”Theorder，’Present，’wasgiven，andthesharpclickingofthelocks，asthemusketswerebroughtonfullcockandpresented，leftbutanothermoment……”AtthatinstantIorderedthefiringpartytoretire，andIsummonedtheprisoner，whowasbroughtupinchargeoftheguard。InthepresenceofallthetroopsIthenexplainedtohimthenecessityofstrictdiscipline，andthatthepunishmentofdeathmustcertainlyfollowdesertion，atthesametimeImadesuchallowanceforhisyouthandignorancethatIdeterminedtoreducethepunishmenttothatofflogging，whichItrustedwouldbeawarningtohimandallothers。Iassuredhim，andthetroopsgenerally，thatalthoughIshouldneverflinchfromadministeringseverepunishmentwhennecessary，Ishouldbemuchhappierinrewardingthosewhoshoulddotheirduty。Theprisonerwasfloggedandkeptinirons。Thetroopsformedintosectionsofcompaniesandmarchedpastwithbandplaying；eachcompanycheeringastheypassedbeforeme；butthecrowdofslave-huntersslunkbacktotheirstation，disappointedthatnobloodhadbeenspiltfortheiramusement。[*]
[Footnote：Itwassatisfactorytomethatthisyoungman，whowaspardonedandpunishedasdescribed，becameoneofthebestandmostthoroughlytrustworthysoldiersofmybody-guard；andhavingatlengthbeenraisedtotherankofcorporal，hewasatthecloseoftheexpeditionpromotedtothatofsergeant。HisnamewasFerritchAjoke。]”NopersonexceptLieutenantBakerandthecolonel，RaoufBey，hadbeeninthesecretthatIHADNEVERINTENDEDTOSHOOTTHEMAN。Ihadmerelyarrangedanimpressivesceneasacoupdetheatre，thatItrustedmightbenefittheMORALEofthemen。”WewerenowinthefineclearstreamoftheBahrGiraffe，which，havingreceivednumerousaffluentsfromthemarshregions，wasunitedinonevolume。Wegotupsteamandstartedat4。30p。m。，andthediahbeeah，towedbythesteamerdownstream，travelledataboutninemilesanhouruntil8a。m。，makingarunof125miles。”Wethenstoppedatalargeforestonthewestbanktocutwoodforthesteamer。”April16——WentoutshootingwithMr。Baker，andshottwoEllipsyprymnaantelopes。Thecountryisbeautiful，butgameisscarce。Theforestismuchbrokenbyelephants，whichappeartofrequentitduringthewetseason。Theseanimalsareveryusefulinpreparingwoodforthesteamers’fires。Theybreakdownthegreentrees，whichdryandbecomegoodfuel。Wereitnotfortheelephants，weshouldonlyfinddeadwood，whichisnearlyalleitherholloworrotten，andoflittleuseasfirewood。TodaywemetfourvesselsfromKhartoumthathadfollowedmewithareinforcementofonecompanyoftroops，withlettersfromDjiafferPachaandMr。Higginbotham。”April17——Westeamedaboutthirty-sevenmilesandthenhaltedatagoodforesttofillupoursupplyofwood。Theforestontheleftbankisaboutthirty-sevenmilesinlength，butitismerelyafewhundredyardsinwidth，beyondwhichthecountryisprairie。Ontheeastbank，wherethereisnoforest，wesawgiraffes，buffaloes，andantelopesinconsiderablenumbersduringtheday。”April18——Fillingupwoodinthemorning。Wethentravelledthreehours，andhaltedelevenmilesfromtheWhiteNilejunction。Duringthevoyagewesawalionandlionesswithfivecubsrunningoffalarmedatthesteamer。”IntheafternoonIwentoutandshotsevengeeseandtwofineblackbucks。”LieutenantBakerwasunfortunatelyillwithfever。HerewemetfourmorevesselswithacompanyofsoldiersfromKhartoum。Theyofcourseremainedwithus。”April19：——InanhourandahalfwearrivedattheWhiteNile，andtwentyminuteslaterwesawthreevesselsbelongingtothemudir，orgovernor，ofFashoda。WeheardfromthepeopleontheseboatsthatthegovernorAliBey，theKoordiwasmakingarazziaontheShillooktribe。Thebanksoftheriverwerecrowdedwithnativesrunningawayinalldirections；womenwerecarryingoffalltheirlittlehouseholdgoods，andchildrenwerefollowingtheirparents，eachwithabasketontheirheadscontainingeitherfoodorsomethingtoovaluabletobeleftbehind。Iimmediatelywentoffinarowingboat，and，aftermuchdifficulty，IsucceededininducingsomeofthenativeswhocouldspeakArabictostopandconversewithme。TheydeclaredthattheTurkshadattackedthemwithoutprovocation，andthattheKoordiasthegovernorofFashodawascalledhadstolenmanyoftheirwomenandchildren，andhadkilledtheirpeople，ashewasgenerallyplunderingthecountry。I
beggedthenativesnottoflyfromtheirdistrict，buttowaituntilI
shouldmakeinquiriesonthefollowingday；andIpromisedtorestorethewomenandchildren，shouldtheyhavebeenkidnapped。”IhaltedataforestaboutninemilesfromthejunctionoftheBahrGiraffe，whereabendoftheriverconcealedthesteamersanddiahbeeah。”Lateatnight，whenmostpeoplewereasleep，IsentorderstothechiefengineeroftheNo。10steamertohavethesteamupatfiveonthefollowingmorning。”April20——Westartedpunctuallyattheappointedhour；mydiahbeeah，asusual，beingtowedbythesteamer。Asweroundedthepointandquicklycameinsightofthegovernor’svessels，Iwatchedthemwithapowerfultelescope。Forsometimeweappearedtobeunobserved。Iknewthatthetroopswerenotcelebratedforkeepingasharplookout，andwearrivedwithinthree-quartersofamilebeforethesoundofourpaddlesattractedtheirattention。Thetelescopenowdisclosedsomeofthemysteriesoftheexpedition。Iperceivedaconsiderableexcitementamongthetroopsonshore。Imadeoutonetent，andIdistinguishedmenhurryingtoandfroapparentlybusyandexcited。Duringthistimewewererapidlyapproaching，andasthedistancelessened，Icoulddistinctlyseeanumberofpeoplebeingdrivenfromtheshoreonboardavesselthatwaslyingalongsidethebank。Ifeltconvincedthatthesewereslaves，asIcoulddistinguishthedifferenceinsizebetweenthechildrenandadults。InthemeantimeweweretravellingatfullspeedabouteightmilesanhourinthebroadbutslackcurrentofthatportionoftheWhiteNile。”At6。35werangedupalongsidethebankoppositethetentwhichbelongedtotheKoordigovernorofFashoda。Wehadpassedclosetothethreevessels，butnopersonwasvisibleexcepttheircrews。Myarrivalwasevidentlyquiteunexpected，andnotveryagreeable。”Thegovernorshortlyappeared，andwasinvitedonthepoopdeckofmydiahbeeah；thiswasalwaysfurnishedwithcarpetsandsofassoastoformadivan。”Afterapipeandcoffee，IcommencedtheconversationbydescribingtheimpossibilityofanadvanceatthisseasonviatheBahrGiraffe，thereforeIhadfounditnecessarytoreturn。Hesimplyreplied，`Godisgreat！and，pleaseGod，youwillsucceednextyear。’”Inowaskedhimhowmanytroopshehadwithhim，asInoticedtwobrassguns，andanumberofirregularcavalry，inadditiontosomecompaniesofinfantry。HerepliedthathehadfivecompaniesinadditiontothecavalryandmountedBaggaraArabs；andthathewas`collectingthetaxes。’”Ibeggedhimtoexplaintomehissystemoftaxation；andtoinformmewhetherhehadestablishedapoll，orahousetax，orinwhatspecialformthedueswererepresented。Thisseemedtobeagreatpuzzletothemindofthegovernor，andafterapplyingtomycolonel，towhomhespokeinTurkish，herepliedthatthepeoplewereveryaversetotaxation，thereforehemadeoneannualtourthroughoutthecountry，andcollectedwhathethoughtjust。”Iaskedhimwhetherhecapturedwomenandchildreninthesamewayinwhichheannexedthenatives’cattle。Tothisherepliedbyadistinctnegative，atthesametimeassuminganexpressionofhorroratsuchanidea。”Iimmediatelyorderedmyaide-de-camp，Lieutenant-ColonelAbd-el-Kader，tovisitthevesselsthatwerelyingafewyardsastern。Thiswasaveryexcellentandtrustworthyofficer，andheimmediatelystarteduponanexamination。InthemeanwhiletheKoordigovernorsatrigidlyuponthesofa，puffingawayathislongpipe，butevidentlythinkingthattheaffairwouldnotendinsimplesmoke。”InafewminutesIheardthevoiceofmycolonelangrilyexpostulatingwiththecrewofthevessel，whohaddeniedthatanyslaveswereonboard。Almostatthesametimeacrowdofunfortunatecaptivesemergedfrombelow，wheretheyhadbeenconcealed，andwalkedsinglyalongtheplanktotheshore；beingcountedbytheofficeraccordingtosexastheydisembarked。TheKoordigovernorlookeduncomfortable，asthishappenedbeforeoureyes。Imadenoremark，butsimplyexpressedawishtowalkroundhisencampment。”Havingpassedthroughtheplaceofbivouac，wherethefoulestsmellsattackedusfromallsides，Ithoroughlyexaminedthespot，accompaniedbyLieutenantBakerandafewofficersofmystaff。Therewasnomilitaryorder，buttheplacewasoccupiedbyacrowdofsoldiers，mingledwithmanynativeallies，underthecommandofanextremelyblackguard-lookingsavage，dressedinalongscarletcloakmadeofwoollencloth。Thiswasbeltedroundhiswaist，towhichwassuspendedacrookedTurkishsabre；heworealargebrassmedaluponhisbreast，whichsomewhatresembledthoseornamentsthatundertakersuseforgivingalivelyappearancetocoffins。ThisfellowwasintroducedtomebytheKoordiasthe`kingoftheShillooks。’”Intherearoftheparty，towhichspotIhadpenetratedwhiletheKoordiwasengagedingivingorderstocertainofficers，Icamesuddenlyuponamassofslaves，whoweresquattedupontheground，andsurroundedbydirtyclothes，arrangedlikeafence，bythesupportoflances，piecesofstick，camelsaddles，&c。Thesepeoplewereguardedbyanumberofsoldiers，whoatfirstseemedtothinkthatmyvisitwasoneofsimplecuriosity。”Manyofthewomenweresecuredtoeachotherbyropespassedfromnecktoneck。Acrowdofchildren，includingveryyounginfants，squattedamongthemass，andallkeptaprofoundsilence，andregardedmewithgreatcuriosity。Havingsentformynotebook，Idividedtheslavesintoclasses，andcountedthemasfollows：——
Concealedintheboatwehaddiscovered，71Thoseonshoreguardedbysentrieswere84——155
including65girlsandwomen，80children，and10men。ThegovernorofFashoda，whomIthushadcaughtintheactofkidnappingslaves，wasthepersonwho，afewweeksbefore，hadassuredmethattheslavetradewassuppressed，asthetradersdarednotpasshisstationofFashoda。Therealfactwas，thatthisexcellentexampleoftheSoudanmadeaconsiderablefortunebylevyingatolluponeveryslavewhichthetraders’boatsbroughtdowntheriver；thisheputintohisownpocket。