第15章

Whenslavesareliberatedinlargenumbersthereisalwaysadifficultyinprovidingforthem。WefeelthisdilemmawhenourcruiserscaptureArabdhowsontheeastcoastofAfrica，andourgovernmentbecomesresponsibleforaninfluxoffoundlings。Itisgenerallyquiteimpossibletoreturnthemtotheirownhomes，thereforeallthatcanbedoneistoinstructtheminsomeusefulworkbywhichtheycanearntheirlivelihood。Iftheboyshavetheirchoice，theyinvariablydesireamilitarylife；andIbelieveitisthebestschoolforanyyoungsavage，asheisatonceplacedunderstrictdiscipline，whichteacheshimhabitsoforderandobedience。Thegirls，likethoseofothercountries，prefermarriagetoregulardomesticwork；nevertheless，ifkindlytreated，withadueamountofauthority，theymakefairservantsforanyroughemployment。

Whenfemalechildrenareaboutfiveyearsoldtheyaremostesteemedbytheslave-dealers，astheycanbemoreeasilytaught，andtheygrowupwithanattachmenttotheirpossessors，andinfactbecomemembersofthefamily。

LittleMostoora，thechildtakenbymywife，wasanexceedinglycleverspecimenofherrace，andalthoughshewascertainlynotmorethanthreeyearsold，shewasquickerthanmostchildrenofdoubleherage。Withanuglylittleface，shebadabeautifullyshapedfigure，andpossessedapowerofmusclethatIhaveneverseeninawhitechildofthatage。Herlothadfalleninpleasantquarters；shewassoondressedinconvenientclothesandbecamethepetofthefamily。

OnJune17，1senttheNo。9steamertoKhartoumwiththepost，togetherwiththreesonsofQuatKare，whoweretorepresenttheirfatheratthedivanofDjiafferPacha。Theoldmandeclinedthevoyage，pleadinghisageasanexcuse。Mr。Woodalsoreturned，ashishealthrequiredanimmediatechangetoEgypt。Onthe25th，fourvesselsarrivedfromthesouth，twobelongingtoKutchukAli，onetoAgad，andonetoatradernamedAssaballa，fromtheBahrGazal。Thelatterhadthirty-fiveslavesonboard。Theothershadheard，bysomevesselsthathadgoneupfromKhartoum，thatIhadformedastationneartheSobat，andhadcapturedthevesselandslavesofKutchukAli，thustheyhadlandedtheirslavesattheBahrGiraffestation。TheBahrGazalvesselhavingarrivedfromadifferentdirectionhadnotreceivedtheinformation。Iseizedtheboatandcargo，andliberatedtheslaves。

OnboardthediahbeeahofKutchukAliwerefourmusicians，nativesofPongo，ontheriverDjoor。Theirbandconsistedoftwoironbells，aflageoletandaninstrumentmadeofhardwoodthatwasarrangedlikethemusicalglassesofEurope。Thelatterwasformedoftenpiecesofametallicsounding-woodsuspendedabovelongnarrowgourdshells。Eachpieceofwoodproducedaseparatenote，andtheinstrumentwasplayedbyfoursticks，theendsofwhichwerecoveredwithindia-rubber。Thegeneraleffect，althoughasavagekindofharmony，wassuperiortomostnativeattemptsatmusic。

ThestationofTewfikeeyahhadnowassumedanimportantaspect，andI

muchregrettedthatwhenthetimeshouldarriveforourdeparturetothesouthitwouldbeabandoned：however，Ideterminedtokeepallhandsemployed，asthereisnothingsodemoralizingtotroopsasinaction。Atthesametimetherewasageneraldisliketotheexpedition，andalltrustedthatsomethingmighthappenthatwouldpreventanotherattempttopenetratethemarshesoftheBahrGiraffe。Therewasmuchallowancetobemadeforthisfeeling。Theseedsofdangerousdisorders，thathadbeensownbythemalariaoftheswamps，hadnowexhibitedthemselvesinfatalattacksofdysentery，thatquicklyformedacemeteryatTewfikeeyah。

TheEgyptiantroopsweregenerallysicklyanddispirited，andwenttotheirdailyworkinaslouching，doggedmanner，thatshowedtheirpassivehatredoftheemployment。

Iarrangedthatthesailorsshouldcultivateapieceofgroundwithcorn，whilethesoldiersshouldbeemployedinasimilarmannerinanotherposition。ThesailorswereallNubians，orthenativesofDongola，Berber，andthecountriesborderingtheNileintheSoudan。

Thesepeoplewereofthesameclassastheslave-huntercompanies，menwhohatedworkandpreferredalifeofindolence，loungingsleepilyabouttheirvessels。Iquicklygotthesefellowsintoorderbydividingthemintogangs，overwhichIplacedseparateheadmen，thecaptainsofvessels；onesuperiorofficercommanded，andwasresponsibleforthewhole。

Theyonlyworkedsixhoursdaily，butbythissimpleorganizationIsoonhadthirtyacresoflandcleaned。Thegrassandrootswereburntinpiles，theashesspread，andtheentirefieldwasdugoverandsownwithbarley，wheat，anddhurra。Thereisacivilizinginfluenceincultivation，andnothingissocheeringinawildcountryasthesightofwell-arrangedgreenfieldsthatareflourishinginthecentreoftheneglectedwilderness。Ihadnowapromisinglittlefarmofaboutthirtyacresbelongingtoournavalbrigade；andaveryunpromisingfarm，thathadbeenmanagedbymyColonel，RaoufBey。Thesoldiershadneverevenclearedtheroughnativegrassfromthesurface，buthadturnedupthesoilinsmalllotsatintervalsofaboutafoot，intowhichtheyhadcarelesslydroppedafewgrainsofcorn。

Wenowfoundagriculturalenemiesthatwereunexpected。Guinea-fowlrecognizedtheimportanceofcultivation，andcreatedterribledamage。

Smallbirdsofthesparrowtribeinfestedthenewly-sownlandinclouds，butworsethantheseenemieswerethevastarmiesofgreatants。

Theseindustriousinsects，everprovidingforthefuture，discoveredthenewlysownbarleyandwheat，andconsideringthatsuchanopportunityshouldnotbeneglected，theyliterallymarchedoffwiththegreaterportionoftheseedthatwasexposed。Isawthemonmanyoccasionsreturningincountlessnumbersfromaforay，eachcarryinginitsmouthagrainofbarleyorwheat。Itrackedthemtotheirsubterraneannests，inoneofwhichIfoundaboutapeckofcornwhichhadbeenconveyedbyseparategrains；andpatchesoflandhadbeenleftnearlybarrenofseed。

Thelargecrimson-headedgooseoftheWhiteNilequicklydiscoveredthatbarleywasafoodwelladaptedforthephysicalconstitutionofgeese，andgreatnumbersflockedtothenewfarm。Theguinea-fowlweretoowildtoapproachsuccessfully；however，weshotthemdaily。Isetlittleboystoscreamfromdaylighttillsunsettoscarethecloudsofsmallbirds；

buttheboysscreamedthemselvestosleep，andthesparrowsquicklydiscoveredtheincapacityofthewatchers。Wildfowlweresonumerousonanislandoppositethefarmthatwenotonlyshotthemaswerequired，butononeoccasionLieutenantBakerandmyselfbaggedinabouttwohourssixty-eightducksandgeese，mostofwhichweresingleshotsinflightoverhead。

Ifoundthenecessityofre-sowingthelandsothicklythatthereshouldbesufficientgraintoallowforthedepredationsofourenemies。Isetvermintrapsandcaughttheguinea-fowl。Thenthenaturalenemyappearedinthewildcats，whotooktheguinea-fowlsoutofthetraps。Atfirstthemenweresuspectedofstealingthebirds，buttheunmistakabletracksofthewildcatswerefoundclosetothetraps，andshortlyafterthewilycatsthemselvesbecamevictims。TheseweregenerallyofthegenusHerpestris。

Whenthecrops，havingresistedmanyenemies，appearedaboveground，theywereattackedbythemolecricketsinformidablenumbers。Thesedestructiveinsectslivedbeneaththesmallsolidclodsofearth，andissuingforthatnight，theybittheyoungshootcleanoffclosetotheparentgrainatthepointofextremesweetness。Thegardensufferedterriblyfromtheseinsects，whichdestroyedwholerowsofcucumberplants。

IhadbroughtploughsfromCairo。ThesewerethenativeimplementsthatareusedthroughoutEgypt。Thereisalwaysadifficultyinthefirstcommencementofagriculturalenterpriseinawildcountry，andmuchpatienceisrequired。

SomeofmyEgyptiansoldiersweregoodploughmen，towhichemploymenttheyhadbeenformerlyaccustomed；butthebullocksofthecountrywerepigheadedcreaturesthatforalongtimeresistedallattemptsatconversiontothecivilizedlabourofEgyptiancattle。Theysteadilyrefusedtodrawtheploughs，andtheydetermineduponan”agriculturalstrike。”Theyhadnotconsideredthatwecouldstrikealso，andtolerablyhard，withthehippopotamushidewhips，whichwereamoreforcibleappealtotheirfeelingsthana”lock-out。”However，thiscontestendedinthebullockslyingdown，andthusofferingapassiveresistancethatcouldnotbeovercome。Thereisnothinglikearbitrationtoobtainpurejustice，andasIwasthearbitrator，Iorderedallrefractorybullockstobeeatenasrationsbythetroops。Afewanimalsatlengthbecamefairlytractable；andwehadacoupleofploughsatwork，buttheresultwasaseriesofzigzagfurrowsthatmoreresembledtheindiscriminateploughingsofaherdofwildboarthantheeffectofanagriculturalimplement。Nothingwillevergostraightatthecommencement，thereforetheploughsnaturallywentcrooked；butthewholeaffairforciblyremindedmeofmyfirstagriculturalenterpriseonthemountainsofCeylontwenty-fiveyearsearlier。[*]

[*Footnote：See”EightYears’WanderingsinCeylon，”publishedbyLongman&Co。]

ThemeantemperatureatthestationofTewfikeeyahhadbeen：

InthemonthofMay，at6a。m。73degreesFahrenheit”atNoon92degrees””June，at6a。m。72degrees””atNoon86degrees””July，at6a。m。71degrees””atNoon81degrees”

DuringMaywehadheavyrainduring3days。””light””4”7days。

DuringJunewehadheavyrainduring5days。””light””6”11days”Julyheavy””10”””light””4”14daysSicknessincreasedproportionatelywiththeincreaseofrain，owingtothesuddenchillsoccasionedbytheheavyshowers。Thethermometerwouldsometimesfallrapidlyto68degreesFahr。duringastormofrain，accompaniedbyacoldrushofairfromthecloud。FortunatelyIhadprovidedthetroopswithblankets，whichhadnotbeenincludedintheirkitbytheauthoritiesatKhartoum。

CHAPTERV。

EXPLORATIONOFTHEOLDWHITENILE。

Ihadlongsincedeterminedtoexplorethesudd，orobstructionsofthemainNile，inthehopeofdiscoveringsomenewpassagewhichthestreammighthaveforcedthroughthevegetation。AShillook，namedAbdullah，closelyconnectedwithQuatKare，hadpromisedtoaccompanyme，andtosupplythenecessaryguides。Theriverwasfull——thusIstartedon11thAugust，1870。

TheenginesoftheNo。10steamerhadbeenthoroughlyrepairedduringourstayatTewfikeeyah。Ihadloadedhertothemaximumwithwell-cut”Soont”(AcaciaArabicce)，whichisthebestfuel；andknowing，bytheexperienceofformeryears，thatascarcityofwoodexistedneartheBahrGazal，Ihadloadedoneofthelargestvessels(aboutseventytons)

withasupply，toaccompanyusasatender。Ihadalsofilledmydiahbeeahwithselectedfuel。

WesteamedthirteenhoursfromTewfikeeyah，withthetenderanddiahbeeahintow，andreachedtheoldsuddabouttwelvemilesbeyondtheBahrGiraffejunction。Thewaterbelowthesuddwasquiteclearfromfloatingvegetation，asithadbeenfilteredthroughthisextraordinaryobstruction。

Iwillnotfatiguethereaderbyadescriptionofthisvoyage。Wewereasusualinachaosofmarshes。Wefoundasmallchannel，whichtookustotheBahrGazal。ThisswampyandstagnantlacustineriverwasmuchchangedsinceIhadlastseenitin1865。Itwasnowasuccessionoflakes，throughwhichwesteamedforseveralhours，butwithoutdiscoveringanyexit，exceptthemainpassagecomingfromthewest，whichistheactualBahrGazal。

ThiswasthethirdtimethatIhadvisitedthisriver。UpontheformeroccasionsIhadremarkedthetotalabsenceofcurrent；thiswasevenstillmoreremarkableatthepresenttime，astheriverwasnotonlyfull，butthesurface，formerlycloggedandchokedwithdenseraftsofvegetation，wasnowclear。Isoundedthedepthofthelakesandmainchannel，whichgavearemarkablemeanofsevenfeetthroughout，showingthatthebottomwasremarkablyflat，andhadnotbeensubjectedtotheactionofanystreamthatwouldhavecausedinequalitiesinthesurfaceoftheground。

Whenthevesselslayatanchor，thefilthoftheshipsremainedalongside，thusprovingthetotalabsenceofstream。Ithasalwaysappearedtomethatsomewesternoutletconcealedbythemarshgrassmustexist，whichcarriesawaythewaterbroughtdownbytheDjour，andotherstreams，intothelacustrineregionsoftheBahrGazal。Thereisnodoubtthattheevaporation，andalsotheabsorptionofwaterbytheimmenseareaofspongyvegetation，isagreatdrainuponthevolumesubscribedbytheaffluentsfromthesouth-west；nevertheless，Ishouldhaveexpectedsomestream，howeverslight，atthejunctionwiththeNile。MyexperienceoftheBahrGazalassuresmethatlittleornowaterisgiventotheWhiteNilebytheextraordinaryseriesoflakesandswamps，whichchangetheappearanceofthesurfacefromyeartoyear，liketheshiftingphasesofadream。