TherewasonlyonesteppracticableiftheimprovementofAfricaweretobeattempted。Egyptwastheonlycountrythatcouldformagovernmentbytheextensionofherfrontiertotheequator。Thiswouldinsurethesafetyoffuturetravellerswherehithertothelifeofanindividualhadnoguarantee。
Thisannexationisnoweffected，andourrelationswiththeKhediveassureusthattheheartofAfricawillbethrownopentothecivilizinginfluenceoftheNorth。
WhentherailwayshallbecompletedfromCairotoKhartoum，therewillbedirectcommunicationbyrailandriver。Countriesthatareeminentlyadaptedforthecultivationofcotton，coffee，sugar，andothertropicalproductionswillbebroughtwithintheinfluenceofthecommercialworld，andthenatives，nolongerkidnappedandtornfromtheirhomes，willfeelthebenefitsofindustry，astheynowfeeltheblessingsofprotection。
Itiswellknownthatthegreatestdifficultieslieinthefirstfootstepsofagreatenterprise；butthosedifficultiesareovercome，andpatienceandperseverancewillatlengthperfectthegoodwork。TheimpressionofcivilizationmustbegraduallyandslowlyengraveduponCentralAfrica，andthosewhoworkinthisapparentlyhopelessundertakingmustnotbeappalledbythedifficultiesofthetask。
InthesharethatIhavetakenduringnineyearspassedinAfrica，I
havesimplyrepresentedoneofthoseatomsofwhichGreatBritainiscomposed。IdeeplyregretthatpersonallyIhavenothadthehonourofservingmyQueen，butItrustthatindirectlyIhaveworkedoutthatprinciple，whichEnglandwasthefirsttoinitiate，expressedintheword”Freedom，”which，wemaintain，isthenaturalinheritanceofman。
MingledwiththeregretthatIwasnotintheserviceofHerMajesty，isthepleasurethatIfeelintestifyingtotheablemannerinwhichtheRoyalNavywasrepresented，throughoutalongandtryingexpedition，byLieutenantJulianAlleyneBaker，R。N。Thisenergeticyoungofficerrenderedmethegreatestassistance，andhasleftavividimpressiononthemindsofthenatives，andoftheEgyptiantroops，oftheactivity，andthestraightforward，manlycharacterthathasalwaysdistinguishedBritishsailorsinwhateverdutytheyhavehadtoperform，whetheronseaorland。
IreturnmyacknowledgmentsofthefaithfulandcourageousservicesofLieutenant-ColonelAbd-el-Kader，andotherofficerswhoaccompaniedmethrougheverydifficultywithpatienceanddevotion。
IalsothankMr。Marcopolo，myintelligentandtrustworthysecretaryandchiefstorekeeper，atthesametunethatIacknowledgetheservicesofthoseindustriousEnglishengineersandmechanicswhosothoroughlysupportedthewell-knownreputationoftheirclassbyadeterminationtosucceedineveryworkthatwasundertaken。Theirnewsteamer，theKhedive，remainsupontheWhiteNileanexampleoftheirenergyandcapability。
Lastly，ImustacknowledgetheableassistancethatIhavereceived，incommonwitheverypersonconnectedwiththeinlandexpedition，frommywife，whocaredforthesickwhenwewerewithoutamedicalman，andwhosegentleaidbroughtcomforttomanywhosestrengthmightotherwisehavefailed。Duringaperiodoffourteenmonths，withadetachmentof212officersandmen，exclusiveofmanyservantsandcamp-followers，I
ONLYLOSTONEMANFROMSICKNESS，andhewasatanout-station。
Inmomentsofdoubtandanxietyshewasalwaysathoughtfulandwisecounsellor，andmuchofmysuccessthroughninelongyearspassedinAfricaisduetomydevotedcompanion。
Thefoundationforagreatfuturehasbeenlaid；aremoteportionoftheAfricanracehithertoexcludedfromtheworld’shistoryhasbeenbroughtintodirectcommunicationwiththesuperiorandmorecivilizedraces；
legitimatetradehasbeenopened；therefore，acceptingcommerceasthegreatagentofcivilization，theworkisactuallyinprogress。
Fortifiedpostsextendtowithintwodegreesoftheequator。ThealliancewithM’tese，thekingofUganda，enabledmenotonlytocommunicatebyletteraddressedtoLivingstoneinthedistantcountryofUnyanyembe，butareplywassentbyLieutenantCameron，togetherwithlargepresentsofivory，tomeatGondokoro，[*]asIhavebeeninformedbyaletterfromColonelGordon。
[*Footnote：TheletterandtheivoryfromM’tesewerereceivedbyColonelGordon。]
TheKhediveofEgypt，havingappointedColonelGordon，R。E。，hasprovedhisdeterminationtocontinuetheworkthatwascommencedundersomanydifficulties。TheNilehasbeenopenedtonavigation；andifthetroublesthatIencounteredandovercameshallhavesmoothedthepathformyableandenergeticsuccessor，Ishallhavebeenwellrewarded。
Thefirststepsinestablishingtheauthorityofanewgovernmentinatribehithertosavageandintractablewereofnecessityaccompaniedbymilitaryoperations。Warisinseparablefromannexation，andthelawofforce，resortedtoinself-defence，wasabsolutelyindispensabletoprovethesuperiorityofthepowerthatwaseventuallytogovern。Theendjustifiedthemeans。
AtthecommencementoftheexpeditionIhadfeltthattheobjectoftheenterprise——”thesuppressionoftheslavetrade”——wasoneforwhichI
couldconfidentlyaskablessing。
AfirmbeliefinProvidentialsupporthasnotbeenunrewarded。Inthemidstofsicknessandmalariawehadstrength；fromactsoftreacherywewerepreservedunharmed；inpersonalencountersweremainedunscathed。
Intheend，everyoppositionwasovercome：hatredandinsubordinationyieldedtodisciplineandorder。Apaternalgovernmentextendeditsprotectionthroughlandshithertoafieldforanarchyandslavery。Theterritorywithinmyrulewaspurgedfromtheslavetrade。ThenativesofthegreatShoolitribe，relievedfromtheiroppressors，clungtotheprotectinggovernment。TheWhiteNile，foradistanceof1，600milesfromKhartoumtoCentralAfrica，wascleansedfromtheabominationofatrafficwhichhadhithertosullieditswaters。
Everycloudhadpassedaway，andthetermofmyofficeexpiredinpeaceandsunshine。Inthisresult，IhumblytracedGod’sblessing。
FINIS。
APPENDIX。
AfewextractsfromthevaluableworkofDr。Schweinfurthwillthrowalightuponthespiritwhichanimatedtheauthorities，allofwhomwereincensedatmyhavingpresumedtounderstandtheKhedive’sordersliterallyrespectingthesuppressionoftheslavetrade。
Inpage485，vol。ii。，hewrites：——”Theill-feelingandsmotheredrageagainstSirSamuelBaker’sinterferencenurturedbythehigherauthorities，breaksoutverystronglyamongstthelessreticentlowerofficials。InFashoda，andeveninKhartoum，IheardcomplaintsthatwetheFranksweretheprimecauseofallthetrouble，andifithadnotbeenforoureternalagitationwiththeViceroy，suchmeasureswouldneverhavebeenenforced。”
Inpage477，vol。ii。，hecontinues：——”NotwithstandingthatSirSamuelBakerwasstillontheupperwatersoftheriver，theideawasquiteprevalentinalltheseribas，thatassoonasthe’EnglishPacha’hadturnedhisbackuponFashodathegovernmentstationintheShillookcountry，themudirgovernorwouldrelapseintohisformerhabits，andlevyagoodroundsumontheheadofeveryslave，andthenletthecontrabandstockpasswithoutmoreado。Butforoncetheseribapeoplewerereckoningwithouttheirhost。ThemudirhadbeensoseverelyreprimandedbyBakerforhisformerdelinquencies，thathethoughtithisbestpolicy，forthisyearatleast，tobeasenergeticashecouldinhisexertionsagainsttheforbiddentrade。”
Inpage470，vol。ii。，Dr。Schweinfurthwrites：——”IknewthatSirSamuelBakerwasupontheUpperNile，anddidnotdoubtthathispresencewouldhavetheeffectofmakingthegovernmenttakethemoststrenuousmeasuresagainstanyimportofslaves。”
Page429，vol。ii。：——”BeforeSirSamuelBaker’sexpeditionputastoptoitaltogether，theslavetradethatwascarriedondowntheriverwasquiteinsignificantcomparedtotheoverlandtraffic。””ForyearstherehasbeenapublicprohibitionagainstbringingslavesdowntheWhiteNileintoKhartoum，andeverandagainstrongerrepressivemeasureshavebeenintroduced，which，however，haveonlyhadtheeffectofraisingthelandtraffictoapremium；butasageneralrule，theEgyptianofficialsconniveattheuseofthiscomparativelyunimportantchannelofthetrade，andpocketaquietlittlerevenueforthemselvesbydemandingasumvaryingfromtwotofivedollarsaheadashush-money。”
Inpage429，vol。ii。：——”TheexpeditionofSirSamuelBakerhasstoppedthesource。”
Inpage410，vol。ii。，Dr。Schweinfurthwrites：——”AlreadyhadSirSamuelBaker，withpraiseworthyenergy，commencedscouringthewatersoftheUpperNile，andbycapturingallslave-vesselsandabolishingalarge’chasua’belongingtothemudirgovernorofFashoda，hadleftnodoubtastotheearnestnessofhispurpose，”&c。
Inpage83，vol。i。：——”Beyondthetrueeasternshore，theDinkaaresaidtobesettledinextensivevillages，andatthattimestillfurnishedaninexhaustiblesupplyofslavestothemaraudingexpeditionsofthegarrisonofFashoda。In1870Bakersucceededinputtinganendtothisdisorder，theknowledgeofwhichpenetratedtothemostremotetribes。”
TheevidenceofsotrustworthyatravellerasDr。Schweinfurthisexceedinglyvaluable，ashewasintheWesternNiledistrictsatthetimethatIwasactivelyengaged；thushehadopportunitiesofwitnessingtheresultsofmyinterference，andthehostilityexhibitedbytheauthorities。Heissimplyinerrorconcerningtheimportanceoftheslavetradeoftheriver，whichhemuchunderrates，aswillhavealreadybeenseenbythefactof700slavesbeingstowedawayupononlythreevesselsbelongingtoAbouSaood。
Thesevessels，thatwerecapturedbymyordersatFashoda，ontheirwaytowardsKhartoum，wereanexampleofthetruthforetoldbythetraderswithwhomDr。Schweinfurthwastravellinginthewest——”thatassoonastheEnglishPachahadturnedhisbackuponFashoda，thegovernorwouldrelapseintohisformerhabits，andlevyagoodroundsumontheheadofeveryslave，andthenletthecontrabandcargopasswithoutmoreado。”
Therewerealwayswell-knownslaveroutesthroughKordofan，butthesechannelsbecameofextremeimportancewhenIrenderedtheslavetrafficoftheriverimpossible。
Itisquiteunnecessarytowritemoreonthesubjectoftheslavetrade。