第4章

Iarrangedthattheexpeditionshouldstartinthreedivisions。

Sixsteamers，varyingfrom40to80-horsepower，wereorderedtoleaveCairoinJune，togetherwithfifteensloopsandfifteendiahbeeahs——

total，thirty-sixvessels——toascendthecataractsoftheNiletoKhartoum，adistancebyriverofabout1，450miles。Thesevesselsweretoconveythewholeofthemerchandise。

Twenty-fivevesselswereorderedtobeinreadinessatKhartoum，togetherwiththreesteamers。Thegovernor-general(DjiafferPacha)wastoprovidethesevesselsbyacertaindate，togetherwiththecamelsandhorsesnecessaryforthelandtransport。

ThuswhenthefleetshouldarriveatKhartoumfromCairo，thetotalforceofvesselswouldbeninesteamersandfifty-fivesailingvessels，thelatteraveragingaboutfiftytonseach。

Mr。HigginbothamhadthecommandofthedeserttransportfromKoroskotoKhartoum，andtothatadmirableofficerIintrustedthechargeofthesteamersectionsandmachinery，togetherwiththecommandoftheEnglishengineersandmechanics。

Iarrangedtobringuptherearbyanotherroute，viaSouakimontheRedSea，fromwhichthedesertjourneytoBerber，ontheNile，N。lat。17

degrees37minutes，is275statutemiles。

Myreasonforthisdivisionofrouteswastoinsureaquicksupplyofcamels，asmuchdelaywouldhavebeenoccasionedhadthegreatmassoftransportbeenconveyedbyoneroad。

Themilitaryarrangementscomprisedaforceof1，645troops，includingacorpsof200irregularcavalry，andtwobatteriesofartillery。Theinfantryweretworegiments，supposedtobewellselected。TheblackorSoudaniregimentincludedmanyofficersandmenwhohadservedforsomeyearsinMexicowiththeFrencharmyunderMarshalBazaine。TheEgyptianregimentturnedouttobeforthemostpartconvictedfelonswhohadbeentransportedforvariouscrimesfromEgypttotheSoudan。

Theartillerywererifledmountaingunsofbronze，thebarrelweighing230lbs。，andthrowingshellsof8-1/4lbs。TheauthoritiesatWoolwichhadkindlysuppliedtheexpeditionwith200Hale’srockets——three-pounders——andfiftysniderrifles，togetherwith50，000

roundsofsniderammunition。ThemilitaryforceandsuppliesweretobemassedinKhartoumreadytomeetmeuponmyarrival。

Ihadtakenextraprecautionsinthepackingofammunitionandallperishablegoods。Theteakboxesforsniderammunition，alsotheboxesofHale’srockets，werelinedandhermeticallysealedwithsolderedtin。

ThelightManchestergoodsandsmallerarticleswerepackedinstrong，useful，paintedtinboxes，withlocksandhinges，&c。Eachboxwasnumbered，andwhenthelidwasopened，atinplatewassolderedovertheopenface，sothatthelid，whenclosed，lockedaboveanhermeticallysealedcase。Eachtinboxwaspackedinadealcase，withanumbertocorrespondwiththeboxwithin。

Bythisarrangementthetinboxesarrivedattheirdestinationasgoodasnew，andwerequiteinvaluablefortravelling，astheyeachformedahandyload，andwerealikeproofagainsttheattacksofinsectsandbadweather。

Ihadlongwaterproofcloaksforthenightsentriesinrainyclimates，andsou’-westercaps；theseprovedofgreatserviceduringactiveoperationsinthewetseason，astherifleswerekeptdrybeneaththecloaks，andthemenwereprotectedfromwetandcoldwhenonguard。

AllmedicinesanddrugswereprocuredfromApothecaries’Hall，andwereaccordinglyofthebestquality。

Theprovisionsforthetroopsweredhurra(sorghumvulgare)，wheat，rice，andlentils。ThesuppliesfromEngland，andinfactthegeneralarrangements，hadbeensocarefullyattendedto，thatthroughouttheexpeditionIcouldnotfeelawant，neithercouldIeitherregretorwishtohavechangedanyplanthatIhadoriginallydetermined。

ForthetransportoftheheavymachineryacrossthedesertIemployedguncarriagesdrawnbytwocamelseach。ThetwosectionsofsteamersandoflifeboatswereslunguponlongpolesoffirfromTrieste，arrangedbetweentwocamelsinthemannerofshafts。Manyhundredpolesservedthispurpose，andsubsequently，wereusedathead-quartersasraftersformagazinesandvariousbuildings。

TheNo。1steamerof250tonshadnotarrivedfromEngland。Ithereforeleftinstructionsthatshewastobeforwardedacrossthedesertuponthesameprinciplesasadoptedforthetransportoftheothervessels。

Ihadthrownmywholeheartintotheexpedition；butIquicklyperceivedthedifficultiesthatIshouldencounterinthepassiveresistanceofthosewhoseinterestswouldbeaffectedbythesuppressionoftheslavetrade。ThearrangementsthatIhadmadewouldhaveinsuredsuccess，ifcarriedoutaccordingtothedatesspecified。ThesixsteamersandthesailingflotillafromCairoshouldhavestartedon10thJune，inordertohaveascendedthecataractsofWadyHalfahattheperiodofhighwater。Insteadofthis，thevesselsweredelayed，intheabsenceoftheKhediveinEurope，until29thAugust；thus，bythetimetheyreachedthesecondcataract，theriverhadfallen，anditwasimpossibletodragthe`steamersthroughthepassageuntilthenextseason。Thustwelvemonthswerewasted，andIwasatoncedeprivedoftheinvaluableaidofsixsteamers。

InadditiontothisdifficultywasthefactofinevitabledelaynecessitatedbythefestivitiesattendingtheopeningoftheSuezCanal。

TheKhedive，withhisaccustomedhospitality，hadmadeimmensepreparationsforthereceptionofvisitors，andeveryavailablevesselhadbeenpreparedfortheoccasion。

Atrainofforty-onerailwaywaggonsladenwithsectionsofsteamers，machinery，boiler-plates，&c。，&c。，arrivedatCairo，andwereembarkedonboardelevenhiredvessels。WiththegreatestdifficultyIprocuredasteamerof140-horsepowertotowthisflotillatoKorosko，fromwhichspotthedesertjourneywouldcommence。IobtainedthissteameronlybypersonalapplicationtotheKhedive。

AtlengthIwitnessedthestartoftheentireEnglishpartyofengineersandmechanics，togetherwithMr。HigginbothamandDr。J。Gedge。ThesteamerMinieh，towedthelonelineofelevenvesselsagainstthepowerfulstreamoftheNile。Oneofthetow-ropessnippedatthecommencementofthevoyage，whichcreatedsomeconfusion，butwhenrightedtheyquicklysteamed。outofview。Thismassofheavymaterial，includingtwosteamers，andtwosteellifeboatsoftentonseach，wastobetransportedforadistanceofabout3，000miles，400ofwhichwouldbeacrossthescorchingNubiandeserts！

Thefirstdivisionoftheheavybaggagehadstartedon29thAugust，1869，withthesloops，toascendthecataractsdirectbyrivertoKhartoum。Idared，nottrustanyportionsofthesteamersbythisdangerousroute，lestbythelossofonevesselwithsectionsImightdestroyallhopeofsuccess。

Itwasarelieftohavestartedthemainbranchesoftheexpedition，afterthevariousdelaysthathadalreadyseriouslyendangeredthechancesoftheWhiteNilevoyage。ForthatriverallvesselsshouldleaveKhartoumearlyinNovember。

On5thDecember，1869，webroughtuptherear，andleftSuezonboardanEgyptiansloopofwar，theSenaar。InfourdaysandahalfwereachedSouakim，afteranescapefromwreckonthereefofShadwan，andacloseacquaintancewithalargebarque，withwhichwenearlycameintocollision。

Thecaptainofoursloopwasamostrespectableman，apparentlyabouteightyyearsofage。Thefirstlieutenantappearedtobesomewhathissenior，andneithercouldsee，evenwiththeassistanceofaverygreasyanddirtybinocular。ThevariousofficersappearedtobevestigesfromNoah’sarkinpointofantiquity；thusacloseshavewithareefandanearrubwithastrangevesselwerelittleincidentsthatmightbeexpectedintheRedSea。

WeanchoredsafelyintheharbourofSouakim；andlandedmytwenty-onehorseswithoutaccident。

Iwasmetbythegovernor，myoldfriendMoomtazzBey，ahighlyintelligentCircassianofficer，whohadshownmemuchkindnessonmyformerexpedition。

Aweek’sdelayinSouakimwasnecessarytoobtaincamels。Infourteendayswecrossedthedesert275milestoBerberontheNile，andfoundasteameranddiahbeeahinreadiness。WearrivedatKhartoum，adistanceof200milesbyriver，inthreedays，havingaccomplishedthevoyagefromSuezintheshortspaceofthirty-twodays，includingstoppages。

Khartoumwasnotchangedexternally；butIhadobservedwithdismayafrightfulchangeinthefeaturesofthecountrybetweenBerberandthecapitalsincemyformervisit。Therichsoilonthebanksoftheriver，whichhadafewyearssincebeenhighlycultivated，wasabandoned。Nowandthenatuftofneglecteddate-palmsmightbeseen，buttheriver’sbanks，formerlyverdantwithheavycrops，hadbecomeawilderness。

Villagesoncecrowdedhadentirelydisappeared；thepopulationwasgone。

Irrigationhadceased。Thenight，formerlydiscordantwiththecreakingofcountlesswater-wheels，wasnowsilentasdeath。Therewasnotadogtohowlforalostmaster。Industryhadvanished；oppressionhaddriventheinhabitantsfromthesoil。

ThisterribledesolationwascausedbythegovernorgeneraloftheSoudan，who，althoughhimselfanhonestman，trustedtoomuchtothehonestyofothers，whopreyedupontheinhabitants。AsagoodandtrueMohammedan，helefthisterritorytothecareofGod，andthus，trustinginProvidence，hesimplyincreasedthetaxes。InoneyearhesenttotheKhedivehismaster100，000poundsinharddollars，wrungfromthepoorpeasantry，whomusthavelostanequalamountinthepillagethataccompaniesthecollection。

ThepopulationoftherichestprovinceoftheSoudanfledfromoppression，andabandonedthecountry；andthegreaterportionbetookthemselvestotheslavetradeoftheWhiteNile，where，intheirturn，theymighttrampleupontherightsofothers；where，astheyhadbeenplundered，theywouldbeabletoplunder；wheretheycouldreaptheharvestofanother’slabour；andwhere，freefromtherestrictionsofagovernment，theymightindulgeintheexcitingandlucrativeenterpriseofslave-hunting。Thousandshadforsakentheirhomes，andcommencedalifeofbrigandageontheWhiteNile。

ThiswasthestateofthecountrywhenIarrivedatKhartoum。Thepopulationofthistown，whichwasabout30，000duringmyformervisit，wasnowreducedtohalfthenumber。TheEuropeanresidentshadalldisappeared，withtheexceptionoftheAustrianMission，andMr。HansalltheAustrianConsul；alsoanextremelytoughGermantailor，whowasproofagainsttheclimatethathadcarriedoffhiscompanions。

Ihadgiventhenecessaryordersforvesselsandsuppliessixmonthsprevious；thus，Inaturallyexpectedtofindafleetreadyfordeparture，withthetroopsandstoreswaitingforinstructions。Tomysurprise，Idiscoveredthatmyordershadbeensofarneglected，thatalthoughthetroopswereathand，therewerenovesselspreparedfortransport。Iwascoollyinformedbythegovernor-generalthat”itwasimpossibletoprocurethenumberofvesselsrequired，thereforehehadpurchasedahouseforme，asheexpectedthatIshouldremainthatyearatKhartoum，andstartinthefollowingseason。”