第29章

”Itwouldbeadisgracetotoleratethesethieves，asGondokoroisrenderedaperfecthell，andthenativeswillnaturallyabhoranylawfulgovernmentsolongastheycanconsortandsharespoilswithsuchbrigandsastheseso-calledtradersofKhartoum。”UponmyreturnhomeIwroteanofficiallettertoAbouSaoodofwhichthefollowingisacopy：——”ISMAILIA，orGONDOKORO，June12，1871。”ToAbouSaood，vakeelofthefirmofAgad&Co。”Sir，”Youarrivedhereonthe10thinst。withalargenumberofcattlestolenbyyouandyourpeople。”You，knowingthattheBariswereatwarwiththegovernment，haveneverthelessbeenindailyandfriendlycommunicationwiththem。”TheBarisofthiscountryarerenderedhostiletoallhonestgovernmentbytheconductofyourpeople，who，bystealingslavesandcattlefromtheinterior，anddeliveringthemhere，haveutterlydestroyedallhopeofimprovementinapeoplenaturallysavage，butnowrenderedbyyouractsthievesoftheworstdescription。”ItisimpossiblethatIcanpermitthecontinuanceofsuchacts。”Ithereforegiveyouduenoticethatattheexpirationofyourcontractyouwillwithdrawallyourpeoplefromthedistrictundermycommand。AtthesametimeIdeclaretheforfeituretothegovernmentofthecattleyouhaveforciblycapturedundertheeyesofmyauthority。”SAMUELW。BAKER。”

TheonlyerrorthatIcanacknowledgethroughouttheexpeditionwasmypresentleniency。IshouldatoncehaveplacedAbouSaoodinirons，andhavesenthimtoKhartoum，insteadofleavinghimatlargetocarryonhisintriguesagainstthegovernment。

IintendedonthefirstopportunitytosendnoticetotheShirtribeofthesafetyoftheircattle，butanincidentshortlyoccurredthatalteredmydetermination。(Thesecattlewerekeptinaseparatepenorzareeba，andwereguardedwhenatpasturagebyspecialsoldiersforsomeweeks，inorderthattheyshouldbereturnedtotheShirtribeuponthefirstopportunity。)

AtthesametimethatAbouSaoodwasindisgrace，hewasabosomfriendofthecolonel，RaoufBey，whocommandedmytroops。Theydinedtogetherconstantlyinthehouseofthelatterofficer，andtheirfriendshiphadoriginallycommencedinKhartoumduringthelongintervalthattheregimentswereawaitingmyarrivalfromCairo。ItwasduringthatintervalthattheofficersoftheexpeditionhadfraternizedwiththeWhiteNiletraderswhoresidedatKhartoum。

Theresultofsuchintimacymightbeimagined。

Theobjectoftheexpeditionhadalwaysbeendistastefultobothofficersandmen。Thetradershadalreadyseenbythe，examplesmadeatTewfikeeyahthatIshouldactuallydestroytheircherishedslave-trade。

ItwasthereforenaturalthatAbouSaoodshouldexerthimselftoruintheexpedition。HavingfriendinRaoufBey，hewasinapositiontocreatedivisionofopinion。Heconstantlyassociatedwiththisofficer，inorderthatitshouldbegenerallyknownthathewassupportedbyaninfluentialpersoninthegovernmentservice。Thescandalofthecampquicklyassumedthattheopinionsconcerningtheslave-tradersbetweenmyselfandRaoufBeywereatvariance。

Theofficersoftheexpeditionhad，contrarytomyexpressorders，purchased126slavesfromthestationsofthetradersduringtheWhiteNilevoyage！IhadonlylearntthisonarrivalatGondokoro；thuswhencornwassoscarcethattherationswerereduced，whilethoseofmeatwereincreased，wehadanadditionof126mouths！

Thepolicyoftheslave-traderswasidenticalwiththefeelingsoftheofficersandmen，allofwhomwishedtoabandontheexpeditionandreturntoKhartoum。AbouSaoodworkedmolelikeinhisintrigues。HefraternizedsecretlywithAllorronandhisBaris。Manyofhismenpurchasedtobaccofromthenativesinexchangeforammunition。ThenativesfromBelinianwereindailycommunicationwithAbouSaood’scamp，andtheirspiesobtainedinformationofourproceedings，andcarriedthenewsthroughoutthecountrythat”theywouldbesupportedbyAbouSaoodagainstmyauthority。”

Ilearnteverythingthatoccurredthroughtrustworthyagents。ItquicklybecameknownthatRaoufBeywasdes

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