第14章

Atthisreply，theking，withoutalteringhispositionorexpression，said，”ThenwhoamI?”

TheKoordiraisedhiseyesforthefirsttime，andlookedatQuatKare，butsaidnothing；heonlypuffed——thepipedidnotseemtodrawwell。Atlengthafairvolumeofsmokewasemitted，andtheKoordiansweredbyaquestion：”IfyouareQuatKare，whydidyouhideyourself?whydidyounotpresentyourselfbeforemeatFashoda?thenIshouldhaveknownthatyouwerealive。”

QuatKareregardedhimfixedly，andherepliedslowly，”Whereareallmycattlethatyoustole?wherearethewomenandchildrenthatyoukidnapped?Iconsideredthatifyoutookmycattleandcapturedmypeople，youmightprobablytakeME，thereforeIdeclinedtheopportunity。”

TheKoordipuffedandpuffedvigorously，butthelongpipedidnotdraw；

somethinghadevidentlychokedthetube。

Itwouldbetedioustodescribethewholedialogue，buttherewasnoquestionthattheoldShillookkinghadthebestoftheargument；

therefore，afteralongdiscussion，duringwhichthekingwascontinuallypromptedbyhisfavouritewife，inexcitedwhispersthateveryonecouldhear，Iexaminedboththegovernorandthekinguponvariouspoints；andcametotheconclusionthatthegovernorwasagreatscoundrel，andthekingaverycunningfellow；atthesametimehehadbeenshamefullytreated。TheKoordihadreportedhimasdead，andobtainedafirmanconferringthetitleofSheikoftheShillooksuponanimpostor，whohadbeenabrandenemyofQuatKare。SincethattimetheadherentsofQuatKarehadbeensubjecttoconstantraidsandpillage，andtheoldkingwasafugitive，who，ifcaughtbytheKoordi，wouldassuredlyhavebeenquietlyputOUTOFTHEWAY。[*]

[*Footnote：Eventuallytheoldking，QuatKare，wasimprisonedatFashoda，anddiedinamysteriousmanner。Therearenocoroners’

inquestsinCentralAfrica。)

Idecidedthattheaffairmustbesettledinthefollowingmanner：——I

explainedthatIhadnojurisdictionintheShillookcountry，whichwasunderthegovernmentofAliBey，theKoordi；butasIheldthepositiveandspecialordersoftheKhedivetosuppresstheslavetrade，Ihadbeencompelledtointerfereandtoreleasethosecaptiveswhohadbeenthusshamelesslykidnapped。

Withregardtothegeneralpillageofthecountryinsteadofdirecttaxation，thegovernorwouldexplainhisconducttotheKhedive。

WithregardtothefalsereportofQuatKare’sdeath，therecouldbenodoubtthatthefirmanforhisrivalJangyhadbeenobtainedfromtheKhediveunderfalsepretences。

IthereforerecommendedQuatKareandhissonstogodirecttoKhartoum，andpleadhiscauseatthedivanofDjiafferPacha，whowasthegovernor-generaloftheSoudan，whichincludedtheShillookcountry；

thusthewholeaffairwaswithinhisjurisdiction。IalsoexplainedthatIshouldsendanofficialdespatchtotheKhediveofEgypt，andalsotoDjiafferPacha，describingthegeneralstateoftheShillookcountryandthespecialcaseofQuatKare，withadirectreportuponthekidnappingofslavesbythegovernment’srepresentative。

Atthesametime，IassuredQuatKareandhispeoplethattheKhedivehadonlyoneobjectinformingagovernment：thiswastoprotectthenativesandtodeveloptheresourcesofthecountry。IpersuadedtheKoordiandQuatKaretobecomefriendsandatoncetodeclarepeace；

thus，allhostilitieshavingceased，theresponsibilityforfurtherdisturbancewouldrestwithhimwhoshouldrecommenceabreachofthepeace。

IadvisedtheShillookkingtoforgetthepast，wheretherehadevidentlybeenamistake，andheshouldtrusttohisapplicationtoDjiafferPacha，whowouldspeedilygivehimjustice。TheShillookkingthenreplied，withoutmovingamuscleofhisfeatures，”IfIforgetthepast，whatistobecomeofallmycattlethattheKoordihasstolenfromme?Ishegoingtoreturnthem，orkeepthemhimself，andforgetthepast?Ican’tforgetmycows。”

Thispracticalquestionwasdifficulttoanswer。TheKoordi’spipewasout：hethereforerosefromhisseatandretired，leavingthestoicalQuatKaremasterofhisposition，butnotofhiscattle。IadvisedhimtosaynothingmoreuntilheshouldseeDjiafferPacha，andhewouldreceiveadirectreplyfromtheKhedive。

QuatKare，withhiswivesanddaughtersandgeneralretinue，determinedtopassthenightinourstation。

Ithereforeorderedanoxtobekilledfortheirentertainment。IgavethekingalargeCashmerescarf，alsooneofredprintedcotton，andadozensmallharnessbells，whichheimmediatelyarrangedasanklets。Hisusuallyunchangeablecountenancerelaxedintoasmileofsatisfactionashetookleave，andthebellstinkledateveryfootstepashedeparted。

QuatKarenevereatsordrinksinthepresenceofhispeople，buthisfoodistakentohimeitherwithinahutortoalonelytree。

OnthefollowingmorningboththegovernorofFashodaandtheoldkingreturnedtotheirrespectivehomes。

Onthe10thMay，asailwasreportedbythesentriesinthesouth。Noneoftheslave-tradershadanyintelligenceofmystationatTewfikeeyah。

ThepeopleofKutchukAli，ontheBahrGiraffe，wereundertheimpressionthatwehadreturneddirecttoKhartoum。IwasrathercurioustoknowwhethertheywouldpresumetosendslavesdowntheWhiteNileduringthisseason，knowingthattheKhedivehadsentmeexpresslytosuppressthetrade。IcouldnotbelievethattheKoordigovernorofFashodawouldhavetheaudacitytoallowthefreepassageofslavevesselsafterthestringentordersthathadbeengiven。AlthoughIhadheardthatthisgovernorhadamassedaconsiderablefortunebytheestablishmentofatollperheadforeveryslavethatpassedFashoda，I

imaginedthathewouldthisyearmakeuphismindthattherichharvestwasover。

Ifanyvesselsshouldattempttodescendwithslavecargoes，theymustpassmynewstation，ofwhichtheywereignorant，andthefactwouldprovethecomplicityofthegovernorofFashoda，asitwouldsubstantiateallthereportsthatIhadheardconcerninghisconnivancewiththeslave-traders。ThestrangesailnowreportedwasrapidlyapproachingonherroutetoKhartoum，withouttheslightestsuspicionthatalargemilitarystationwasestablishedwithinfourmilesoftheSobatjunction。Ifguilty，shewasthusapproachingthejawsofthelion。

Asshenearedthestation，shemusthavediscoveredthelongrowofmastsandyardsofthefleetmooredalongsidethequay。Ofthesesheappearedtotakenonotice，andkeepingwellinthemiddleoftheriver，shewouldhavepassedthestation，andcontinuedonhervoyage。Thislookedverysuspicious，andIatoncesentaboattoorderhertohalt。

Whenshewasbroughtalongside，Isentmytrustyaide-de-camp，ColonelAbd-el-Kader，onboardtomakethenecessaryinquiries。Shewasquiteinnocent。Thecaptainandthevakeel(agentandcommanderofstation)

wereamazedatmythinkingitnecessarytosearchtheirvessel。Shehadaquantityofcornonboard，stowedinbulk。TherewasnotapersonbesidethecrewandafewsoldiersfromKutchukAli’sstation。

ThevakeelwasthesamewhomIhadseenatthestationattheBahrGiraffe，towhomIhadgivenadvicethatheshouldnotattempttosendslavesdowntheriveragain。Allwasinorder。ThevesselbelongedtoKutchukAli，whonowcommandedthegovernmentexpeditionsentbyDjiafferPachatotheBahrGazal。Shewasladenwithivorybeneaththecorn，whichwasforthesupplyofthecrewandsoldiers。

ColonelAbd-el-Kaderwasanexcellentofficer；hewasoneoftheexceptionswhotookagreatinterestintheexpedition，andhealwaysservedmefaithfully。Hewasafinepowerfulman，upwardsofsixfeethigh，andnotonlyactive，butextremelydetermined。Hewasgenerallycalled”theEnglishman”byhisbrotherofficers，asabittercomplimentreflectingonhisdebasedtasteforChristiansociety。ThisofficerwasnotthemantoneglectasearchbecausetheagentofKutchukAliprotestedhisinnocence，andexhibitedtheapparentlynakedcharacterofhisvessel。Sheappearedsuspiciouslyfullofcornforaboathomewardbound。Therewasanawkwardsmellabouttheclosely-boardedforecastlewhichresembledthatofunwashednegroes。Abd-el-Kaderdrewasteelramrodfromasoldier’srifle，andprobedsharplythroughthecorn。

Asmotheredcryfrombeneath，andawrigglingamongthecorn，wassucceededbyawoollyhead，asthestrongAbd-el-Kader，havingthrusthislongarmintothegrain，draggedforthbythewristanegrowoman。

Thecornwasatonceremoved；theplankswhichboardeduptheforecastleandthesternwerebrokendown，andtherewasamassofhumanityexposed，boys，girls，andwomen，closelypackedlikeherringsinabarrel；whounderthefearofthreatshadremainedperfectlysilentuntilthusdiscovered。Thesailattachedtothemainyardofthevesselappearedfullandheavyinthelowerpart；thiswasexamined，anduponunpacking，ityieldedayoungwomanwhohadthusbeensewnuptoavoiddiscovery。

Thecasewasimmediatelyreportedtome。Iatonceorderedthevesseltobeunloaded。Wediscoveredonehundredandfiftyslavesstowedawayinamostinconceivablysmallarea。Thestenchwashorriblewhentheybegantomove。Manywereinirons；thesewerequicklyreleasedbytheblacksmiths，totheastonishmentofthecaptives，whodidnotappeartounderstandtheproceeding。

Iorderedthevakeel，andthereisorcaptainofthevessel，tobeputinirons。Theslavesbegantocomprehendthattheircaptorswerenowcaptives。Theynowbegantospeak，andmanydeclaredthatthegreaterportionofthemenoftheirvillageshadbeenkilledbytheslave-hunters。

Havingweighedtheivoryandcountedthetusks，Ihadthevesselreloaded；andhavingplacedanofficerwithaguardonboard，IsenthertoKhartoumtobeconfiscatedasaslaver。

Iorderedtheslavestowash，andissuedclothesfromthemagazineforthenakedwomen。

OnthefollowingdayIinspectedthecaptives，andIexplainedtothemtheirexactposition。Theywerefreepeople，andiftheirhomeswereatareasonabledistancetheyshouldbereturned。Ifnottheymustmakethemselvesgenerallyuseful，inreturnforwhichtheywouldbefedandclothed。

Ifanyofthewomenwishedtomarry，thereweremanyfineyoungmenintheregimentswhowouldmakecapitalhusbands。Igaveeachpersonapaperoffreedom，signedbymyself。Thiswascontainedinahollowreedandsuspendedroundtheirnecks。Theirnames，approximateage，sex，andcountrywereregisteredinabookcorrespondingwiththenumbersontheirpapers。

Thesearrangementsoccupiedthewholemorning。IntheafternoonIagaininspectedthem。Havingaskedtheofficerwhetheranyofthenegresseswouldwishtobemarried，herepliedthatallthewomenwishedtomarry，andthattheyhadalreadyselectedtheirhusbands！

Thiswaswholesalematrimony，thatrequiredachurchaslargeasWestminsterAbbey，andawholecompanyofclergy！

Fortunately，mattersarebrieflyarrrangedinAfrica。Isawthelovingcouplesstandinghandinhand。Someofthegirlswerepretty，andmyblacktroopshadshowngoodtasteintheirselection。Unfortunately，however，fortheEgyptianregiment，theblackladieshadastrongantipathytobrownmen，andthesuitorswereallrefused。Thiswasaveryawkwardaffair。Theladieshavingreceivedtheirfreedom，atonceasserted”woman’srights。”

Iwasobligedtolimitthematrimonialengagements，andthosewhowereforatimecondemnedtosingleblessednesswereplacedinchargeofcertainofficerstoperformthecookingforthetroopsandotherdomesticwork。Idividedtheboysintoclasses；someIgavetotheEnglishworkmentobeinstructedincarpenter’sandblacksmith’swork；

otherswereapprenticedtotailors，shoemakers，&c。，intheregiment，whilethebestlookingwereselectedasdomesticservants。Anicelittlegirl，ofaboutthreeyearsold，withoutparents，wastakencareofbymywife。