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portion　of　the　men　of　their　villages　had　been　killed　by　the
slave…hunters。

Having　weighed　the　ivory　and　counted　the　tusks；　I　had　the　vessel
reloaded；　and　having　placed　an　officer　with　a　guard　on　board；　I　sent　her
to　Khartoum　to　be　confiscated　as　a　slaver。

I　ordered　the　slaves　to　wash；　and　issued　clothes　from　the　magazine　for
the　naked　women。

On　the　following　day　I　inspected　the　captives；　and　I　explained　to　them
their　exact　position。　They　were　free　people；　and　if　their　homes　were　at
a　reasonable　distance　they　should　be　returned。　If　not　they　must　make
themselves　generally　useful；　in　return　for　which　they　would　be　fed　and
clothed。

If　any　of　the　women　wished　to　marry；　there　were　many　fine　young　men　in
the　regiments　who　would　make　capital　husbands。　I　gave　each　person　a
paper　of　freedom；　signed　by　myself。　This　was　contained　in　a　hollow　reed
and　suspended　round　their　necks。　Their　names；　approximate　age；　sex；　and
country　were　registered　in　a　book　corresponding　with　the　numbers　on
their　papers。

These　arrangements　occupied　the　whole　morning。　　In　the　afternoon　I　again
inspected　them。　Having　asked　the　officer　whether　any　of　the　negresses
would　wish　to　be　married；　he　replied　that　all　the　women　wished　to　marry；
and　that　they　had　already　selected　their　husbands！

This　was　wholesale　matrimony；　that　required　a　church　as　large　as
Westminster　Abbey；　and　a　whole　company　of　clergy！

Fortunately；　matters　are　briefly　arrranged　in　Africa。　　I　saw　the　loving
couples　standing　hand　in　hand。　Some　of　the　girls　were　pretty；　and　my
black　troops　had　shown　good　taste　in　their　selection。　Unfortunately；
however；　for　the　Egyptian　regiment；　the　black　ladies　had　a　strong
antipathy　to　brown　men；　and　the　suitors　were　all　refused。　This　was　a
very　awkward　affair。　The　ladies　having　received　their　freedom；　at　once
asserted　〃woman's　rights。〃

I　was　obliged　to　limit　the　matrimonial　engagements；　and　those　who　were
for　a　time　condemned　to　single　blessedness　were　placed　in　charge　of
certain　officers　to　perform　the　cooking　for　the　troops　and　other
domestic　work。　I　divided　the　boys　into　classes；　some　I　gave　to　the
English　workmen　to　be　instructed　in　carpenter's　and　blacksmith's　work；
others　were　apprenticed　to　tailors；　shoemakers；　&c。；　in　the　regiment；
while　the　best　looking　were　selected　as　domestic　servants。　A　nice　little
girl；　of　about　three　years　old；　without　parents；　was　taken　care　of　by　my
wife。

When　slaves　are　liberated　in　large　numbers　there　is　always　a　difficulty
in　providing　for　them。　We　feel　this　dilemma　when　our　cruisers　capture
Arab　dhows　on　the　east　coast　of　Africa；　and　our　government　becomes
responsible　for　an　influx　of　foundlings。　It　is　generally　quite
impossible　to　return　them　to　their　own　homes；　therefore　all　that　can　be
done　is　to　instruct　them　in　some　useful　work　by　which　they　can　earn
their　livelihood。　If　the　boys　have　their　choice；　they　invariably　desire
a　military　life；　and　I　believe　it　is　the　best　school　for　any　young
savage；　as　he　is　at　once　placed　under　strict　discipline；　which　teaches
him　habits　of　order　and　obedience。　The　girls；　like　those　of　other
countries；　prefer　marriage　to　regular　domestic　work；　nevertheless；　if
kindly　treated；　with　a　due　amount　of　authority；　they　make　fair　servants
for　any　rough　employment。

When　female　children　are　about　five　years　old　they　are　most　esteemed　by
the　slave…dealers；　as　they　can　be　more　easily　taught；　and　they　grow　up
with　an　attachment　to　their　possessors；　and　in　fact　become　members　of
the　family。

Little　Mostoora；　the　child　taken　by　my　wife；　was　an　exceedingly　clever
specimen　of　her　race；　and　although　she　was　certainly　not　more　than　three
years　old；　she　was　quicker　than　most　children　of　double　her　age。　With　an
ugly　little　face；　she　bad　a　beautifully　shaped　figure；　and　possessed　a
power　of　muscle　that　I　have　never　seen　in　a　white　child　of　that　age。　Her
lot　had　fallen　in　pleasant　quarters；　she　was　soon　dressed　in　convenient
clothes　and　became　the　pet　of　the　family。

On　June　17；　1　sent　the　No。　9　steamer　to　Khartoum　with　the　post；　together
with　three　sons　of　Quat　Kare；　who　were　to　represent　their　father　at　the
divan　of　Djiaffer　Pacha。　The　old　man　declined　the　voyage；　pleading　his
age　as　an　excuse。　Mr。　Wood　also　returned；　as　his　health　required　an
immediate　change　to　Egypt。　On　the　25th；　four　vessels　arrived　from　the
south；　two　belonging　to　Kutchuk　Ali；　one　to　Agad；　and　one　to　a　trader
named　Assaballa；　from　the　Bahr　Gazal。　The　latter　had　thirty…five　slaves
on　board。　The　others　had　heard；　by　some　vessels　that　had　gone　up　from
Khartoum；　that　I　had　formed　a　station　near　the　Sobat；　and　had　captured
the　vessel　and　slaves　of　Kutchuk　Ali；　thus　they　had　landed　their　slaves
at　the　Bahr　Giraffe　station。　The　Bahr　Gazal　vessel　having　arrived　from　a
different　direction　had　not　received　the　information。　I　seized　the　boat
and　cargo；　and　liberated　the　slaves。

On　board　the　diahbeeah　of　Kutchuk　Ali　were　four　musicians；　natives　of
Pongo；　on　the　river　Djoor。　Their　band　consisted　of　two　iron　bells；　a
flageolet　and　an　instrument　made　of　hard　wood　that　was　arranged　like　the
musical　glasses　of　Europe。　The　latter　was　formed　of　ten　pieces　of　a
metallic　sounding…wood　suspended　above　long　narrow　gourd　shells。　Each
piece　of　wood　produced　a　separate　note；　and　the　instrument　was　played　by
four　sticks；　the　ends　of　which　were　covered　with　india…rubber。　The
general　effect；　although　a　savage　kind　of　harmony；　was　superior　to　most
native　attempts　at　music。

The　station　of　Tewfikeeyah　had　now　assumed　an　important　aspect；　and　I
much　regretted　that　when　the　time　should　arrive　for　our　departure　to　the
south　it　would　be　abandoned：　however；　I　determined　to　keep　all　hands
employed；　as　there　is　nothing　so　demoralizing　to　troops　as　inaction。　At
the　same　time　there　was　a　general　dislike　to　the　expedition；　and　all
trusted　that　something　might　happen　that　would　prevent　another　attempt
to　penetrate　the　marshes　of　the　Bahr　Giraffe。　There　was　much　allowance
to　be　made　for　this　feeling。　The　seeds　of　dangerous　disorders；　that　had
been　sown　by　the　malaria　of　the　swamps；　had　now　exhibited　themselves　in
fatal　attacks　of　dysentery；　that　quickly　formed　a　cemetery　at
Tewfikeeyah。

The　Egyptian　troops　were　generally　sickly　and　dispirited；　and　went　to
their　daily　work　in　a　slouching；　dogged　manner；　that　showed　their
passive　hatred　of　the　employment。

I　arranged　that　the　sailors　should　cultivate　a　piece　of　ground　with
corn；　while　the　soldiers　should　be　employed　in　a　similar　manner　in
another　position。　The　sailors　were　all　Nubians；　or　the　natives　of
Dongola；　Berber；　and　the　countries　bordering　the　Nile　in　the　Soudan。
These　people　were　of　the　same　class　as　the　slave…hunter　companies；　men
who　hated　work　and　preferred　a　life　of　indolence；　lounging　sleepily
about　their　vessels。　I　quickly　got　these　fellows　into　order　by　dividing
them　into　gangs；　over　which　I　placed　separate　headmen；　the　captains　of
vessels；　one　superior　officer　commanded；　and　was　responsible　for　the
whole。

They　only　worked　six　hours　daily；　but　by　this　simple　organization　I　soon
had　thirty　acres　of　land　cleaned。　The　grass　and　roots　were　burnt　in
piles；　the　ashes　spread；　and　the　entire　field　was　dug　over　and　sown　with
barley；　wheat；　and　dhurra。　There　is　a　civilizing　influence　in
cultivation；　and　nothing　is　so　cheering　in　a　wild　country　as　the　sight
of　well…arranged　green　fields　that　are　flourishing　in　the　centre　of　the
neglected　wilderness。　I　had　now　a　promising　little　farm　of　about　thirty
acres　belonging　to　our　naval　brigade；　and　a　very　unpromising　farm；　that
had　been　managed　by　my　Colonel；　Raouf　Bey。　The　soldiers　had　never　even
cleared　the　rough　native　grass　from　the　surface；　but　had　turned　up　the
soil　in　small　lots　at　intervals　of　about　a　foot；　into　which　they　had
carelessly　dropped　a　few　grains　of　corn。

We　now　found　agricultural　enemies　that　were　unexpected。　Guinea…fowl
recognized　the　importance　of　cultivation；　and　created　terrible　damage。
Small　birds　of　the　sparrow　tribe　infested　the　newly…sown　land　in　clouds；
but　worse　than　these　enemies　were　the　vast　armies　of　great　ants。

These　industrious　insects；　ever　providing　for　the　future；　discovered　the
newly　sown　barley　and　wheat；　and　considering　that　such　an　opportunity
should　not　be　neglected；　they　literally　marched　off　with　the　greater
portion　of　the　seed　that　was　exposed。　I　saw　them　on　many　occasions
returning　in　countless　numbers　from　a　foray；　each　carrying　in　its　mouth
a　grain　of　barley　or　wheat。　I　tracked　them　to　their　subterranean　nests；
in　one　of　which　I　found　about　a　peck　of　corn　which　had　been　conveyed　by
separate　grains；　and　patches　of　land　had　been　left　nearly　barren　of
seed。

The　large　crimson…headed　goose　of　the　White　Nile　quickly　discovered　that
barley　was　a　food　well　adapted　for　the　physical　constitution　of　geese；
and　great　numbers　flocked　to　the　new　farm。　The　guinea…fowl　were　too　wild
to　approach　successfully；　however；　we　shot　them　daily。　I　set　little　boys
to　scream　from　daylight　till　sunset　to　scare　the　clouds　of　small　birds；
but　the　boys　screamed　themselves　to　sleep；　and　the　sparrows　quickly
discovered　the　incapacity　of　the　watchers。　Wild　fowl　were　so　numerous　on
an　island　opposite　the　farm　that