第93章

AcuriousaccidenthadhappenedtoIsmailPachabythesuddenbreak-upofalargeportionofthesudd，thathadbeenweakenedbycuttingalongbutnarrowchannel。

Theprodigiousraftsofvegetationwerehurriedbeforethestreamlikeice-floes，andthesemasseshavingstruckagainstalineofsixnoggurs，thevesselswereliterallysweptawayandburiedbeneaththegreatrafts，untiltheycapsizedanddisappearedforeverinthedeepchannel。

LateintheeveningIsmailPachatookleaveandreturnedinhissteamertoKhartoum。Wehadenjoyedalongconversation，andIfeltsurethattheSoudanandCentralAfricawouldquicklyfeelthebenefitofIsmailAyoubPacha’sadministration，ashecombinedgreatenergyanddeterminationwithnineyears’experienceoftherequirementsofhisprovince。

On29thJunethenewsteamer，theKhedive，roundedthepointatfullspeedwithourdiahbeeahintow。

AllthepopulationofKhartoumthrongedtothebanksandthenewquaytowitnessthearrivaloftheextraordinarysteamerthattravelledwithoutpaddles，andwhichhadbeenconstructedbytheEnglishmenatIsmailia(Gondokoro)。

Thetroopswereinorder，andastheKhedivedrewalongsidethequaywewerewarmlywelcomedbyIsmailAyoubPachawiththeusualformalities。

Afewdayslatter，asteamerarrivedfromFashodawiththethreevesselsintowbelongingtoAbouSaood，whichhadattemptedtopassthegovernmentstationwithmorethan600slavesonboard，about100havingdiedofthesmall-poxsinceIhadlefttheBahrGiraffe。Thesmall-poxwasstillragingonboard，thereforethevesselsweretakentothenorthbankoftheBlueNileandplacedinquarantine。

Astheguardpassedbywithprisoners，Irecognizedmyfriendthevakeel，WatHojoly，inirons。TheunfortunatemanhadfoundanewgovernoratFashodainsteadofhisoldacquaintance；thushedidNOT

passfree；asIhadanticipated。

Walkingnexttothevakeel，heavilychained，withhiswristssecuredinablockofwoodsimilartostocks，camethecreamofruffians，Salim-Wat-Howah，nailedatlast。

Thisvillainous-lookingfellowwasafterwardstriedbeforethemedjeldis，ortribunal，andbyoverpoweringevidencehewasfoundguiltyofhavingfirstthreatenedtoattackMajorAbdullahinthegovernmentcampofFatiko；andsecondly，withhavingactuallygiventheorderstofire，andhavingfiredhimself，on2ndAugust，1872，whenwehadbeentreacherouslyattackedbyAbouSaood’scompany。

IspokeinfavourofWatHojoly，ashehadotherwisebehavedwelltowardsthegovernment，andhewassimplycarryingouttheordersofhismaster，AbouSaood。

IthadbeentheusualcustomintheSoudantosparetheemployers，whowerethemostresponsibleparties，buttopunishthesmallfry，suchasvakeels，andthereis，orcaptainsofvessels。

IsmailPachahadmadegreatimprovementsinKhartoum，andhehadcompletedthenewgovernmenthousethathadbeencommencedbyhispredecessor，MoomtazzPacha，whowasalsoamostintelligentCircassian。

Hehadlikewisemadeagreatchangebyconvertingalargeopenspaceintoapublicgarden，whereitwashisintentionthatthemilitarybandshouldplayeveryeveningfortheamusementofthepeople。

SteamirrigationworkswerealsocommencedonthenorthsideoftheBlueNileforthecultivationofcotton。

AfterafewdaysatKhartoumwetookleaveofourgoodfriend，IsmailAyoubPacha，andstartedforCairobysteamer。

Ihadleftmytwoboys，SaatandBellaal，withIsmailPacha，tobeinstructedeitherasmusiciansorsoldiers，thelatterprofessionbeingtheirgreatambition。Therewasalreadyaschoolestablishedfortheeducation

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