第94章

Thusitisplainthat，whileIwasendeavouringtodomyduty，otherswhoshouldhavebeensupportingmewereactuallysupportingtheslave-hunters。NopeoplecouldhavehadtheabsurdaudacitytoattemptthepassageoftheriverinfrontofFashoda——agovernmentstation，garrisonedbytworegiments，andprovidedwithtwosteamers——unlesstheywereinleaguewiththeofficials。

MypersonalinterferencehasrenderedtheslavetradeoftheWhiteNileimpossiblesolongasthegovernmentisdeterminedthatitshallbeimpossible。Atthecloseoftheexpedition，thehigherofficialshadbeenchanged，andthecountryappearedtobeingoodhands。ThegovernorofFashoda，JusefEffendi，hadcapturedtheslavevesselsofAbouSaoodaccordingtomyinstructions。IsmailAyoubPachahadbeenappointedgovernorofKhartoum。HusseinKhalifah，theArabdesertsheik，wasgovernorofBerber，andvariousimportantchangeshadbeenmadeamongthehigherauthoritiesthroughouttheSoudan，whichprovedthattheKhedivewasdetermineduponreform。

OnegrandandsweepingreformwasabsolutelynecessarytoextinguishtheslavetradeofCentralAfrica，andthisIleadthehonourtosuggest：——”ThatallthepresentexistingtradersortenantsoftheWhiteNileshouldbeexpelledfromthecountry，preciselyasIhadexpelledthemfromtheterritoryundermycommand。”ThegovernmentwouldthenassumethemonopolyoftheivorytradeoftheWhiteNile，andthenativeswouldinafewyearsberestoredtoconfidence。

Solongastheso-calledtradersofKhartoumshouldbepermittedtoestablishthemselvesasindependentpiraticalsocietiesintheNileBasin，theslavetradewouldcontinue，andtheroadthroughDarfurandKordofanwouldbeadoptedinplaceofthetabooedWhiteNile。

ShouldtheWhiteNilecompaniesbetotallydisbanded，thepeoplenowengagedmustreturntotheiroriginalagriculturalpursuitsintheSoudan，andtheirlabourwouldtendtoanincreaseoftherevenue，andtothegeneralprosperityofthecountry。

Ihavealreadypublishedsomuchonthesubjectoftheslavetradein”TheAlbertN’yanza，”thatIfeartorepeatwhatIhavebeforesoforciblyexpressed。Ihaveneverchangedmyoriginalopinionsonthisquestion，andIcanonlyreferthepublictopage313，vol。ii。，ofthatwork，whenceItakethefollowingextract：——”StoptheWhiteNiletrade；

prohibitthedepartureofanyvesselsfromKhartoumtothesouth，andlettheEgyptiangovernmentgrantaconcessiontoacompanyfortheWhiteNile，subjecttocertainconditions，andtoaspecialsupervision……”Shouldtheslavetradebesuppressed，therewillbea，goodopeningfortheivorytrade；theconflictingtradingpartiesbeingwithdrawn，andtheinterestofthetradeexhibitedbyasinglecompany，thenativeswouldnolongerbeabletobarterivoryforcattle；thustheywouldbeforcedtoacceptothergoodsinexchange。Thenewly-discoveredAlbertLakeopensthecentreofAfricatonavigation。

SteamersascendfromKhartoumtoGondokoroinlat。4degrees55’。Sevendays’marchsouthofthatstationthenavigableportionoftheNileisreached，whencevesselscanascenddirecttotheAlbertLake；thusanenormousextentofcountryisopenedtonavigation，andManchestergoodsandvariousotherarticleswouldfindareadymarketinexchangeforivoryataprodigiousprofit，asinthosenewly-discoveredregionsivoryhasamerelynominalvalue。”BeyondthiscommencementofhonesttradeIcannotofferasug

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