Shouldthisoccur，Ishouldbeplacedinadangerouspositionwithsosmallaforce，asitwouldbenecessarytodetachhalfthelittlebodytomarchtoGondokoroforsupports。
IcouldnotdefermydepartureinthehopeofreceivingreinforcementsfromKhartoum，astheirarrivalwouldbequiteuncertain，owingtothestateoftheriver。
ShouldIdelayatGondokoro，thedryseasonwouldpassby；theground，nowbakedhardbythesun，wouldbecomesoft，andwouldrendertransportbycartsimpossible。
Thetorrentswouldbecomeimpassableduringtherains，especiallytheriverAsua，whichinthewetseasoncutsoffallcommunicationwiththesouth。Thisdangerousriverwasveryimportant，asitwouldpreventaretreatshouldsuchamovementbenecessaryduringtherainyseason。
Iwaswellawareofthedifficultiesoftheposition，butIhadonlythechoiceoftwoevils。IfIremainedatGondokoro，mytermofservicewouldexpirefruitlessly。IshouldsimplyhavereducedtheBaris，andhaveestablishedthestation。AbouSaoodwouldremainintheinterioramonghisnumerousslaveestablishments，toridiculemyimpotence，andtodefymyordersthatheshouldquitthecountry。HewouldthuscontinueintheheartofAfricauntilIshouldhavereturnedhelplesslytoEngland。Hewouldthenhaveresumedhisoriginalworkofspoliation。
Theexpeditionwouldhavebeenafailure。
Ontheotherhand，shouldmysmallforcemeetwithdefeatordestruction，boththemilitaryandthecivilworldwouldexclaim，”Servehimright！theexpeditiontotheinteriormadeundersuchcircumstancesshowedagreatwantofjudgment；atotalignoranceofthefirstrulesinmilitarytactics。Whatcouldheexpect，withoutanestablishedcommunication，atadistanceofthreeorfourhundredmilesfromhisbase?Simplemadness！——notfittocommand！”&c。&c。&c。
Iknewtherisksandtheresponsibility；butifIremainedpassive，I
shouldbebeaten。Ihadoftengotthroughdifficulties，andifrisksaretobemeasuredinAfricabyordinarycalculations，therewouldbelittlehopeofprogress。
Ideterminedtocarryaslargeasupplyofammunitionascouldbetransported，togetherwithsufficientmerchandise，carefullyassorted，toestablishalegitimateivorytradeinmyoldfriendKamrasi’scountry，UnyoroTheUnyorocountryiscalledbythetraders”Magungo。”
TheEnglishmenwouldbeoccupiedintheconstructionofthesteameratIbrahimeyeh，whileIshouldaccomplishmymissionfarthersouth。
Iselectedmyofficersandmen，carefullyavoidingEgyptianofficers，withtheexceptionofmytruefriendsandaides-de-camp，Lieutenant-ColonelAbd-el-Kader，CaptainMohammedDeiiofthe”FortyThieves，”andthefaithfulMonsoor。
TheSoudaniofficersthathadservedinMexicounderMarshalBazainewere——MajorAbdullah；CaptainMorgianSherriff；CaptainAbdullah；
LieutenantsMorgianandFerritch；andseveralsergeants，corporals，&c。
Ialsoincludedthreesailorsbelongingtomydiahbeeah，astheywouldbeusefulintheeventofboatingexcursions。ThesemenwereJali，Mohammed，andHowarti；allofwhomwerearmed，andfellintothelineofrankandfileassoldiers。
TheNo。3steamerhadbeenpackedwithmuchcare。Thecartshadbeenloadedwiththeheavyportionsthatcouldnotbetransportedbycarriers，andwehadprovedourcapabilityoftravellingprovidedtheBarisofBeddenwouldremainfaithfultotheirpromise。Everycarthadthereforebeendismounted，andthematerialfortheexpeditionwasstowedonboardsixvessels。
Ourservantshadmuchimproved。Thenegroboyswhohadbeenliberatedhadgrownintomostrespectablelads，andhadlearnedtowaitattableandtodoallthedomesticworkrequired。FirstoftheboysinintelligencewastheAbyssinian，Amarn。Thisdelicatelittlefellowwasperfectlycivilized，andalwayslookedforwardtoaccompanyinghismistresstoEngland。ThenextwasSaat，whohadreceivedthatnameinmemoryofmygoodboywhodiedduringmyformervoyage。Saatwasaveryfine，powerfullad，whowasexceedinglyattachedtome；buthewasnotquickatlearning。Bellaalwasathick-set，sturdyboyoffourteen，withratherasavagedisposition。
MyfavouritewasKinyonthecrocodile，thevolunteer。
ThiswasaveryhandsomenegroboyoftheBaritribe，who，beinganorphan，cametomystation，andvolunteeredtoservemeatthecommencementoftheBariwar。
Kinyonwastallandslight，withapairofverylarge，expressiveeyes。
ThenameKinyon，orcrocodileintheBarilanguage，hadbeengivenhimbecausehewaslongandthin。BothheandAmarnwerethoroughlygoodboys，andneverreceivedeitherchastisementorevenascoldingthroughoutalongexpedition。
Jarvahwasalsoagoodlad，whowentbythenameofthe”fatboy。”I
shouldliketohaveexhibitedhimatExeterHallasaspecimenofphysicalcomfort。
Jarvahhadagoodberth——hewascook’smate。Hissuperiorwasagreatcharacter，who，fromthelowpositionofaslavepresentedbytheKingoftheShillooks，QuatKare，hadrisenfromcook’smatetothemostimportantpositionofthehousehold。
Abdullahwasnowthecook！Hehadstudiedtheculinaryartundermyfirst-rateArabcook，who，havingreceivedhisdischarge，leftthemanagementofourstomachstohispupil。Abdullahwasanexcellentcookandaverygoodfellow；buthewasdullatlearningArabic。Heinvariablydistinguishedcocksandhensas”bulls”and”women。”
ThelastandthesmallestboyofthehouseholdwaslittleCuckooorKookoo。
Cuckoowasasturdychildofaboutsixyearsold：thisboyhad，I
believe，runawayfromhisparentsintheBariduringthewar，andhadcometoMorgianourinterpreter，whenfoodwasscarceamongthetribe。
Followingthedictatesofhisappetite，hehadbeenattractedbythesavourysmellofAbdullah’skitchen，andhehaddrawnnearerandnearertoourestablishment，untilatlengthbyplayingwiththeboys，andoccasionallybeinginvitedtoshareintheirmeals，Cuckoohadbecomeincorporatedwiththehousehold。
Abdullahandthesixboysformedthenativedomesticcorps。Mywife，whowastheircommandingofficer，hadthemalldressedinuniform。Theyhadvarioussuitsofshort，loosetrousersreachinghalf-waydownthecalfoftheleg，withashirtorblousesecuredatthewaistwithaleatherbeltandbuckle。ThesebeltsweremadeinEngland，andwereaboutsixfeetlong；thustheypassedtwiceroundthewaist，andwereveryusefulwhentravelling，incaseofastrapandbucklebeingrequiredsuddenly。
Eachboyworethefezortarboosh。Theuniformswereverybecoming。
Therewasdarkbluetrimmedwithredfacings；purewhitewithredfacings，forhighdaysandholidays；scarletflannelsuitscomplete；andastrongcottonsuitdyedbrownfortravellingandroughwear。
Theboysweretrainedtochangetheirclothesbeforetheywaitedatthedinnertable，andtoreturntotheirworkingdressesafterdinnerwhenwashingupwasnecessary。Inthishabittheywererigidlyparticular，andeveryboythentiedhisdinnersuitinaparcel，andsuspendedittotheroofofhishuttobereadyforthenextmeal。
Therewasaregularhourforeverykindofwork，andthisdomesticdisciplinehadsofarcivilizedtheboysthattheywereofthegreatestpossiblecomforttoourselves。
Thewashingupafterdinnerwasnotaverylongoperation，ashalfadozenplatesandthesamenumberofknivesandforks，withacoupleofdishes，weredividedamongsixservants。
Directlyafterthiswork，playwasallowed。Ifthenightweremoonlight，thegirlsweresummoned，anddancingcommenced。Duringtheday，theirgameswereeitherplayingatsoldiers，orthrowinglancesatmarks，&c。
Thievingwasquiteunknownamongtheboys，allofwhomwerescrupulouslyhonest。Thesugarmightbeleftamongthem，orevenmilk；butnoneoftheboysIhavementionedwouldhavecondescendedtosteal。Theyhadbeensowellinstructedandcaredforbymywife，thatinmanywaystheymighthavebeenexcellentexamplesforladsoftheirclassinEngland。
Thegirlsandwomendidnotappeartosomuchadvantage。ThesecomprisedoldKarka，youngDamZeneb，Sallaamto，Fad-el-Kereem，Marrasilla，andFaddeela。Theyhadlearnttowash，butcouldneverproperlyfoldthelinen。Ironingandstarchingwerequiteoutofthequestion，andwouldhavebeenasimpossibletothemasalgebra。Someofthesegirlswereratherpretty，andtheyknewit。InmoralcharacterDamZenebandSallaamtowerethebest。Fad-el-Kereemwasthemostintelligent，butshewasayoungwomanofstrongpassions，eitherforloveorwar，andrequiredpeculiarmanagement。
Theywerealldressedinsimilaruniformstotheboys，withonlyaslightdifferenceinthelengthoftheirblouses。
WehadsentlittleMostooratothecareofDjiafferPachaatKhartoumtobeeducated，beforeweleftTewfikeeyah。ThatcleverlittlecreaturehadlearntEnglishandArabicsufficientlytoconverse，andalthoughnotfarremovedfrominfancy，shewasmoreintelligentthananyoftheadults。
Shewasmuchtooyoungforalongvoyage……Everythingwasreadyforthestart。Ileftwritteninstructionswiththecolonel，RaoufBey，alsowithMr。Higginbotham，respectingtheconductoftheworksduringmyabsence。IalsogavethenecessaryorderstoMr。Marcopolo；thusallheadsofdepartmentsknewtheirpositions。
Isentoffadetachmentof150mentodriveaherdofseveralthousandcattleandsheeptoawell-knownrockyravine，aboutsixmilessouth，whichwastobetherendezvous。
Beforeleaving，Imaderatheraprettyshotwiththe”Dutchman”fromthepoop-deckofmydiahbeeahatacrocodilebaskingonasand-bank。Thefirstshotthroughtheshouldercompletelyparalyzedit。Asecondbulletfromtheleft-handbarrelstruckonlythreeinchesfromthefirst。
LieutenantBakerdeterminedtomeasurethedistance；thushetooktheboatwiththeendofalongline，andwefounditexactly176yards。