ON6thNovember，1871，LieutenantBakerreturnedfromGondokorowithfournoggurs，andtheentiredetachmentofLieutenant-ColonelAchmet。
Thenewswasasfollows：-
AfterthedepartureofMajorAbdullah，thenativeshadattackedthecampofColonelAchmet，andhadwoundedhiminthebackwithabarbedarrow，whichhadtobecutout。Anotherarrowhadpassedthroughtheheartofhisservant，killinghimonthespot。Severalsoldiershadbeenwounded，butnotseriously。ThecornhadbeendeliveredfromhisstationtothemagazinesatGondokoro。
On3rdNovember，thirtyvesselshadleftGondokoroforKhartoum，takingabout1，100people，includingchildren，women，sailors，soldiers，andinvalids。
Inspiteofmypositiveorders，thatnonebutthereallysickshouldbesenttoKhartoum，RaoufBeyhadinmyabsencesentawaygreatnumbersoftroopswhowereinsoundhealth，thusreducingtheentireforceoftheexpeditionto502officersandmen，includingbuglers，drummers，clerks，&c。，exclusiveoffifty-twosailors。
Thusanexpeditionthatshouldhavecomprised1，645menwasreducedtosoinsignificantaforce，thatitappearedimpossibletoproceedintotheinterior。TheBariswereatwarwithus；theslave-hunters’
companiesweretreacherous；andyetIwastosuppresstheslavetrade，andannextheequatorialdistrictswithlessthanone-thirdoftheforcerequired。
AbouSaoodhadapparentlygainedhispoint，andtheexpeditionwasparalyzed。ItwasconsideredthatwithsosmallaforceIcouldnottravelfarfromheadquarters：thusasmytermofservicewouldexpireon1stApril1873，Ihadonlyoneyearandfourmonthsremaining，andinthisshorttimeitwouldbeimpossibletoaccomplishmyobject。
InthedreadfulstateoftheriverwecouldnotspeculateuponthearrivalofreinforcementsfromKhartoum。OurcuttingsandcanalsintheDalirGiraffemighthaveclosedup；ortheymighthaveimproved：ofthiswewereignorant。
IhadsentoffmyletterstoEngland，alsothosetotheKhedive，complainingoftheconspiracyoftheofficers，andinclosingthedocuments。AtthesametimeIhadimpresseduponhisHighnesstheimperativenecessityofopeningthechannelofthegreatWhiteNilewithoutdelay。[*]
[*Footnote：HisHighnesslostnotimeinsendingthenecessaryordersfortheclearingofthemainchanneloftheWhiteNiletothegovernoroftheSoudan。Thisenergeticofficer，IsmailAyoobPacha，workedwithalargeforceduringtwoconsecutiveyearsandrestoredtherivertoitsoriginalcharacter——completingtheworkafterIhadreturnedtoEngland，butbeforethearrivalofmysuccessor。ColonelGordonwasthusenabledtomakeuseofthesixpowerfulsteamerswhichIhadsentupfromCairotoKhartoum，andtheexpeditioncontinuedwithouthindrance。]
IhadwrittentoDjiafferPachaforreinforcements[*]tobesentfromKhartoumimmediately，togetherwithalargesupplyofdhurra。
[*Footnote：ThesereinforcementswerethirteenmonthsactuallyontheriverfromKhartoumtoGondokoro，andtheyonlyarrivedatthecloseoftheexpedition。
IhadverylittlehopeofreceivinganythingfromtheSoudan。Itwasthereforenecessarytomakemyarrangementsforthefuture，independentlyofallextraneousassistance。With502officersandmen，andfifty-twoarmedsailors，Ihadtoaccomplishthework。
Theforceatpresentwithmeconsistedof251officersandmen；thusI
hadexactlyhalfofthetroops。Gondokorowaswellfortified，andtheBelinianhadbeenthoroughlycowed，thereforeIhadnothingtofearinthatquarter。
Ihadmorethanfilledoneofthegreatmagazineswithcorn：therefore，includingthedhurranowonboardseveralvessels，Ihadabouttwelvemonths’supplyfortheexpedition。
Althoughmyforcewasterriblyreducedinnumbers，themenwhoremainedwerestrongandhealthy。Ididnotdespair；butIdeterminedthatthisreductionofmilitaryforceshouldNOTparalyzetheactivityoftheexpedition，andthatinspiteofeveryintrigue，Iwouldsucceedinthemainobjectsoftheenterprise；theslavetradeshouldbesuppressed，andtheterritoryshouldbeannexedtotheequator。
On10thNovemberItookahundredandfiftymeninordertomakeareconnaissanceofthecountry，atthelastcataractsoftheWhiteNile，aboutsixmilessouthofourposition。
Westartedearly，andmarchedalongthehighgroundparallelwiththeriver，passingthespotwherethenativeshadattackedussomedaysprevious。Nothingcouldexceedthebeautyofthiscountryasanagriculturalsettlement。Thelong，slopingundulationswereornamentedwithinnumerablevillages，inallofwhichwereoverflowinggranaries。
Onarrivalatthedrybedofabroadstream，weascendedaslope，andtomyastonishmentInoticedaconsiderablebodyofnativeswhoneitherranawaynorappearedhostileintheirdemeanour。LeavingmyriflewithMonsoor，Irodeupwithinfiftyyardsofthem，apparentlyunarmed，butI
hadapairofbreech-loadingpistolsinmyholsters。
MyBariinterpreter，Morgian，nowexplained，thatIwasonlyonanexploration，andthatIhadnointentionofdisturbingtheirproperty；I
onlydesiredtocommunicatewiththeirsheik。
ForthefirsttimeIreceivedacivilanswerfromtheBaris。Theyexplained，thatalthoughtheywereBaris，theyhadnoconnectionwiththepeoplewhohadfoughtus。TheyweregovernedbyagreatsheiknamedBedden，whoseterritorywasboundedbythetorrentbedthatwehadjustcrossed。Theypromisedthatheshouldpaymeavisitonthemorrow：inthemeantine，ifwerequiredanycorn，theywouldsupplyus。ThiswasapolitenesstowhichIwasquiteunaccustomed。Ithereforethankedthem，butdeclinedtheiroffer，sayingthatIwantednothingfromthemexceptfriendship。
Inowdiscovered，thatthesepeoplehadneverhadanycommunicationwiththeslave-traders，whowereafraidtomolestsopowerfulatribe。
Atparting，Igavethemawhitehandkerchiefasasignaltooursentries，whentheyshouldarrive。
Wethenreturnedtoourstation，thetroopssharingthesatisfactionthatIfeltinhavingatlengthdiscoveredfriends。
Onthefollowingdayatabout3p。m。thesentryonthehillcalledtotheguard，thataverylargebodyofnativeswasapproachingthestation。
IpresumedthatthesewerethefollowersofBedden。Ithereforeascendedtheslopeandexaminedthemwiththetelescope。
Mysuspicionswerearousedfromtheextraordinarynumberofpeople；atleast700nativeswereaccompanyingtheirsheik。
Ireturnedtocamp，andmadearrangementstoreceivehisvisitwithaguardofhonour。Idrewupahundredmenparallelwiththeriver，aboutfiftyyardsfromthebank，nearthebowofmydiahbeeah。Fiftymenwereinlineatrightangleswiththeriver：thusthelinesformedtwosidesofasquare。
InthefrontIplacedthefieldpieceloadedwithcanistershot。I
intendedtoreceiveBeddenwithduehonourinthehollowsquarethusprotected。Intheeventoftreachery，hisforcecouldbealmostannihilatedbyonedischarge。
Thehillsentrynowreportedthearrivalofamessenger，whowavedawhitehandkerchiefontheendofabamboo。Thiswasthesignalagreedupon，andthemessengerwasallowedtopass。HecommunicatedthefactofBedden’sapproach：inafewminuteslaterthegreatsheikarrived。
Hewasverytallandgaunt；andwithoutanydelay，bothheandhispeoplewereusheredintothehollowsquare，wheretheyallstucktheirlancesinthegroundandsatdown。
InowsentforBeddenandafewofhisprincipalmentothepoopdeckofmydiahbeeah，which，beingcoveredwithcarpets，andarrangedwithsofasandchairs，wassomethingveryastonishingtothegreatsheik，whohadneverseenanythingbutavesselinthedistance。
Iexplainedtheobjectsoftheexpedition；atthesametimeIpresentedhimwithalongEgyptianblueshirtthatreachedtohisankles，andmadehimlookmorerespectable。Acrimsonsashroundhiswaist，andaredtarbooshfezuponhishead，improvedhisappearancewonderfully，andhebegantofeelathome。
Ipresentedhimwithsixpoundsofbeadsofvariouscolours，togetherwithsomestringsofharnessbells。Brassbuglesandalargemirrorattractedmoreattentionthananyothercuriosities。
Igavehimabrassbugle，tohisgreatdelight。Theuseofthecannonwasthenexplainedtohim，andtheeffectsoftheshellwerepardonablyexaggeratedtoproducearespectfortheweapon。
Hegaveussixpotsofmerissaandsomefowls，promisingtocomeagaintomorrow。
Allthesepeoplebelieveinsorcery，andeachsheikpossessesspellsandconjurers。Tortoiseshells，scalesofthemanis，lions’claws，andthoseoftheleopard，roots，knotsoftreesofpeculiarshape，andmanyotherthings，arewornastalismans。
Mywife’sparrotwassupposedtobeacojoor，orfetish。ThiswasthegreybirdofWestAfrica，thatwasunknownintheseparts。Theinterpreterexplainedthat”itcouldspeaklikeahumanbeing，andthatitflewaboutthecountryandlistenedtowhatpeoplesaid——allofwhichitrepeatedtoitsmistressandmyself；thuswekneweverythingthatoccurred，andthenativescouldnotdeceiveus。”Thisparrotwasexceedinglytame，andwasneverconfined。Itwasnowwalkingaboutthedeck，andwhileitsextraordinarypowerswerebeingdescribedbymyBariinterpreter，Morgian，totheamazementandfearofthenatives，itadvancedstoutlytothesheikBedden，andwouldhavebittenhisbigtoehadhenotquicklyjumpedupandtakenleave。
Themagneticbatteryandthelargemusicalboxwerealsobelievedtobemagic。
Atsunset，thegreatsheikdepartedinthebestofspirits，withallhispeople，ashehaddrunkatumblerofMarsalabeforehestarted，inordertotrythequalityofourmerissa。
Thepopulationofthiscountryisverylarge，andthenativesaregoodagriculturists。Althoughthesoilisstony，itisveryproductive，asthecultivationiscarefullyattendedto。Dhurra，sesame，dochan，andbeans，inadditiontoaspeciesofHibiscuswhichproducesanedibleseedandalsoafinefibre，aresowninexactoblongsorsquaresresemblingtheplotsinallotment-groundsinEngland。Nearthevillagesarelargeheapsofmanure，collectedfromthecattlezareebas。Thesearemixedwiththesweepingsofthestations，andtheashesfromthecattle-fires，andaredividedwhenrequiredamongtheproprietorsoftheherds。
Eachcowofthezareebaisentitledtoacertainmeasureofmanureatthecommencementoftherains，whenallhandsturnouttocultivate；
thustheownerofmanycowsisenabledtofarmalargearea。
Thecowsareallherdedinoneortwopens；thusthewholemanureisheaped，and，whendivided，ismeasuredinlargebaskets。Itisthendistributedverythicklyoverthefield，andisroughlyhoedwiththeironmolote，theseedbeenthrownuponthemanurebroadcast，previoustothehoeing。
Thegeologicalappearanceofthecountrywouldsuggestthepresenceofpreciousmetals。Largemassesofrose-colouredandicy-whitequartzprojectfromthesurfaceindikes。Theserunformilesintolerablydirectlines，likewalls，fromwesttoeast。Generallytherocksaregranitic，consistingofsyeniteandgneiss，withmicaciousschistinthelowervalleys。Occasionally，dikesofbasaltbreakthroughthesurface，whichisgenerallymuchdenuded，andtherocksareweather-wornanddecomposed。
Ihavefrequentlywashedforgoldinthemostlikelyspotsamongthedeepholesofravines，wherethetorrentshavewornawaythebed，butI
havefoundnosignofeitherpreciousstonesormetals。Magneticironoreinlargequantitiesistheonlymetaltobediscoveredintheriver-beds。
On13thNovember，atsunrise，LieutenantBakerstartedwiththetroopstoconveycornfromadistantvillage。Iwassittingonthepoop-deckofthediahbeeah，enjoyingapipeandacupofcoffee，whenhesuddenlygallopedbackwiththenewsthataherdofbullelephantswasapproachingfromthewest。Iwasnotpreparedforelephant-shooting，andIrecommendedhimtoreturntothetroops，whowouldotherwisewastetheirtime。Ihadnosuspicionthatelephantswouldapproachourpositionafterhavingbeendisturbedbythesoldiers，inacountrythatwasperfectlyopen。
LieutenantBakercanteredbacktohismen，whileIcommencedtowriteupmydailyjournalaccordingtomydailycustom。
Inaboutaquarterofanhour，thesentryreportedaherdofelephants。
Allmypeopleclamberedupuponthegoogoosandbutstoobtainagoodviewoftheherd，whichfromthehighpoop-deckofthediahbeeahwecouldseedistinctly。
Therewereelevenbulls，andtheyweremarchingincloseorderalongthebankoftheriver，approachingusatabout400yards’distance。
IshouldhavethoughtitalmostaslikelytomeetaherdofelephantsinHydeParkastofindtheminthisopenandthickly-populatedcountry。I
nowdistinguishednativesalongthedistantheights，allofwhomwereattractedbytheuncommonoccurrence。
Inthemeantimetheelephantsapproached，swingingtheirtrunksandhugeearstoandfro，apparentlyunconsciousofthepresenceofthevesselsandpeople。