ismailia-第124节

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will　open　the　road；　there　is　nothing　to　fear。〃

I　was　then　informed　by　the　same　authority　that　Abou　Saood　had　gone　to
Cairo　to　appeal　to　the　Khedive's　government　against　my　proceedings；　and
to　represent　his　TRADE　as　ruined　by　my　acts。

This　was　a　remarkable　disclosure　at　the　end　of　the　last　act；　the　moral
of　the　piece　was　thus　explained　before　the　curtain　fell。　The
slave…hunter　par　excellence　of　the　White　Nile；　who　had　rented　or　farmed
from　the　government；　for　some　thousands　sterling　per　annum；　the　right　of
TRADING　in　countries　which　did　NOT　belong　to　Egypt；　was　now　on　the　road
to　protest　against　my　interference　with　his　TRADE；　this　innocent
business　being　represented　BY　THREE　VESSELS　WITH　SEVEN　HUNDRED　SLAVES
THAT　WERE　TO　PASS　UNCHECKED　BEFORE　THE　GOVERNMENT　STATION　OF　FASHODA。

I　told　Wat　Hojoly　that　I　did　not　think　he　would　succeed　upon　this
occasion；　but　that　I　should　certainly　not　lay　hands　upon　him。

I　had　not　received　replies　to　my　letters　addressed　to　the　Khedive；
therefore　I　was　determined　not　to　exert　physical　force　again；　at　the
same　time　I　made　up　my　mind　that　the　slave　vessels　should　not　pass
Fashoda。

After　some　delay；　owing　to　a　shallow　portion　of　the　river；　we　passed
ahead；　and　the　fearful　stench　from　the　crowded　slave　vessels　reeking
with　small…pox　followed　us　for　quite　a　mile　down　the　wind。　（Fortunately
there　was　a　powerful　force　with　Wat　Hojoly；　whom　I　called　upon　for
assistance　in　heaving　the　steamer　over　the　bank；　otherwise　we　must　have
dug　a　channel。）

On　19th　June；　at　3。30　P。M。；　we　reached　Fashoda。　The　governor　at　once
came　on　board　to　receive　us。

This　officer　hall　been　only　recently　appointed；　and　he　appeared　to　be
very　energetic　and　desirous　to　assist　me　in　the　total　extinction　of　the
slave　trade。　I　assured　the　governor　（Jusef　Effendi）　that　I　had　entirely
suppressed　it　in　my　territory；　and　I　had　also　suppressed　the　river　trade
in　1870；　but　if　the　authorities　were　determined　to　connive　at　this
abomination；　I　had　been　placed　in　a　disgracefully　false　position；　and
had　been　simply　employed　on　a　fool's　errand。

Jusef　Effendi　assured　me　that　it　would　be　impossible　for　vessels　to　pass
Fashoda　with　slave　cargoes　now　that　he　represented　the　government；　as
the　Khedive　had　issued　the　most　positive　orders　within　the　last　six
months　against　the　traffic　in　slaves；　therefore　such　instructions　must
be　obeyed。

I　did　not　quite　see　that　obedience　to　such　orders　was　absolutely
necessary；　as　the　slave　trade　had　been　similarly　prohibited　by
proclamation　in　the　reign　of　the　late　Said　Pacha；　but　with　no　permanent
effect。

There　were　two　fine　steamers　lying　at　Fashoda；　which　had　formed　a
portion　of　the　fleet　of　six　steamers　that　I　had　sent　up　from　Cairo　some
years　ago　to　tow　my　flotilla　up　the　White　Nile。　This　was　the　first　time
that　I　had　ever　seen　them。

I　now　told　Jusef　Effendi　that　he　would　be　held　responsible　for　the
capture　of　Abou　Saood's　three　vessels；　together　with　the　700　slaves；　at
the　same　time；　it　would　be　advisable　to　allow　them　to　arrive　at　Fashoda
before　their　capture　should　be　attempted；　as　the　fact　of　such　an
audacious　contempt　of　law　would　at　once　implicate　the　former　governor　as
having　been　in　the　habit　of　connivance。

Jusef　Effendi　appeared　to　be　in　earnest。　　He　was　an　active　and　highly
intelligent　Circassian　who　held　the　rank　of　lieutenant…colonel。

My　servants　had　discovered　by　chance；　when　in　communication　with　Wat
Hojoly；　that　Salim…Wat…Howah；　who　had　been　one　of　the　principal
ringleaders　in　the　attack　upon　the　troops　at　Fatiko；　and　had
subsequently　knocked　down　Suleiman　and　possessed　himself　forcibly　of　the
ammunition　from　the　magazine；　with　which　he　and　his　party　had　absconded；
was　now　actually　concealed　on　one　of　the　three　slave　vessels。　I　had
taken　care　not　to　mention　his　name　to　Wat　Hojoly；　lest　he　should　be　left
at　some　station　upon　the　route；　and　thus　escape　me。

I　now　gave　a　written　order　to　Jusef　Effendi　to　arrest　him　upon　the
arrival　of　the　slave　vessels；　and　to　send　him　to　Khartoum　in　irons。

The　news　of　Abou　Saood's　personal　appeal　to　the　government　at　Cairo　was
confirmed　by　the　best　authorities　at　Fashoda。

On　21st　June　I　took　leave　of　Jusef　Effendi；　and　upon　the　28th；　at　11
A。M。；　we　arrived　at　the　large　tree　which　is　within　five　miles　of
Khartoum；　by　the　short　cut　across　the　neck　of　land　to　the　Blue　Nile。

I　stopped　at　this　tree；　and　immediately　wrote　to　Ismail　Ayoub　Pacha；　the
new　governor　of　Khartoum；　to　telegraph　INSTANTLY　to　Cairo　to　arrest　Abou
Saood。

I　sent　this　note　by　a　faithful　officer；　Ferritch　Agha；　with　positive
orders　that　he　was　to　deliver　it　into　the　hands　of　Ismail　Pacha。

This　order　was　immediately　carried　out　before　any　people　in　Khartoum　had
an　idea　of　my　return。　Had　I　at　once　steamed　round　the　point；　some　friend
would　have　telegraphed　my　arrival　to　Abou　Saood　in　Cairo；　and　he　might
have　gone　into　concealment。

In　the　afternoon　we　observed　a　steamer　rounding　the　distant　headland　at
the　point　of　junction　of　the　two　Niles。　She　rapidly　approached；　and　in
about　half　an　hour　my　old　friend；　Ismail　Ayoub　Pacha；　stepped　on　board
my　diahbeeah；　and　gave　us　a　hearty　welcome。

There　was　no　letter　either　from　the　Khedive　or　Cherif　Pacha；　in　reply　to
the　important　communications　that　I　had　written　more　than　two　years　ago。

Ismail　Ayoub　Pacha　was　a　friend　of　eight　years'　date。　I　had　known　him
during　my　first　expedition　to　the　Nile　sources　as　Ismail　Bey；　president
of　the　council　at　Khartoum。　He　had　lately　been　appointed　governor；　and　I
could　only　regret　that　my　excellent　friend　had　not　been　in　that　capacity
from　the　commencement　of　the　expedition；　as　I　should　have　derived　much
assistance　from　his　great　energy　and　intelligence。

Ismail　Ayoub　Pacha　is　a　Circassian。　I　have　observed　that　all　those
officers　who　are　superior　to　the　average　in　intellect　and　general
capacity　belong　to　this　race。　The　Circassians　are　admirably　represented
in　Cherif　Pacha；　who　is　well　known　and　respected　by　all　Europeans　in
Egypt　for　his　probity　and　high　intelligence；　and　Riaz　Pacha；　who　was
lately　the　Minister　for　Public　Instruction；　is　a　Circassian　much　beloved
and　respected。

Ismail　Ayoub　had　commenced　a　great　reform　in　the　Soudan；　in　his
endeavour　to　put　down　the　wholesale　system　of　bribery　and　corruption
which　was　the　ruin　of　the　country。　He　had　also　commenced　a　great　work；
according　to　the　orders　he　had　received　from　the　Khedive；　to　remove　the
sudd　or　obstruction　to　the　navigation　of　the　great　White　Nile。　He
succeeded　in　re…opening　the　White　Nile　to　navigation　in　the　following
season。

The　Khedive　had　given　this　important　order　in　consequence　of　letters
that　I　had　written　on　31st　August；　1870；　to　the　Minister　of　the
Interior；　Cherif　Pacha；　and　to　his　Highness　direct　on　8th　October；　1871；
in　which　communications　I　had　strenuously　advocated　the　absolute
necessity　of　taking　the　work　in　hand；　with　a　determination　to
re…establish　the　river　in　its　original　navigable　condition。

Ismail　Ayoub　Pacha　had　been　working　with　a　large　force；　and　he　had
succeeded　in　clearing；　according　to　his　calculations；　one　half　of　the
obstruction；　which　extended　for　many　miles。

There　was　no　engineering　difficulty　in　the　undertaking；　which　was　simply
a　matter　of　time　and　steady　labour。

The　immense　force　of　the　main　stream；　thus　confined　by　matted　and
tangled　vegetation；　would　materially　assist　the　work；　as　the　clearing
was　commenced　from　below　the　current。

The　work　would　become　lighter　as　the　head　of　the　sudd　would　be　neared。

A　curious　accident　had　happened　to　Ismail　Pacha　by　the　sudden　break…up
of　a　large　portion　of　the　sudd；　that　had　been　weakened　by　cutting　a　long
but　narrow　channel。

The　prodigious　rafts　of　vegetation　were　hurried　before　the　stream　like
ice…floes；　and　these　masses　having　struck　against　a　line　of　six　noggurs；
the　vessels　were　literally　swept　away　and　buried　beneath　the　great
rafts；　until　they　capsized　and　disappeared　for　ever　in　the　deep　channel。

Late　in　the　evening　Ismail　Pacha　took　leave　and　returned　in　his　steamer
to　Khartoum。　We　had　enjoyed　a　long　conversation；　and　I　felt　sure　that
the　Soudan　and　Central　Africa　would　quickly　feel　the　benefit　of　Ismail
Ayoub　Pacha's　administration；　as　he　combined　great　energy　and
determination　with　nine　years'　experience　of　the　requirements　of　his
province。

On　29th　June　the　new　steamer；　the　Khedive；　rounded　the　point　at　full
speed　with　our　diahbeeah　in　tow。

All　the　population　of　Khartoum　thronged　to　the　banks　and　the　new　quay　to
witness　the　arrival　of　the　extraordinary　steamer　that　travelled　without
paddles；　and　which　had　been　constructed　by　the　Englishmen　at　Ismailia
（Gondokoro）。

The　troops　were　in　order；　and　as　the　Khedive　drew　alongside　the　quay　we
were　warmly　welcomed　by　Ismail　Ayoub　Pacha　with　the　usual　formalities。

A　few　days　latter；　a　steamer　arrived　from　Fashoda　with　the　three　vessels
in　tow　belonging　to　Abou　Saood；　which　had　attempted　to　pass　the
government　station　with　more　than　600　slaves　on　board；　about　100　having
died　of　the　small…pox　since　I　had　left　the　Bahr　Giraffe。　The　small…pox
was　still　raging　on　board；　therefore　the　vessels　were　taken　to　the　north
bank　of　the　Blue　Nile　and　placed　in