ismailia-第113部分

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the　ignorance　of　the　officers　and　crew。

We　reached　Cairo　on　24th　August　at　4。30　P。M。　　On　25th　I　had　the　honour
of　presenting　myself　to　his　Highness　the　Khedive；　to　explain　the　large
chart　of　his　new　territory　that　I　had　annexed　in　Central　Africa。

I　received　from　his　Highness　the　Imperial　order　of　the　Osmanie；　2nd
class；　as　a　token　of　his　approbation　of　my　services。　I　had　already　had
the　honour　to　accept　from　his　hands　the　order　of　the　Medjidie；　2nd
class；　before　I　had　started　upon　my　mission。　His　Highness　the　Khedive
now　conferred　upon　Lieutenant　Baker　the　order　of　the　Medjidie；　3rd
class。

I　handed　the　botanical　collection　to　his　Highness　the　Khedive；　which　had
been　carefully　prepared　throughout　the　journey　by　Lady　Baker。
Unfortunately　more　than　300　specimens　of　plants　had　been　destroyed　by
the　conflagration　at　Masindi。　The　botanical　specimens；　together　with
samples　of　the　fibres；　skins；　and　the　salt　of　the　new　territory；　were
ordered　to　be　forwarded　to　the　Vienna　Exhibition。

The　Khedive　expressed　his　determination　to　judge　Abou　Saood　by　a　special
tribunal；　composed　of　Cherif　Pacha；　Nubar　Pacha；　and　Ismail　Pacha；　the
Minister　of　Finance。　I　handed　seventeen　documents　to　Nubar　Pacha；　with
evidence　sworn　to　upon　the　Koran　before　witnesses；　and　properly　sealed
by　Wat…el…Mek；　Suleiman；　the　sheiks　of　the　country；　Major　Abdullah；　and
others；　against　Abou　Saood；　charging　him　with　various　crimes；　including
treason　in　having　given　the　orders　that　his　Fatiko　company　should　fire
at　me　and　the　government　troops。　I　took　a　receipt　for　these　important
documents。

I　had　also　brought　up　several　of　the　〃Forty　Thieves〃　as　viva…voce
witnesses；　in　addition　to　Lieutenant　Baker；　R。N。；　Lieutenant…Colonel
Abd…el…Kader；　Captain　Mohammed　Deii；　and　two　servants；　Suleiman　and
Mohammed　Haroon。　Thus　all　the　evidence　was　in　official　order：

I　26th　Jumay　Owal；　1289；　report　of　Major　Abdullah　（commandant　of
Fatiko）：　threatening　conduct　of　Abou　Saood's　vakeels　during　my　absence。

2。　28th　Jumay　Owal；　1289；　the　declaration　of　the　regimental　officers　of
Fort　Fatiko。

3。　6th　October；　1872；　1st　Shaban；　1289；　the　declaration　of　the　vakeels
of　Abou　Saood　（Wat…el…Mek　and　Suleiman）；　that　they　had　acted　according
to　orders　received　from　Abou　Saood。

4。　26th　Jumay　Owal；　1289；　Major　Abdullah's　declaration　against　Abou
Saood　and　his　company　at　Fatiko。

5。　12th　Jumay　Ocher；　1289；　declaration　of　the　chiefs　of　the　country；
complaining　of　the　kidnapping　of　women　and　children；　massacres；　&c。；
committed　by　Abou　Saood　and　his　companies。

6。　Declaration　of　Abou　Saood's　men；　containing　declarations　of　Mohammed；
Wat…el…Mek；　and　Besheer　Achmet；　that　Abou　Saood　gave　the　order　to　fire
at　the　Pacha　and　the　government　troops。　Two　large　papers。

7。　29th　Jumay　Owal；　1289；　letter　from　Abou　Saood　from　Fabbo。

8。　29th　Rebi　Owal；　1289；　Major　Abdullah's　reasons　for　not　detaining
Suleiman；　and　for　not　arresting　Abou　Saood。

9。　2nd　Jumay　Acher；　1289；　letter　from　Abou　Saood；　Fatiko。

10。　29th　Jumay　Owal；　1289；　order　for　confiscation　of　Fatiko　after　the
attack　made　upon　the　troops。

11。　Letter　from　officers　of　Fabbo。

12。　4th　Regeb；　1289；　report　of　Abou　Saood's　escape　with　government　guns；
&c。

13。　22nd　Jumay　Acher；　1289；　letter　from　vakeel　Suleiman；　Fabbo。

14。　3rd　November；　1872；　proces…verbal；　declaration　of　Suleiman　and　Abou
Saood's　people。

15。　1st　Shaban；　6th　October；　1873；　copy　of　orders　to　Wat…el…Mek。

16。　Mohammed　the　dragoman's　declaration。

17。　Wat…el…Mek's　declaration　that　he　and　his　people　were　always　paid　by
Abou　Saood　in　slaves；　and　that　the　conduct　of　the　stations　was　according
to　his　orders。　Also　that　he　had　obeyed　Abou　Saood's　orders　in　attacking
me　at　Fatiko。

His　Highness　the　Khedive　had　the　kindness　to　confer　promotion　upon　my
faithful　officer；　Lieutenant…Colonel　Abd…el…Kader；　to　the　rank　of
kaimakam；　and　Captain　Mohammed　Deii　to　the　rank　of　saccolassi。　He　also
granted　a　reward　to　the　soldiers　who　had　fought　the　battle　of　Masindi；
and　marched　through　eight　days　of　ambuscades　to　Foweera。

A　gratuity　of　a　month's　pay　was　given　to　every　English　engineer　and
mechanic；　and　they　started　for　England。

After　a　delay　of　about　six　weeks　in　Egypt；　his　Highness　afforded　us　a
gracious　and　hospitable　occasion　of　taking　leave　of　himself　and　the
young　princes；　to　all　of　whom　I　am　indebted　for　much　courtesy　and
kindness。




CHAPTER　XXVII。

CONCLUSION。

The　foregoing　chapters　will　have　afforded　a　sufficiently　distinct　view
of　the　expedition　to　enable　the　public　to　form　their　own　opinion　of　the
position　of　the　slave　trade。

It　will　have　been　seen　that　I　had　acted　directly　against　that　infamous
traffic　from　the　commencement　of　the　work；　according　to　the　explicit
instructions　of　my　firman；　at　the　same　time　I　had　made　due　allowances
for　the　ambiguous　position　of　the　traders　upon　the　White　Nile；　who　were
actual　tenants　of　the　government。　Thus　I　never　visited　the　interior　of
their　camps；　nor　had　I　disturbed　their　stations　in　any　way；　but　I　had
passed　them　as　without　the　pale　of　my　jurisdiction；　at　the　same　time　I
gave　the　vakeels　due　warning；　and　entirely　prevented　them　from　making
use　of　the　river　as　the　highway　of　the　slave　trade。

In　1870；　while　I　was　camped　at　Tewfikeeyah；　I　entirely　suppressed　the
river　traffic；　but　the　fact　of　my　leaving　over…taken　three　vessels　with
700　slaves　belonging　to　Abou　Saood　at　the　close　of　the　expedition；　on　my
return　towards　Khartoum；　must　be　a　damning　proof　of　complicity　on　the
part　of　certain　government　officials。

Thus　it　is　plain　that；　while　I　was　endeavouring　to　do　my　duty；　others
who　should　have　been　supporting　me　were　actually　supporting　the
slave…hunters。　No　people　could　have　had　the　absurd　audacity　to　attempt
the　passage　of　the　river　in　front　of　Fashodaa　government　station；
garrisoned　by　two　regiments；　and　provided　with　two　steamersunless　they
were　in　league　with　the　officials。

My　personal　interference　has　rendered　the　slave　trade　of　the　White　Nile
impossible　so　long　as　the　government　is　determined　that　it　shall　be
impossible。　At　the　close　of　the　expedition；　the　higher　officials　had
been　changed；　and　the　country　appeared　to　be　in　good　hands。　The　governor
of　Fashoda；　Jusef　Effendi；　had　captured　the　slave　vessels　of　Abou　Saood
according　to　my　instructions。　Ismail　Ayoub　Pacha　had　been　appointed
governor　of　Khartoum。　Hussein　Khalifah；　the　Arab　desert　sheik；　was
governor　of　Berber；　and　various　important　changes　had　been　made　among
the　higher　authorities　throughout　the　Soudan；　which　proved　that　the
Khedive　was　determined　upon　reform。

One　grand　and　sweeping　reform　was　absolutely　necessary　to　extinguish　the
slave　trade　of　Central　Africa；　and　this　I　lead　the　honour　to　suggest：
〃That　all　the　present　existing　traders　or　tenants　of　the　White　Nile
should　be　expelled　from　the　country；　precisely　as　I　had　expelled　them
from　the　territory　under　my　command。〃　The　government　would　then　assume
the　monopoly　of　the　ivory　trade　of　the　White　Nile；　and　the　natives　would
in　a　few　years　be　restored　to　confidence。

So　long　as　the　so…called　traders　of　Khartoum　should　be　permitted　to
establish　themselves　as　independent　piratical　societies　in　the　Nile
Basin；　the　slave　trade　would　continue；　and　the　road　through　Darfur　and
Kordofan　would　be　adopted　in　place　of　the　tabooed　White　Nile。

Should　the　White　Nile　companies　be　totally　disbanded；　the　people　now
engaged　must　return　to　their　original　agricultural　pursuits　in　the
Soudan；　and　their　labour　would　tend　to　an　increase　of　the　revenue；　and
to　the　general　prosperity　of　the　country。

I　have　already　published　so　much　on　the　subject　of　the　slave　trade　in
〃The　Albert　N'yanza；〃　that　I　fear　to　repeat　what　I　have　before　so
forcibly　expressed。　I　have　never　changed　my　original　opinions　on　this
question；　and　I　can　only　refer　the　public　to　page　313；　vol。　ii。；　of　that
work；　whence　I　take　the　following　extract：〃Stop　the　White　Nile　trade；
prohibit　the　departure　of　any　vessels　from　Khartoum　to　the　south；　and
let　the　Egyptian　government　grant　a　concession　to　a　company　for　the
White　Nile；　subject　to　certain　conditions；　and　to　a　special　supervision
。　。　。　。

。　。　。　〃Should　the　slave　trade　be　suppressed；　there　will　be　a；　good
opening　for　the　ivory　trade；　the　conflicting　trading　parties　being
withdrawn；　and　the　interest　of　the　trade　exhibited　by　a　single　company；
the　natives　would　no　longer　be　able　to　barter　ivory　for　cattle；　thus
they　would　be　forced　to　accept　other　goods　in　exchange。　The
newly…discovered　Albert　Lake　opens　the　centre　of　Africa　to　navigation。
Steamers　ascend　from　Khartoum　to　Gondokoro　in　lat。　4　degrees　55'。　Seven
days'　march　south　of　that　station　the　navigable　portion　of　the　Nile　is
reached；　whence　vessels　can　ascend　direct　to　the　Albert　Lake；　thus　an
enormous　extent　of　country　is　opened　to　navigation；　and　Manchester　goods
and　various　other　articles　would　find　a　ready　market　in　exchange　for
ivory　at　a　prodigious　profit；　as　in　those　newly…discovered　regions　ivory
has　a　merely　nominal　value。

〃Beyond　this　commencement　of　honest　trade　I　cannot　offer　a　suggestion；
as　no　produce　of　the　country　except　ivory　could　afford　the　expense　of
transport　to　Europe。　（The　proposed　railway　from　Cairo　to
Khartoum　will　overcome　this　obstacle。）

〃If　Africa　is　to　be　civilized；　it　must　be　effected　by　commerce；　which；
once　established；　will　open　the　way　for　missionary　labour；　but　all　ideas
of　commerce；　improvement；　and　the　advancement　of　the　African　race　that
philanthropy　can　suggest；　must　be　discarded　until　the　traffic　in　slaves
shall　have　ceased　to　exist。

〃Should　the　slave　trade　be　suppressed；　a　field　would　be　opened；　the
extent　of　which　I　will　not　attempt　to　suggest；　as　the　future　would
depend　upon　the　good　government　of　countries　now　devoted　to　savage
anarchy　and　confusion。〃　。　。　。　。

〃Difficult　and　almost　impossible　is　the　task　before　the　missionary。　The
Austrian　mission　has　failed；　and　their　stations　have　been　forsaken；
their　pious　labour　was　hopeless；　and　the　devoted　priests　died　upon　their
barren　field。〃

By　a　reference　to　that　work　also〃The　Albert　N'yanza〃it　will　be　seen
that　in　the　present　expedition　I　carried　out　the　plans　that　I　had
proposed　at　the　termination　of　my　fi