couldaccomplishwitharifle；andthustowarnamanwhowouldbeusefultome，insteadofkillinghim。
Wat-el-MeknowofferedtoswearupontheKoranfidelityandallegianceifIwouldpardonhim；andhewouldatonceprovehissinceritybyraisinganirregularcorps。
Thismanwasacuriouscharacter；hissuperstitiousnaturehadbeenseizedwiththeconvictionthathispresentpositionwasaspecialvisitationofdivinewrath。Hewasacourageousfellow，andheknewthecountryandthenativesbetterthananymanliving。Ihadalwayswishedtoengagehisservices，andIconsideredthisanexcellentopportunity。
Theofficersnowbeggedmetoforgivehim。Hewasledawaytoastreamofclearwater，wherehewentthroughtheprocessofwashingwithacakeofsoap，whichwassorelyneeded。Hewasthendressedincleanclothesthatwerelenttohimforthatpurpose，andtheKoranwasbroughtandlaidopenataparticularpassage。
Placinghiswoundedhanduponthepage，herepeatedwithgreatdevotiontheformaloath。Wat-el-Mekalwaysbehavedwellfromthattime。
Inowgavehimafewwordsofgoodadvice，encouraginghispreconceivedideathatGodhadchastisedhimspecially，andthatthefuturewoulddependuponhisownconduct。
Havingthussecuredthisvaluableman，whomIhadalwayswishedtoengageatthecommencementoftheexpedition，therewasmuchtobedone，anditwillbenecessarytomakeafewextractsfrommyjournalthatwillbetterexplaintheposition：——”August5，1872——IoughttohangAbouSaood，butmuchdiplomacyisnecessary。Therebelsintheirthreestations，Fabbo，Faloro，andFarragenianumberabout600，exclusiveofarmedBaris。”Ihavewithme146men，includingofficers。ShouldIraisethewholecountry，thedifficultywouldbetopreventthenativesfromexterminatingAbouSaoodandthewholeofhisforces。Shouldsuchaneventoccur，howshouldIbeabletooccupythisextensivecountrywithsosmallaforce?IhavelatelyhadapainfullessoninthetreacheryofKabbaRega，who，whenIhadrelievedhimofhisenemies，theslave-traders，immediatelyturnedagainstME。Thesenativesmightprobablydothesame。Negroesrespectnothingbutforce；andtheforcethatnowexists，ifremoved，willleavethemfreetoactagainstthegovernment。Alreadytheyhavebenefitedbythefightwiththeslave-hunters，byrunningoffwiththearmsandammunition，togetherwithanumberofcattle，whileourtroopswereengagedwiththeenemy。”
Icametotheconclusionthatitwouldbeunwisetogetridoftheslave-huntersbyphysicalforce。AlthoughIfeltthattheywereentirelyinmypower，asIcouldbombardtheirstationswithHale’srockets，iftheyshouldrefusetoturnout，thenativeswould，intheeventofaflight，mostassuredlypossessthemselvesofthegunsandammunition。
With146men，Icouldnottakemorethaneightymentoactagainst600，asthesmallforceofsixty-sixwouldbetheminimumthatIcouldleavetoprotecttheFatikostation。Ifwitheightymen，togetherwithawildarmyofnatives，IshouldattackFabboinwhichIhadheardthatAbouSaoodwasconcentratinghispeoplefromtheotherstations，everyoneoftheslave-traderswouldbemassacred。Itwouldbeimpossibleforeightymentofight，andtosecureatthesametimethe600standofarmsthatwouldbeinthehandsoftherebels。These，togetherwiththemusketsbelongingtotheBaris，wouldallfallintothepossessionofmynativeallies，whowouldimmediatelyscatteranddisappearwiththeirprize。
ShouldIattackFabbo，theresultwouldsimplyarmthenativeswith800
or900standofmuskets，togetherwithalargeamountofammunition，whichtheymightprobablyuseagainstmeatsomefuturetime。
Iresolvedtoworkdiplomatically，andtokeeptheslave-hunters’partyasarodabovethebacksofthenatives，untilIshoulddiscovertheirrealcharacter。
Ithadbeennecessarytoestablishacorntax[*]forthesupportofthetroops。Possiblythenatives，ifentirelyrelievedfromtheiroppressors，mightrefusetoacknowledgegovernmenttaxation！AtalleventsIdeterminedtoproceedcautiously。
[*Footnote：Thecorntaxwasthusestablished。Eachhousewastaxedtopayasmallbasketofcorneveryfullmoon。Alloldandinfirmpeopleandalsostrangerswereexemptedfromtaxation。Theheadmanofeachvillagewasresponsibleforthetax，andhedeliveredabundleofsmallpiecesofreed，thesizeofdrawingpencilswhichrepresentedthenumberofhousesbelongingtoable-bodiedmen。Thistaxwasalwayspaidcheerfully，ingratitudefortheprotectionaffordedbythegovernment。]
ThefirststepwastosummonAbouSaoodandtohearhisdefencefromhisownmouth。
Ihadgiventheprisonerstheirchoice，ofeitherenlistinginthegovernmentservice，orreturningtoKhartoum。
Ofcoursetheyoughttohavebeenshotinabatch；butIcouldnotaffordtoshootthem。Ihadtocatchandtamemywildbeastsinsteadofdestroyingthem。
AconsiderablenumberagreedtoserveunderWat-el-Mek。
Iwrote，on5thAugust，aletteraddressedtoAbouSaood，summoninghumtoappearinstantlyatFatiko：atthesametimeIpromisedhimafreeexit；withoutwhichwrittenassuranceImightaswellhavesummonedthe”maninthemoon”。
Itwasdifficulttoprocurenativeswhowouldaccompanythenewirregularswiththeletter，asnewshadarrivedthatAbouSaood’speoplewereplunderingandlayingwastetheneighbourhoodofFabbo。
AtlengthIarrangedthateightofthenewlevy，togetherwiththenativeblacksmithandseveralothersfromFatiko，whowerewellknownintheMadicountry，shouldgotoFabbo22mileswithmylettertoAbouSaood。Theblacksmithwouldprotecttheirregularsbyexplainingtheirnewpositiontoanynativeswhomightdesiretomolestthem。
Ialsosentaproclamationtobereadpubliclyinthezareeba，summoningallsubjectsoftheKhedivetodeclaretheirallegiancetothegovernment。
Onthefollowingday6thAugusttheblacksmithandhispeoplereturnedtoFabbothoroughlydisgusted。UpontheirarrivalnearthezareebaofAbouSaoodtheyhadcriedouttotheslave-huntersthattheyhadbrought”aletterfromthePachatoAbouSaood！”Theslave-huntershadrepliedwithawell-knownformofabuseinthatcountry，andhadimmediatelyfiredavolleyintotheblacksmithandtheeightmenoftheirownpeople！
TheblacksmithandhisnativeshadlostnotimeinrunningbacktoFatiko；andtheeightirregularshavingthrownthemselvesontheground，hadtheblacksmithsupposedatlengthexplainedwhotheywere。
ThepatienceandforbearancethatIwasobligedtoassumewerefarmoretryingtomyfeelingsthanthemarchfromMasindi。
IthasalwaysbeenanintensesatisfactiontomethatIhadreliablewitnessestoeveryincidentoftheexpedition；otherwise，ImightperhapshavebeensuspectedofsomeprejudiceagainstAbouSaoodandcertainEgyptianauthoritiesthat，unknowntomyself，mighthavediscolouredthetrueaspectofaffairs。IcanonlyrefertoLieutenantBaker，R。N。，andthatgallantofficer，Lieutenant-ColonelAbd-el-Kader，andmanyothers，includingallsoldiersandservantswhobelongedtothedetachmentatFatiko。
Thesepersonssubsequentlygavetheirevidence，whichtheywillbereadyatalltimestorepeat。
On7thAugust，atabout5P。M。，AbouSaoodappearedwithaboutfortyofhismen。Hewasafraidtoentermycampwithoutasecondassuranceinwritingthatheshouldnotbemadeprisoner。
Ofcoursehesworethathehadnotgivenorderstofireatme；andhedeclaredthathispeopleofFatikohadonlyfiredbecausetheywereafraidthatthenativeswhohadaccompaniedmewereabouttoattackthem。
Iaskedhim，”Ifthatwerethecase，whyhadtheynotcommunicatedwithme，asIwasonlyninetyyardsdistant?”Hesaidhispeoplehadnotfiredatthegovernmenttroops，butonlyatthenativeswhowereupontherock。
Hecouldnotquiteexplaininthatcase”howitwasthat1，000nativesperchedupontherockclosetogether，hadescapedwithoutamanbeingwounded，whilenotonlyweresevenofthegovernmenttroopsknockeddownbybullets，butthehutsandfurnitureofourcamp，includingboxesinthemagazine，&c，hadbeencompletelyriddledwithballs。”HethenbegantolaytheblameonWat-el-Mek，andevenhadtheaudacitytodeclarethat”hehadnothingtodowithslaves，butthathecouldnotrestrainhispeoplefromkidnapping。”Ineverheardanyhumanbeingpouroutsuchacataractofliesasthisscoundrel。HisplausibilityandassuranceweresuchthatIstoodaghast；andafterhehaddeliveredalongspeech，inwhichhedeclaredthat”hewastheinnocentvictimofadversecircumstances，andthateveryonewasagainsthim，”Icouldmerelyreplybydismissinghimwiththeassurancethattherewas”onlyonereallygoodandhonestmanintheworld，whoinvariablyspokethetruth；thismanwasABOUSAOOD。Allothermenwereliars。”
OnthefollowingmorningAbouSaoodcametotakeleave。Hepretendedtodevotehimselftomyservice，anddeclaredthatheshouldnowatoncereturntoFabboandorganizethebestofhispeopleintoanirregularcorpsforthegovernment，andheshouldactwithenergyasmyvakeel，andassistmeineverymannerpossible。HebeggedmenottobelieveawordthatanyonemightsayEXCEPTHIMSELF，andhesworebytheeyesandheadoftheProphetthiswashisfavouriteoathwheneverhetoldthebiggestliethattherewasnoonesotruetomeashe，whichhewouldprovebyhisacts。HethenwentbacktoFabbo。
ThisisthelasttimethatIeversawAbouSaood。Hetook200menuponhisarrivalatFabbo，andafterhavingtoldhismentocutthethroatofthesheikWerdella，whowasaprisonerintheFabbocampundermyspecialordersforprotection，hewentstraighttoGondokorotohisfriendRaoufBey。
Thisofficer，whocommandedathead-quartersduringmyabsence，althoughheheardfromAbouSaood’speopleoftheattackmadeuponmeatFatiko，andAbouSaoodhadarrivedwithouteitherapassportorlettersfrommyself，positivelyallowedhimtodeparttoKhartoum。
AtKhartoumAbouSaoodspreadeveryconceivablefalsereport。ThencehetravelledtoCairo，expresslytocomplaintotheKhedive’sgovernmentofthemannerinwhichhehadbeentreatedbyme。
Thusthegreatestslave-traderoftheWhiteNile，whowassocloselyconnectedwiththeSoudangovernmentthathewasatenantwhohadrentedacountryWHICHDIDNOTBELONGTOEGYPT，nowappliedtothatgovernmentforprotectionagainstmyinterferencewithhismurders，kidnapping，andpillaging，whichweretheaccompanimentsofhisslave-huntinginCentralAfrica。