MohammedWat-el-MeksonofthekingwasthemanwhohadfirstdiscoveredandopenedupthecountriessouthofGondokoro。ThispersonwasacuriousbutusefulcharacterthatIhadalwayswishedtoemploy，ashehadgreatpowerwiththenatives，andhekneweverynookandcornerofthecountry。
Ihadknownhimduringmyformerjourney，anditappearsthathehadalwayswishedtoservemeinthepresentexpedition。Theslave-tradersofKhartoumhadbeendeterminedtopreventWat-el-Mekfromcommunicatingwithme；thus，whenIhadarrivedinKhartoum，thisimportantpersonagewasactuallythere；buthewasquicklysentbyAbouSaoodundersomefrivolouspretextuptheBlueNile，tokeephimoutoftheway。
OnarrivalatGondokoro，hehadstudiouslybeenretainedonthewestbankoftheriver，andhisnamehadbeenkeptsosecret，thatIhadneverhearditmentioned。Thus，althoughbothatKhartoumandatGondokoroWat-el-Mekhadbeenwithinafewhundredpacesofme，IhadalwayssupposedthathewasinCentralAfrica。
AbouSaoodnowdeclaredthatWat-el-MekhadstartedmanydaysagofromFatikotoKoshi；butIsubsequentlydiscoveredthathehadonlyleftFatikoonthemorningofmyarrival，andthathewaskeptwaitingatFabbostation，onlytwenty-twomileswestofFatiko，forseveraldays，whileIhadbeentoldbyAbouSaoodthathehadgonetoKoshi。
MohammedWat-el-MekwasthesonofapettykingfarawayuptheBlueNile，beyondFazokle。
HehadinearlylifebeenaserjeantorchoushintheEgyptianarmy；buthavinganadventurousdisposition，hehadtakentotheWhiteNile，asthevakeelofAndreaDebono，aMalteseivorymerchant。
Mr。Debono，beingaBritishsubject，retiredfromthetradewhentheslave-huntingarrivedatsuchapitchthatitbecameimpossibleforEuropeanstocontinuebusinessontheWhiteNile。TheslavetradearrivedatsuchamaximumthatallEuropeantradersinivoryweredrivenfromtheWhiteNile，includingMr。Petherick，BritishConsul。
Debonohadamassedaconsiderablefortuneentirelythrough：theenergyofWat-el-Mek，whohadpushedintotheinterior，andhadestablishedhisstationswithconsiderableforethoughtandskillthroughouttheformerlyunvisitedMadicountry。
Wat-el-Mekwasanexceedinglyblackman，aboutthemiddleheight，andmuchpittedwiththesmall-pox。WhileintheserviceofDebono，hehadcommandedthestationofFaloro，wherehehadmosthospitablyreceivedSpekeandGrantontheirarrivalfromZanzibar。ThesegreattravellerswereentertainedatFaloroduringmanyweeks，andwereafterwardsconductedbytheirhosttoGondokoro，whereIhadthegoodfortunetomeetthem。
Wat-el-Mekwasaverycourageousfellow；andalthoughhewouldnotperhapshavebeenconsideredagoodcharacteratLondonpolicecourt，hewasamanwhowouldbemostusefultoanexpeditioninCentralAfrica，wherehisviciouspropensitiescouldberestrainedbythedisciplineofgovernment。
WhenSpekepartedfromhimatGondokoro，hepresentedhimwithabeautifuldouble-barrelledgunbyBlissett，inadditiontootherarticles。
Theworstviceofthismanwasdrinking。Whendrunk，hecouldbeinducedtoyieldtoanyabsurdity。
However，withallhisfaults，IshouldhavebeengladofWat-el-Mektocommandtheirregularforce。
InthedayswhenDebonowastheproprietoroftheMadistation，Wat-el-Mekhadbeenthesolevakeel；andalthoughhewasatyrant，hewasnotdislikedbythenatives。SinceDebonohadsoldhisstationstothefirmofAgad&Co。，everyseparatecampwasgovernedbyanindependentvakeel；thusthereweremanytyrantsinsteadofone。
Thesenumerousagentsactedinoppositiontoeachotherinthepurchaseofivory。IfanativeofFatikoshouldtakeatusktosellatthestationofFabbo，hewouldrunthechanceofbeingshotuponhisreturn。
Thissystemofattemptedmonopolywascarriedoutthroughoutthecountry，andnaturallyresultedinanarchy。Althoughallthevakeelsandcompaniesbelongedtoonefirm，theyactedasrivaltraders。Thus，ifslavesranawayfromonestationandtookshelterwiththenativesofavillagebelongingtothepeopleofanothervakeel，anattackwouldbemadeuponthevillagethatharbouredtherunaways，andtheirwomenandchildrenwouldbeimmediatelycaptured。
Thisonslaughtonthevillageundertheprotectionofacertainstationwouldbequicklyreturnedbyacounter-attackuponavillagebelongingtotheencroachingvakeel。Thissystemwaspurposelyadopted，asitservedtodividethecountryintoopposingsections，whichpreventedthenativesfromformingageneralcoalition。
Itmayreadilybeimaginedthatmyarrivalwashailedwithsatisfactionbythenativesthroughoutthecountry。Shouldastrangerhavefilledmyposition，theremighthavebeensomesuspicioninthemindsofthenatives，butIhadbeensowellknownduringmyformerjourney，thatthepeopleacceptedthenewgovernmentwiththoroughconfidence。
Wat-el-Mek，whowasalwaysthediscovererofunknownlands，hadlatelyvisitedanewcountryintheeast。
Itmayberememberedbythereadersof”TheAlbertN’yanza，”thatshortlybeforemyreturnfromShooaonlysixmilesfromFatikoanewcountrynamedLirahadbeendiscoveredbythevakeelofKoorshadAgha——”Ibrahim。”PoorIbrahimwasdead，otherwiseIshouldhavehadagoodanddependableman。
TheLiracountrywasrichinivory，butthegreatestprizediscoveredwasthepresenceofdonkeys，whicharequiteunknownintheWhiteNiledistricts。
Wat-el-MekhadnowpenetratedbeyondLira，andhadreachedthecountryofLanggo，whichwasexceedinglyinteresting。
Fromthedescriptionofthepeople，itappearedthattheportionoftheLanggovisitedbythemwasentirelydifferentfromthecountrybetweenGondokoroandUnyoro。
TheexpeditionHADCROSSEDTHESOBATRIVER，andhadarrivedintheLanggoabout130milesdueeastofFatiko。TheydescribedthecountryassimilartoportionsoftheSoudan。Generally，flatplainsoftherichgrassknownasnegheel，whichnevergrowshigh，andisthefinestpasturage。ThetreeswereforthemostpartSoontAcaciaArabica，whichisnotmetwithintheWhiteNilecountriessouthoftheSobatjunction。
TheLanggoswereanimmensetribe，butwere，liketheBaris，dividedundermanychiefs。Thesepeoplewereexceedinglylargeandpowerful，andwereesteemedasgreatwarriors。Theyseldomateflour，butliveduponthemilkandfleshoftheirinnumerableherds。
ThecattlewereaslargeasthoseofEngland，andwerecelebratedfortheextremesizeoftheirhorns。
Wat-el-Mekhadmadearazziawithaverypowerfulforce，collectedfromallthestationsofAbouSaood，andhehadsucceededincapturinganenormousnumberofthesefineanimals，togetherwithalargeherdofdonkeys。
ThesestrangecattlewouldnotliveatFatiko，astheherbagewasquitedifferenttothattowhichtheyhadbeenaccustomed。Theydiedinsuchnumbers，thatinthreemonthsonlythreeorfourremainedoutofasmanythousand。Thusallthesebeautifulbeastswerewasted。
TheriverSobatwasdescribedasflowingfromthesouth，andwasknownastheChol。TheAsuariverisonlyoneday’smarchorabouttwentymiles，eastofFatiko。TheSobatisneverdryandisreportedtobeanobleriver；thissuggeststhatSpekeVictoriaN’yanza，ortheBahrIngo’seasterncorner，musthaveaneffluentinadditiontotheVictoriaNile，thatflowsfromM’tese’scapitalofUganda。
BeyondLanggothereisacountrycalledLobbohr，whichissaidtopossesscamels。IntheLobbohrthereisarivercalledJooba。Thisis，I
believe，theJubathatflowsintotheIndianOcean，asthereportcontinuesthat：”ArabsarriveatLobbohrmounteduponcamels，andarmedwithswordsandpistols，butwithoutguns。”HorsesanddonkeysarealsoreportedtoexistinLobbohr。
TherecanbenodoubtthatmostimportantcountrieslietotheeastofFatiko，andshouldthestoryofcamelsprovecorrect，therewillbenodifficultyinopeningupacommercialroute。
ItappearsthatatLanggothedemandforbeadsisverygreat，asthenativesworkthemintopatternsupontheirmattedhair。Ivoryhaslittleornovalue，andexistsinlargequantities。
Thenativesrefusetocarryloads，andtheytransportanelephant’stuskbyboringaholeinthehollowend，throughwhichtheyattacharope；itisthendraggedalongthegroundbyadonkey。Theivoryisthusseriouslydamaged……
SuchwasthepositionofaffairsatFatikoinMarch，1872。Newandimportantcountrieshadbeeninvestigated，notbyexplorersortraders，butbythebrigandsofAbouSaood，whosefirstintroductionwastheunprovokedattackandcarryingoffofslavesandcattle。
SuchconductcouldonlyterminateinanextensionoftheruinwhichasimilarcoursehaddeterminedineverycountrythathadbeenoccupiedbythetradersoftheWhiteNile。
Itrustedthatmyarrivalwouldcreateagreatreform，andrestoreconfidencethroughoutthecountry。Thenewshadspreadfarandwide。Thescarletsoldierswereregardedasadistinctspecies，andthereportquicklycirculated，thatthe”Pacha’stroopswereentirelydifferentfromanythathadhithertobeenseen，astheirclotheswerered，andtheirmusketswereloadedfromthewrongend。”
InowdeterminedtoestablishastationatFatiko，torepresentthegovernmentduringmyabsenceinthesouth。
AbouSaoodhadswornfidelity。OfcourseIdidnotbelievehim，butasthenativeshadwelcomedthegovernment，Icouldnotleavethemwithoutprotection。
ItwasthereforearrangedwithAbouSaoodthataftertheexpirationofthecontract，alloperationsshouldcease。Hewouldsimplyremainonsufferanceinthecountry，untilheshouldbeabletotransporthisivorytoGondokoro。Thiscouldonlybeeffectedbythearrivalofcarriersfromhisstations，about180mileswestoftheNile，intheMakkarikacountry。HisfirststepwouldthereforebetocommunicatewiththevakeelAtroosh，whocommandedabout600menintheweststation。
IorderedAbouSaoodtodisarmtheseventyBariswhowereinhisserviceatFatiko，asIwouldnotallowmusketstobeplacedinthehandsofnativeswhowerehostiletothegovernment。
Thishepromisedtodo，butofcourseheevadedtheorder，byreturningthearmstotheBaristheinstantIhaddeparted。
Itmayappeartothepublicthathaving”absoluteandsupremepower，”I
wasabsurdlylenienttowardsAbouSaood，whomIknewtobesogreatavillain。Iconfesstoonefault。IshouldhavearrestedandtransportedhimtoKhartoumwhenhefirstarrivedatGondokorowiththecattlestolenfromtheShir；whichcausedthesubsequentmassacreofthefivesoldiersofthegovernment。
AtthesametimethatIadmitthiserror，itmustberememberedthatI
wasplacedinanawkwardposition。”Absoluteandsupremepower”isahigh-soundingtitle；buthowwasItoexertit?
Iwasanindividualpossessinganominalpower，theapplicationofwhichrequiredextremedelicacy。Iwasdeterminedtowin，andwithGod’shelpIdidwin，buteverystepnecessitatedthecoolestjudgment。HadI
adoptedsevereorextrememeasuresagainstAbouSaood，Imighthaveruinedtheexpeditionatcommencement。
Itwasimpossibletoknowwhowasfaithful。Therewasageneralleaningtowardshisfavouramongalltheofficers，withwhomhehadbeenincloseconnectionwheninKhartoum。HewasamaninahighsocialpositionintheSoudan，thepartnerofthegreatfirmofAgad&Co。，whocommandedabout2，500armedmen。Hehadworkedformanyyearsincompanywiththegovernment，accordingtohisconnectionbyagreementwiththegovernor-general。
IknewthatIhadhiminmypower，providedIshouldbesupportedbytheauthoritiesinEgypt；thereforeIgavehimline，andoccasionallyheldhimtight，asthoughhehadbeenasalmononasinglegut；butIwasdeterminedtolandhimsafeatlast，insuchamannerthathisgreatestsupportershouldbeobligedtoacknowledgethathehadreceivedthefairestplay。AbouSaood’sFatikostationwascrowdedwithslaves。Hispeoplewereallpaidinslaves。ThestationsofFabbo，Faloro，andFarrageniawereamassofslaves。
Ididnotenterastationtointerferewiththesewretchedcaptives，asIknewthatsuchanactwouldcreateirretrievableconfusion。
Ihadonly212men，andIwishedtoadvancetotheequator。