第40章

ON6thNovember，1871，LieutenantBakerreturnedfromGondokorowithfournoggurs，andtheentiredetachmentofLieutenant-ColonelAchmet。

Thenewswasasfollows：-

AfterthedepartureofMajorAbdullah，thenativeshadattackedthecampofColonelAchmet，andhadwoundedhiminthebackwithabarbedarrow，whichhadtobecutout。Anotherarrowhadpassedthroughtheheartofhisservant，killinghimonthespot。Severalsoldiershadbeenwounded，butnotseriously。ThecornhadbeendeliveredfromhisstationtothemagazinesatGondokoro。

On3rdNovember，thirtyvesselshadleftGondokoroforKhartoum，takingabout1，100people，includingchildren，women，sailors，soldiers，andinvalids。

Inspiteofmypositiveorders，thatnonebutthereallysickshouldbesenttoKhartoum，RaoufBeyhadinmyabsencesentawaygreatnumbersoftroopswhowereinsoundhealth，thusreducingtheentireforceoftheexpeditionto502officersandmen，includingbuglers，drummers，clerks，&c。，exclusiveoffifty-twosailors。

Thusanexpeditionthatshouldhavecomprised1，645menwasreducedtosoinsignificantaforce，thatitappearedimpossibletoproceedintotheinterior。TheBariswereatwarwithus；theslave-hunters’

companiesweretreacherous；andyetIwastosuppresstheslavetrade，andannextheequatorialdistrictswithlessthanone-thirdoftheforcerequired。

AbouSaoodhadapparentlygainedhispoint，andtheexpeditionwasparalyzed。ItwasconsideredthatwithsosmallaforceIcouldnottravelfarfromheadquarters：thusasmytermofservicewouldexpireon1stApril1873，Ihadonlyoneyearandfourmonthsremaining，andinthisshorttimeitwouldbeimpossibletoaccomplishmyobject。

InthedreadfulstateoftheriverwecouldnotspeculateuponthearrivalofreinforcementsfromKhartoum。OurcuttingsandcanalsintheDalirGiraffemighthaveclosedup；ortheymighthaveimproved：ofthiswewereignorant。

IhadsentoffmyletterstoEngland，alsothosetotheKhedive，complainingoftheconspiracyoftheofficers，andinclosingthedocuments。AtthesametimeIhadimpresseduponhisHighnesstheimperativenecessityofopeningthechannelofthegreatWhiteNilewithoutdelay。[*]

[*Footnote：HisHighnesslostnotimeinsendingthenecessaryordersfortheclearingofthemainchanneloftheWhiteNiletothegovernoroftheSoudan。Thisenergeticofficer，IsmailAyoobPacha，workedwithalargeforceduringtwoconsecutiveyearsandrestoredtherivertoitsoriginalcharacter——completingtheworkafterIhadreturnedtoEngland，butbeforethearrivalofmysuccessor。ColonelGordonwasthusenabledtomakeuseofthesixpowerfulsteamerswhichIhadsentupfromCairotoKhartoum，andtheexpeditioncontinuedwithouthindrance。]

IhadwrittentoDjiafferPachaforreinforcements[*]tobesentfromKhartoumimmediately，togetherwithalargesupplyofdhurra。

[*Footnote：ThesereinforcementswerethirteenmonthsactuallyontheriverfromKhartoumtoGondokoro，andtheyonlyarrivedatthecloseoftheexpedition。)

IhadverylittlehopeofreceivinganythingfromtheSoudan。Itwasthereforenecessarytomakemyarrangementsforthefuture，independentlyofallextraneousassistance。With502officersandmen，andfifty-twoarmedsailors，Ihadtoaccomplishthework。

Theforceatpresentwithmeconsistedof251officersandmen；thusI

hadexactlyhalfofthetroops。Gondokorowaswellfortified，andtheBelinianhadbeenthoroughlycowed，thereforeIhadnothingtofearinthatquarter。

Ihadmorethanfilledoneofthegreatmagazineswithcorn：therefore，includingthedhurranowonboardseveralvessels，Ihadabouttwelvemonths’supplyfortheexpedition。

Althoughmyforcewasterriblyreducedinnumbers，themenwhoremainedwerestrongandhealthy。Ididnotdespair；butIdeterminedthatthisreductionofmilitaryforceshouldNOTparalyzetheactivityoftheexpedition，andthatinspiteofeveryintrigue，Iwouldsucceedinthemainobjectsoftheenterprise；theslavetradeshouldbesuppressed，andtheterritoryshouldbeannexedtotheequator。

On10thNovemberItookahundredandfiftymeninordertomakeareconnaissanceofthecountry，atthelastcataractsoftheWhiteNile，aboutsixmilessouthofourposition。

Westartedearly，andmarchedalongt

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