第5章

Thereliterallywasnotonevesselreadyforthevoyage，inspiteofthepositiveinstructionsthathadbeengiven。AtthesametimeIfoundthatthegovernor-generalhadjustpreparedasquadronofelevenvessels，withseveralcompaniesofregulartroops，foranexpeditiontotheBahrGazal，whereitwasintendedtoformasettlementatthecopper-minesonthefrontierofDarfur。Thisexpeditionhadbeenplacedunderthecommandofoneofthemostnotoriousruffiansandslave-huntersoftheWhiteNile。Thisman，KutchukAli，originallyoflowextraction，hadmadeafortuneinhisabominabletraffic，andhadaccordinglyreceivedpromotionfromthegovernor；thus，atthesametimethattheKhediveofEgypthademployedmetosuppresstheslavetradeoftheNile，agovernmentexpeditionhadbeenintrustedtothecommandofoneofthemostnotoriousslave-hunters。

Iatonceperceivedthatnotonlywasmyexpeditionunpopular，butthatitwouldbeseriouslyopposedbyallparties。ThetroopshadbeenquarteredforsomemonthsatKhartoum；duringthistimetheofficershadbeenintimatewiththeprincipalslave-tradersofthecountry。AllwereMohammedans——thusacoalitionwouldbenaturalagainstaChristianwhocommandedanexpeditionavowedlytoannihilatetheslavetradeuponwhichKhartoumsubsisted。

Itwasa”housedividedagainstitself；”theKhediveinthenorthissuedordersthatwouldbeneutralizedinthedistantsouthbyhisownauthorities。

AsintheUnitedStatesofAmericatheopinionoftheSouthuponthequestionofemancipationwasopposedtothatoftheNorth，——theoppositioninSoudanwasopenlyavowedtothereformbelievedtohavebeensuggestedtotheKhedivebyEngland。

Theseasonwasalreadyfaradvanced。ThereisnoweaponsofatalasdelayinthehandsofEgyptians。Iknewtheintentionsoftheauthoritiesweretoprocrastinateuntilthedepartureoftheexpeditionwouldbecomeimpossible。Itwasnecessarytoinsistupontheimmediatepurchaseofvesselswhichshouldhavebeenpreparedmonthsbefore。

NoneofthesteamersfromCairohadpassedthecataracts。ThefifteenlargesloopsuponwhichIhaddependedforthetransportofcamelshadactuallygivenuptheattemptandreturnedtoCairo。Onlythesmallervesselshadmountedthecataracts，andtheycouldnotarriveatKhartoumforsomemonths。

Thefirstdivision，consistingofallmerchandisethatIhadsentfromCairo，hadarrivedinKhartoumunderthechargeofaSyriantowhomI

hadgiventhecommand。IheardthatMr。Higginbotham，accompaniedbyDr。

GedgeandtheEnglishparty，togetherwithalltheEgyptianmechanics，wasonhiswayacrossthedesertinchargeofthesteamersandmachinery，carriedbysomethousandcamels。Thethirddivision，broughtupbyMr。Marcopolo，arrivedfromSouakimafewdayslaterthanourselves，thuseveryarrangementthathadbeenintrustedtomyownofficerswaswellexecuted。

Aftersomepressure，thegovernorbegantopurchasethevessels。Itmaybeimaginedthatasuddennecessitygaveawelcomeopportunitytocertainofficials。Oldvesselswerepurchasedatthepriceofnew，andthegovernmentagentreceivedabribefromtheownerstopassthevesselsonsurvey。Wewerenowfittingoutunderdifficulties，andworkingatataskthatshouldhavebeenaccomplishedmonthsbefore。

Sailclothwasscarce；hempenropeswereraritiesinKhartoum，wherethewretchedcordagewasusuallyobtainedfromtheleavesofthedate-palm。

Thehighestpriceswerepaidforeverything；thusaprearrangeddelaycausedanimmenseexpensefortheexpedition。Istudiouslyavoidedanypurchasespersonally，butsimplygavethenecessaryinstructionstobeexecutedbythegovernor。Itisonlyfairtoadmitthathenowworkedhard，andtookgreatinterestintheoutfitoftheflotilla。Thisgovernor-general，DjiafferPacha，hadformerlyshownmemuchkindnessonmyarrivalatSouakim，duringmyfirstjourneyinAfrica。Ihadthereforereckoneduponhimasafriend；butnopersonalconsiderationscouldpalliatethesecrethatredtotheobjectoftheexpedition。

FrommorningtillnightIwasoccupiedinpushingonthework；inthisI

wasablyassistedbyLieutenantJ。A。Baker，R。N。，whoseprofessionalexperiencewasofmuchservice。AnewspiritseemedtomoveinKhartoum；

hundredsofmenwereatwork；arowofmastsandyardsroseupbeforethegovernmenthouse；andinafewweekswehadthirty-threevesselsoffiftyorsixtytonseach，caulked，rigged，andreadyforthevoyageof1，450milestoGondokoro。

Ifthesameenergyhadbeenshownsomemonthsago，Ishouldhavefoundafleetoffiftyshipsawaitingme。IhadlostamonthatKhartoumataseasonwheneverydaywasprecious。

Ireviewedthetroops，about1，400infantry，andtwobatteriesofartillery。Themenwereinfinecondition，butIhadnomeansoftransportfortheentireforce。IthereforeinstructedDjiafferPachatocontinuehisexertionsinpreparingvessels，sothatonDr。

Higginbotham’sarrivalhemightfollowwiththeremainingdetachment。

Ireviewedtheirregularcavalry，about250horse。ThesewerecertainlyVERYirregular。Eachmanwashorsedandarmedaccordingtohisindividualnotionofatrooper’srequirements。Therewerelank，half-starvedhorses；roundshorthorses；verysmallponies；horsesthatwerealllegs；othersthatwereallheads；horsesthathadbeengroomed；

horsesthathadnevergonethroughthatoperation。Thesaddlesandbridleswereonlyfitforanoldcuriosityshop。Thereweresomewithfadedstripsofgoldandsilverlaceadheringhereandthere；othersthatresembledthehorseinskeletonappearance，whichhadbeenstrengthenedbystripsofrawcrocodileskin。Theunseemlyhugeshovel-stirrupswererusty；thebitswerefilthy。Someofthemenhadswordsandpistols；othershadshortblunderbusseswithbrassbarrels；

manyhadgunsofvariouspatterns，fromthelongold-fashionedArabtothecommonestdouble-barrelledFrenchgunthatwasimported。Thecostumesvariedinalikemannertothearmsandanimals。

Havingformedinline，theynowexecutedabrilliantchargeatasupposedenemy，andperformedmanyfeatsofvalourindensecloudsofdust，andhavingquicklygotintoinconceivableconfusion，theyatlengthralliedandreturnedtotheiroriginalposition。

Icomplimentedtheirofficer；——andhavingaskedthegovernorifthesebravetroopsrepresentedmycavalryforce，andbeingassuredofthefact，Idismissedthem；andrequestedDjiafferPachatoinformthemthat”Iregrettedthewantoftransportwouldnotpermitmetheadvantageoftheirservices。`Inshallah！’(PleaseGod！)atsomefuturetime，”&c。，&c。

Ithusgotridofmycavalry，whichIneverwishedtoseeagain。Ihadtwenty-onegoodhorsesthatIhadbroughtfromCairo，andthesetogetherwiththehorsesbelongingtothevariousofficerswereasmuchaswecouldconvey。

Theflotillawasreadyforthevoyage。Wehadengagedsailorswiththegreatestdifficulty，asageneralstampedeofboatmenhadtakenplace。

EveryoneranfromKhartoumtoavoidtheexpedition。

Thiswasadodgeoftheslave-traders，whohadincitedthepeopletoescapefromanyconnectionwithsuchanenterprise。Itwassupposedthatwithoutboatmenweshouldbeunabletostart。

Thepoliceauthoritieswereemployed，andbydegreesthenecessarycrewsweresecured，——allunwilling，andcomposedoftheworstmaterial。

Ihadtakentheprecautionofselectingfromthetworegimentsabody-guardofforty-sixmen。Theirnumberswereequalblackandwhite，asIconsideredthisarrangementmightexciteanespritdecorps，andwouldintheeventofdiscontentpreventacoalition。

Themenhavingbeenwellchosenwerefineexamplesofphysique，andbeingarmedwiththesniderrifleandcarefullydrilled，suchabodyofpickedtroopswouldformanucleusforfurtherdevelopment，andmightbecomeadependablesupportinanyemergency。Thiscorpswascommandedbyanexcellentofficer，myaide-de-camp，Lieut-ColonelAbd-el-Kader，butowingtothepeculiarlight-fingeredcharacterofthemen，Igaveitthenameof”TheFortyThieves。”

Eventuallythecorpsbecameamodelofmorality，andwasdistinguishedforvalourandfidelitythroughouttheexpedition。

Sixmonths’rationswereonboardforallhands，inadditiontothegeneralstoresofcorn，andcases，bales，&c。，innumerable。

Onthe8thFebruary，1870，thebuglesannouncedthedeparture。Thetroopshurriedonboardtheirrespectivetransportsaccordingtothenumberspaintedontheirsidesandsails。Theofficialpartingwasaccomplished。Ihadhadtoembracethegovernor，thenablackpacha，araraavisinterris，andawholehostofbeys，concludingtheaffectingceremonywithaveryfatcolonelwhommyarmscouldnotproperlyencircle。

Acoupleofbattalionslinedtheshore；thegunsfiredtheusualsaluteaswestartedonourvoyage；theflotilla，composedoftwosteamers，respectivelyofthirty-twoandtwenty-fourhorsepower，andthirty-onesailingvessels，withamilitaryforceofabout800men，gotawayintolerableorder。ThepowerfulcurrentoftheBlueNilequicklysweptuspastKhartoum，andhavingroundedthepoint，westeamedupthegrandWhiteNile。Thewindblewverystrongfromthenorth，thustheentirefleetkeptpacewiththesteamers，oneofwhichwastowingmydiahbeeah，andtheotherthatofthecolonel，RaoufBey。ThankGodwewereoff；

thusallintrigueswereleftbehind，andthefuturewouldbeundermyowncommand。

Onreferencetomyjournal，Ifindthefollowingentryupon8thFebruary，1870：——”Mr。Higginbotham，whohassafelyarrivedatBerberwiththesteelsteamersinsectionsfortheAlbertN’yanza，will，Itrust，beprovidedwithvesselsatKhartoum，accordingtomyorders，soastofollowmetoGondokorowithsupplies，andabout350troopswithfourguns。”Myoriginalprogramme——agreedtobyhisHighnesstheKhedive，whoorderedtheexecutionofmyordersbytheauthorities——arrangedthatsixsteamers，fifteensloops，andfifteendiahbeeahs，shouldleaveCairoon10thJune，toascendthecataractstoKhartoum，atwhichplaceDjiafferPachawastopreparethreesteamersandtwenty-fivevesselstoconvey1，650troops，togetherwithtransportanimalsandsupplies。”TheusualEgyptiandelayshaveentirelythwartedmyplans。NovesselshavearrivedfromCairo，astheyonlystartedon29thAugust。Thus，ratherthanturnback，Istartwithamutilatedexpedition，withoutaSINGLETRANSPORTANIMAL。”

HavingminutelydescribedtheWhiteNileinaformerwork，”TheAlbertN’yanza，”Ishallnotrepeatthedescription。In103hoursandtenminutes’steamingwereachedFashoda，thegovernmentstationintheShillookcountry，N。lat。9degrees52minutes，618milesbyriverfromKhartoum。

ThistownhadbeenfortifiedbyawallandflankingtowerssinceIhadlastvisitedtheWhiteNile，anditwasgarrisonedbyaregimentofEgyptiansoldiers。AliBey，thegovernor，wasaremarkablyhandsomeoldman，aKurd。HeassuredmethattheShillookcountrywasinexcellentorder；andthataccordingtotheinstructionsreceivedfromtheKhedivehehadexertedhimselfagainsttheslavetrade，sothatitwasimpossibleforvesselstopassthestation。

Fashodawaswellsituatedforthispurpose，asitcompletelydominatedtheriver；butImuchdoubtedmyfriend’sveracity。