第36章

TheofficershadalwayslookedforwardtothegloriousopportunityofprocuringafewslavesinCentralAfrica，althoughtheycouldnotexactlydefinethemannerofobtainingthem：thusmysevereordersuponthissubjectcausedaseriousheart-burning，andadesiretogiveupsobarrenanexpedition。

Thestationwasnowcomplete，andwellfortifiedbyaditchandearthwork。Myownlittlestationwasthepictureofneatness。IhadtwoacresofthefinestEgyptiancotton(galleen)。Everyinchoftheknollwashighlycultivated，thelawnwascloselycut，andthediahbeeah，whichwasourhome，laysnuglyalongsidethebank，closetowhichwasalittlesummer-house，surroundedbyaprolificgarden。ThiswasalittlegemofcivilizationsetinthemiddleofsavageAfrica。My”FortyThieves”wereperfectgentlemenincomparisonwiththelineregiments。

Thesanitaryarrangementsofthestationweregood；therewasverylittlesickness，atthesametimethatupwardsof400mensufferedfromulceratedlegsathead-quarters。

Ourdomesticsweremuchimproved。Thosewhohadbeenslavesliberatedbymefromthetraders’vesselsatTewfikeeyah，hadlearnttheirduties，andhadbecomeveryuseful。Mywifehadtrainedsomenicegirlsofseventeenoreighteentohouseholdduties，inadditiontohalfadozenexcellentboys，whowereallneatlyclothed，andkeptinadmirablediscipline。AmongthesewastheAbyssinianboy，”Amam，”whohadlatelyreceivedhisfreedom。Hewasaprettylittlelad，andhisbrowncomplexionlookedquitelightincomparisonwithhiscoal-blackcomrades。TheAbyssinianbloodshowedinstrongcontrasttothenegrotypearoundhim，andhewasfarsuperiorinintelligencetoanyoftheCentralAfricans。

ThegirlswereunderoldKarka，whohadbeenwithusthroughoutourformerjourney。ThisoldwomanwasveryproudbecauseIhadgiven12topurchaseherfreedominKhartoum。Shewasagoodoldsoul，butwonderfullyfondoffineclothes；andongreatoccasionsshealwaysturnedoutincloudsofsnowymuslinwithrededgesandfringe，likeayoungAbyssinianbeauty。Itwasamusingtoseeheremergefromherhutinfullcostume，herbroad，flatfacebeamingwithsmilesinhappyconsciousnessofuniversaladmiration。

OldKarkawasasortofduenuatowatchoverthemoralsoftheyoungergirls，andtoseethattheydidnotbecometoo”fast”；butIbelievethateventheheartofKarkabeathighwhenacertaincorporalofthegallant”FortyThieves”passedby。OldKarkawasactuallyaccusedofsendingpresentsoffood，carefullycookedbyherownhands，tothehouseofthissamecorporal，Abdullah，thusappealingtohisstomach，whichisthedirectroadtotheheart，inAfricancourtship。Theyoungergirlsandtheboysoftheestablishmentexclaimed，”Mashallah！OldKarka！whowouldhavebelievedit?”

Itwascurioustoobservethedifferencebetweenmystationandthatofhead-quartersatGondokoro：atone，allwascontentmentandgoodorder；

intheother，discontentanddisorder。

IhadconstantcomplaintsfromMr。Higginbothamthatmyorders，thatheshouldbesuppliedwithmenforpublicworks，weredisobeyed，andthateveryobstaclewasthrowninhisway。

MyEnglishmenhadbeen，asusual，veryindustriousandhavingerectedtheironmagazines，theywerenowengagedinbuildingaflat-bottomedbargetoassistintransportingcornfromtheislandssouthofRegiaf。

Theyhadnotbeeninthebesthealth，buttheyneverthelesscontinuedtoworkwithanenergyandspiritthatwereadelightfulcontrasttothesluggishnessandapathyoftheEgyptians。

ImmediatelyonmyreturnfromBelinian，IhadgivenordersthatthirtyvesselsshouldbepreparedtoreturntoKhartoum。

Ihadnotreturnedthesevesselsearlier，asIrequiredallthesailorstoassistinbuildingthestation，andincollectingcornforthetroops。Atthisseason(October)theNilewasatitsmaximum，thereforeIhopedtherewouldbenodifficultyinthereturnvoyagetoKhartoumwithempt

后续内容为VIP可读请开通VIP，或购买此章节