&c。，whichwouldfallintothehandsofthenatives。”ByGod，notamanshallgoback，exceptbymyorders！nomatterwhethertheymutinyornot。Ishallforwardtheofficers’letterstotheKhedive。”
ThisconspiracywouldhaveplayedthegameofAbouSaood，andhewouldhaverevelledinhissuccess。ImadenoremarksupontheconductofRaoufBey，butthechainoffactswillspeakforthemselves。
Forthefirsthalf-hourafterthereceiptoftheseletters，Iwasdisgustedthrougheverybone。Itappearedasthoughallhopeofsuccesswasgone。Whatcouldbedonewithsuchwretchedandtreacherousmaterial?
IwouldnotcondescendareplytothelettersIhadreceived。Irodeuptohead-quarters；Mr。Higginbothamwasill，aswerealsosomeoftheEnglishmenandMr。Marcopolo。Neverthelessallwereunanimousintheirresolvetostandbytheexpeditionatanyrisk。
IsentLieutenantBaker，R。N。，toRaoufBey，withinstructionsnottomentiontheletters，buttoconveythefollowingorder：——”ColonelRaoufBey，withsixcompaniesoftroops，tobeunderarmsat2
A。M。，toawaitmeathead-quarters。”
Mr。Higginbothamhadtheentirechargeofthevessels。Iorderedthreenoggurstobeprepared，togetherwithonesmalldiahbeeah，topassthetroopsacrosstheriverat2A。M。
Alltroopsandsailorsweretotaketwodays’provisions。IhaddeterminedtopushstraightfortheBariislands，southofRegifhill。
ShouldIbeabletoprocurethesupplyofcornthatIexpected，itwouldatoncecheckmatetheconspiracy。