Ihavealreadyfullydescribedthissystemin”TheAlbertN’yanza，”
thereforeitwillbeunnecessarytoenterintominutedetailsinthepresentwork。Itwillbesufficient，toconveyanideaoftheextendedscaleoftheslave-huntingoperations，toexplainthatanindividualtradernamedAgadassumedtherightovernearlyNINETYTHOUSANDSQUARE
MILESofterritory。Thushiscompaniesofbrigandscouldpillageatdiscretion，massacre，take，burn，ordestroythroughoutthisenormousarea，orevenbeyondthisbroadlimit，iftheyhadthepower。
ItisimpossibletoknowtheactualnumberofslavestakenfromCentralAfricaannually；butIshouldimaginethatatleastfiftythousandarepositivelyeithercapturedandheldinthevariouszareebasorcamps
oraresentviatheWhiteNileandthevariousroutesoverlandbyDarfurandKordofan。Thelossoflifeattendantuponthecaptureandsubsequenttreatmentoftheslavesisfrightful。Theresultofthisforcedemigration，combinedwiththeinsecurityoflifeandproperty，isthewithdrawalofthepopulationfromtheinfesteddistricts。Thenativeshavetheoptionofsubmissiontoeveryinsult，totheviolationoftheirwomenandthepillageoftheircrops，ortheymusteitherdeserttheirhomesandseekindependenceindistantdistricts，orallythemselveswiththeiroppressorstoassistintheoppressionofothertribes。ThustheseedsofanarchyaresownthroughoutAfrica，whichfallamongtribesnaturallypronetodiscord。Theresultishorribleconfusion，——distrustonallsides，——treachery，devastation，andruin。
ThiswasthestateofCentralAfricaandtheWhiteNilewhenIwasfirsthonouredwiththenoticeofIsmailPacha，thepresentKhediveofEgypt。
IhadreceivedcertainintimationsfromtheForeignMinister，NubarPacha，concerningtheKhedive’sintentions，ashorttimeprevioustoaninvitationwithwhichIwashonouredbyhisRoyalHighnessthePrinceofWalestoaccompanytheirRoyalHighnessesthePrinceandPrincessduringtheirtourinEgypt。
Itisalmostneedlesstoaddthat，uponarrivalinEgypt，thePrinceofWales，whorepresentedathearttheprinciplesofGreatBritain，tookthewarmestinterestinthesuppressionoftheslavetrade。
TheKhedive，thussupportedandencouragedinhisideasofreform，concludedhisarrangementsforthetotalabolitionoftheslavetrade，notonlythroughouthisdominions，buthedeterminedtoattackthatmoralcancerbyactualcauteryattheveryrootoftheevil。
IwasaccordinglyrequestedtodrawupaplanfortheproposedexpeditiontoCentralAfrica。
Aftersomeslightmodifications，IreceivedfromtheKhedivethefollowingfirman：——”We，Ismail，KhediveofEgypt，consideringthesavageconditionofthetribeswhichinhabittheNileBasin；”Consideringthatneithergovernment，norlaws，norsecurityexistsinthosecountries；”Consideringthathumanityenforcesthesuppressionoftheslave-hunterswhooccupythosecountriesingreatnumbers；”Consideringthattheestablishmentoflegitimatecommercethroughoutthosecountrieswillbeagreatstridetowardsfuturecivilization，andwillresultintheopeningtosteamnavigationofthegreatequatoriallakesofCentralAfrica，andintheestablishingapermanentgovernment……Wehavedecreedandnowdecreeasfollows：——”AnexpeditionisorganizedtosubduetoourauthoritythecountriessituatedtothesouthofGondokoro；”Tosuppresstheslavetrade；tointroduceasystemofregularcommerce；”Toopentonavigationthegreatlakesoftheequator；”Andtoestablishachainofmilitarystationsandcommercialdepots，distantatintervalsofthreedays’march，throughoutCentralAfrica，acceptingGondokoroasthebaseofoperations。”ThesupremecommandofthisexpeditionisconfidedtoSirSamuelWhiteBaker，forfouryears，commencingfrom1stApril，1869；towhomalsoweconferthemostabsoluteandsupremepower，eventhatofdeath，overallthosewhomaycomposetheexpedition。”WeconferuponhimthesameabsoluteandsupremeauthorityoverallthosecountriesbelongingtotheNileBasinsouthofGondokoro。”
ItwasthusthattheKhedivedeterminedattheriskofhispopularityamonghisownsubjectstostrikeadirectblowattheslavetradeinitsdistantnest。Toinsurethefulfilmentofthisdifficultenterprise，heselectedanEnglishman，armedwithadespoticpowersuchashadneverbeenintrustedbyaMohammedantoaChristian。
Theslavetradewastobesuppressed；legitimatecommercewastobeintroduced，andprotectionwastobeaffordedtothenativesbytheestablishmentofagovernment。
ThesuppressionoftheslavetradewasacomplimenttotheEuropeanPowerswhichwoulddenotethesuperiorityofEgypt，andwouldlaythefirststoneinthefoundationofanewcivilization；andapopulationthatwasrapidlydisappearingwouldbesavedtoAfrica。
ToeffectthisgrandreformitwouldbenecessarytoannextheNileBasin，andtoestablishagovernmentincountriesthathadbeenhithertowithoutprotection，andapreytotheadventurersfromtheSoudan。ToconveysteelsteamersfromEngland，andtolaunchthemupontheAlbertLake，andthusopentheresourcesofCentralAfrica；toestablishlegitimatetradeinavastcountrywhichhadhithertobeenafieldofrapineandofmurder；toprotecttheweakandtopunishtheevil-doer，andtoopentheroadtoagreatfuture，wherethepasthadbeenalldarknessandthepresentrecklessspoliation——thiswasthegrandobjectwhichIsmail，theKhediveofEgypt，determinedtoaccomplish。
InthishumaneenterprisehewasfirmlysupportedbyhistwoMinisters，NubarPachaandCherifPachaanArmenianandaCircassian。Theyoungprinceshissons，whoarewell-educatedandenlightenedmen，tookthegreatestinterestintheundertaking；butbeyondtheseandafewothers，theobjectoftheexpeditionwasregardedwithill-concealeddisgust。
HavingreceivedfullpowersfromtheKhedive，IgaveordersforthefollowingvesselstobebuiltofsteelbyMessrs。SamudaBrothers：——
No。1。Apaddlesteamerof251tons，32-horsepower。
No。2。Atwinscrewhigh-pressuresteamerof20-horsepower，108tons。
No。3。Atwinscrewhigh-pressuresteamerof10-horsepower，38tons。
Nos。4，5。Twosteellifeboats，each30ft。by9——10tonseach。
ThesevesselswerefittedwithenginesofthebestconstructionbyMessrs。Pond&Co。，andweretobecarriedacrosstheNubiandesertinplatesandsections。
Inadditiontothesteamersweresteamsawmills，withaboilerthatweighed8cwt。inonepiece——allofwhichwouldhavetobetransportedbycamelsforseveralhundredmilesacrosstheNubiandesert，andbyboatsandcamelsalternatelyfromAlexandriatoGondokoro，adistanceofaboutTHREETHOUSANDMILES。
Inthedescriptionofthisenterprise，whichterminatedinthesuppressionoftheslavetradeoftheWhiteNileandtheannexationofalargeequatorialterritorytoEgypt，IshallbecompelledtoexposemanyabuseswhichweretheresultofmisgovernmentinthedistantprovincesofUpperEgypt。ItmustbedistinctlyunderstoodthathisHighnesstheKhedivewasignorantofsuchabuses，andthathetookpromptandvigorousmeasurestoreformtheadministrationoftheSoudanimmediatelyuponreceivinginformationofthemisgovernmentofthatextensiveterritory。ThroughouttheexpeditionhisHighnesshasexhibitedadeterminationtosucceedinthesuppressionoftheslavetradeinspiteoftheadverseopinionofthepublic；therefore，whenIexposetheabusesthatexisted，itmustbeacceptedwithouthesitationthattheKhedivewouldhavebeentheforemostinpunishingtheauthorsandinrectifyingsuchabuseshadhebeenawareoftheirexistence。
AsadutytotheKhedive，andinjusticetomyself，Ishalldescribetheprincipalincidentsastheyoccurredthroughouttheexpedition。Thecivilizedworldwillformbothjudgeandjury；iftheirverdictbefavourable，Ishallhavemyreward。Icanonlyassuremyfellow-menthatIhavesoughtearnestlytheguidanceoftheAlmightyintheuseofthegreatpowercommittedtome，andItrustthatIhavebeenpermittedtolayafirmfoundationforagoodworkhereafter。
CHAPTERII。
ENGLISHPARTY。
Thesuccessofanexpeditiondependsmainlyuponorganization。FrommyformerexperienceinCentralAfrica，Iknewexactlytherequirementsofthenatives，andallthematerialthatwouldbenecessaryfortheenterprise。Ialsoknewthattheoldadageof”outofsightoutofmind”
mightbeadoptedastheEgyptianmotto，thereforeitwouldbeindispensabletosupplymyselfwitheverythingattheoutset，soastobeindependentofsupporthereafter。
TheEnglishpartyconsistedofmyselfandLadyBaker；LieutenantJulianAlleyneBaker，R。N。；Mr。EdwinHigginbotham，civilengineer；Mr。Wood，secretary；Dr。JosephGedge，physician；Mr。Marcopolo，chiefstorekeeperandinterpreter；Mr。McWilliam，chiefengineerofsteamers；Mr。Jarvis，chiefshipwright；togetherwithMessrs。Whitfield，Samson，Hitchman，andRamsall，shipwrights，boiler-makers，&c。Inadditiontotheaboveweretwoservants。
IlaidinstoressufficienttolasttheEuropeanpartyfouryears。
Iprovidedfourgalvanizedironmagazines，eacheightyfeetlongbytwentyinwidth，toprotectallmaterial。
BeforeIleftEnglandIpersonallyselectedeveryarticlethatwasnecessaryfortheexpedition；thusanexpenditureofabout9，000poundswassufficientforthepurchaseofthealmostinnumerableitemsthatformedtheoutfitfortheenterprise。ThisincludedanadmirableselectionofManchestergoods，suchascottonsheeting，greycalico，cottonandalsowoollenblankets，white，scarlet，andblue；Indianscarfs，redandyellow；handkerchiefsofgaudycolours，chintzprinted；
scarletflannelshirts，sergeofcoloursblue，red，linentrowsers，&c。，&c。
Toolsofallsorts——axes，smallhatchets，harnessbells，brassandcopperrods，combs，zincmirrors，knives，crockery，tinplates，fish-hooks，musicalboxes，colouredprints，finger-rings，razors，tinnedspoons，cheapwatches，&c。，&c。
AllthesethingswerepurchasedthroughMessrs。Silber&Fleming，ofWoodStreet，Cheapside。
Ithushadsufficientclothingforaconsiderablebodyoftroopsifnecessary，whilethemagazinescouldproduceanythingfromaneedletoacrowbar，orfromahandkerchieftoaboat’ssail。Itwillbeseenhereafterthatthesecarefularrangementsassuredthesuccessoftheexpedition，asthetroops，whenleftwithoutpay，couldprocurealltheyrequiredfromtheapparentlyinexhaustiblestoresofthemagazines。
Inadditiontothemerchandiseandgeneralsupplies，Ihadseverallargemusicalboxeswithbellsanddrums，anexcellentmagiclantern，amagneticbattery，wheelsoflife，andanassortmentoftoys。Thegreatestwondertothenativesweretwolargegirandoles；alsothesilveredballs，aboutsixinchesindiameter，that，suspendedfromthebranchofatree，reflectedthescenebeneath。
Ineveryexpeditiontheprincipaldifficultyisthetransport。”Travellight，ifpossible，”isthebestadviceforallcountries；butinthisinstanceitwassimplyimpossible，astheobjectoftheexpeditionwasnotonlytoconveysteamerstoCentralAfrica，buttoestablishlegitimatetradeintheplaceofthenefarioussystemofpillagehithertoadoptedbytheso-calledWhiteNiletraders。Itwasthereforeabsolutelynecessarytopossessalargestockofgoodsofallkinds，inadditiontothemachineryandsteelsectionsofsteamers。