第92章

TheEnglishmenhadcarefullypackedeverythingthatbelongedtotheNo。

3steamerandmachinery，andhadstowedherinamagazinethatwasgiveninchargeofanofficer，whogaveareceiptforthecontents。

Everythingwasreadybythe25thMayforourreturnhomewards。IerectedamonumentofredbrickcoatedwithpitchovermypoorfriendHigginbotham’sgrave，withinmygarden，nearthespotwherethemissionarieswereformerlyburied。

Westartedonthe26th，havingtakenafarewellofmygallant”FortyThieves，”manyofwhomshowedmuchemotionatparting。AsIwalkeddownthelineoftroopswhenItookofficialleave，myoldsoldiersbroketheboundsofdisciplinebyshouting：”MayGodgiveyoualonglife！andmayyoumeetyourfamilyingoodhealthathome！”

Ifeltachokingsensationinsayinggood-bye；butweweresoononboard，andthesteamwasup。

Thenewsteamer，theKhedive，tookusintow，andwetravelledrapidlydownthestreamtowardshomeinoldEngland。

AlthoughIhadwrittenthemostimportantletterstotheKhediveandtohisministerinOctober1871，Ihad，tomyamazement，NOTRECEIVEDONE

WORDINREPLYbythepostthathadarrivedfromEgypt。Ihadapparentlybeenlookeduponasadeadmanthatdidnotrequirealetter。ItappearedthatmyexistencewasutterlyignoredbytheEgyptiangovernment，althoughIhadreceivedmylettersinduecoursefromEngland。

OnarrivalattheBahrGiraffe，wefoundthatthecanalswhichIhadformerlycutweremuchimprovedbytheforceofthestream。Althoughthesepassageswerenarrow，theyhadbecomedeep，andweprogressedwithcomparativelylittletrouble。

On7thJune，threesailswerereportedaheadonthehorizon。Wepushedforwardwithsomecuriosity，butunfortunatelyasuddofvegetableraftshadclosedthepassageforashortdistance，whichrequiredaboutanhourtoclean；thisdelayedthechase。

Thatevening，aswehadstoppedforthenightataspotknownasthe”ThreeDubbas，”weheardawoman’svoicefromthehighgrassaddressingusinanimploringtone。Iimmediatelysentaboattomakeinquiries，asoneofournativegirlsunderstoodthelanguage。

Itappearedthatthewomanhadthesmall-pox，andshehadbeenthereforethrownintothehighgrass，andabandonedbythevakeelofthethreevesselsthatwehadobservedinthedistance。Shedescribedthesevesselsasbeingcrowdedwithslaves。

Igavetheunfortunatecreatureasupplyofsixdays’food，togetherwithacooking-potandsomefirewood，butIdarednotintroducesohorribleadiseaseasthesmall-poxamongourparty。Shewasthusleftaloneuponthedubba。(Atthisseasonnativefishermenvisitedthedubba，thereforeshewasmostprobablydiscoveredonthefollowingmorning。)

On8thJunewesteamedalong，towardsthetallmastsandyardsofthethreevesselswhichweperceiveduponthehorizon。

Theintricaciesofthenarrowchannelweresuchthatwedidnotovertaketheslaversuntilsunset。

Wethenanchoredforthenightinalake，whileIsentaboatforwardintothecanaloccupiedbythethreevesselstoorderthevakeelofthecompanytovisitmeimmediately。

InashorttimetheboatreturnedwithmyoldacquaintanceWatHojoly，thevakeeloftheBohrstationbelongingtoAbouSaood。

Ihadalwayslikedthisman，ashewasgenerallystraightforwardinhismanner。Henowtoldme，withouttheslightestreserve，thatduringmyabsenceinthesouth，severalcargoesofslaveshadpassedthegovernmentstationatFashodabybribingthegovernor；andthathewouldcertainlyhavenodifficulty，providedthatIdidnotseizehim。Heconfessedthathehad700slavesonboardthethreevessels，andaccordingtoordersthathehadreceivedfromhismaster，AbouSaood，hewasconveyingthemtotheirdestination，afewdayssouthofKhartoum，ontheWhiteNile；atwhichpointtheycouldeithermarchoverlandtothewestviaKordofan，ortotheeastviaSennaar；whencetheycouldpassunmolestedtotheRedSeaortoothermarkets。

Thesmall-poxhadbrokenoutamongtheslaves，severalofwhomhaddied。

Iwasmostthoroughlydisgustedandsickatheart。Afterallthetroublean

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