InthispositionofaffairsColonelGordonsucceededtothecommandinthespringof1874。AlthoughtheBaritribe，whichhadbeensubdued，wasnominallyatpeace，itwashardlysafetotravelthroughthecountrywithoutanarmedescort。
　　ColonelGordon’sfirsteffortwasinfavourofconciliation，withthehopeofinspiringafriendlyspiritamongthechiefs。Atthesametimeheresolvedtoofferachanceforreformtotheslave-hunterAbouSaood，whoheconsideredmightamendhisways，andfromhisknowledgeofthepeoplebecomeausefulofficertothegovernment。Unfortunately，theleopardcouldnotchangehisspots，andtheman，towhomeveryopportunityhadbeengiven，wasdismissedandpunished。ItwasimpossibletohavediscoveredanofficermorethoroughlyqualifiedforthecommandthanColonelGordon。Byprofessionamilitaryengineer，hecombinedtheknowledgeespeciallyrequiredforcarryingontheenterprise。Hehadextendedthehandoffriendshiptothenatives，butwhenrejectedwithcontemptandopposedbyhostility，hewaspromptinchastisement。Thewetseasonsandattendanthighfloodoftwoyearswereemployedindraggingthe108-tonsteelsteamerupthevariouscataractswhichintervenedbetweenGondokoroandDuflliN。lat。3degrees34
　　minutes。Thisportionoftheriverformedaseriesofstepscausedbyasuccessionofcataractsatintervalsofabout25miles；betweentheobstaclesthestreamwasnavigable。ThenativesofMoogitreacherouslyattackedandkilledthewholeofadetachment，includingtheFrenchofficerincommand，duringtheabsenceofColonelGordon，whowasengagedintheoperationoftowingthesteamerthroughtherapidsonlyafewmilesdistant。Thisopenhostilitynecessitatedthesubjugationofthetribe，andtheestablishmentofalineofmilitarypostsalongthecourseoftheriver。
　　Aftermuchtrouble，attheexpirationoftwoyearsthesteamerwasdraggedtoanutterlyimpassableseriesofcataractssouthofLobore。
　　Thislineofobstructionextendedfortheshortdistanceofabouttwelvemiles，beyondwhichtheriverwasnavigableintotheAlbertN’yanza。
　　SeveralvesselshadbeentoweduptogetherwiththesteamerfromGondokoro，andthe38-tonsteelsteamerandtwolife-boatswhichhadbeenthusconveyed，werenowcarriedinsectionstothespotabovethelastcataractsatDuffli，wheretheycouldbepermanentlyreconstructed。
　　SignorGessiwasentrustedwiththecommandofthetwolife-boatsupontheircompletion，andhadthehonouroffirstenteringtheAlbertN’yanzafromthenorthbytheriverNile。
　　The38-tonsteamerwasputtogether，andthe108-tonKhedive，whichhadbeenleftafewmilesdistantfromDuffli，belowthecataracts，wastakentopiecesandreconstructedonthenavigableportionoftheNileinN。lat。3degrees34minutes。
　　TheplanofconnectingtheequatorialLakeAlbertwithKhartoumbysteamcommunicationwhichIhadoriginated，wasnowcompletedbytheuntiringenergyandpatienceofmysuccessor。Thelargesteamerof251tonswasputtogetheratKhartoum，toaddtotheriverflotilla，thusincreasingthesteampowerfromfourvessels，whenIhadarrivedin1870，toTHIRTEEN，whichin1877wereplyingbetweenthecapitaloftheSoudanandtheequator。ThenamesofMessrs。SamudaBrothersandMessrs。PennandCo。uponthethreesteelsteamersandengineswhichtheyhadconstructedfortheexpeditionarenowevidencesofthecivilizingpowerofthenavalandmechanicalengineersofGreatBritain，whichhaslinkedwiththegreatworldcountriesthatwerehithertoexcludedfromallintercourse。
　　ThereisstillsomemysteryattachedtotheAlbertN’yanza。IthasbeencircumnavigatedbySignorGessi，inthesteellife-boats，andsubsequentlybyColonelMasonoftheAmericanarmy，whowasemployedunderColonelGordon。Bothoftheseofficersagreethatthesouthernendofthelakeisclosedbyamassof”ambatch，”andthatalargeriverreportedas400yardsinwidthflowsINTOtheAlbertN’yanza。Ontheotherhand，thewell-knownAfricanexplorerMr。StanleyvisitedthelakeSOUTHoftheambatchlimit，towhichhewasguidedbyordersoftheKingM’tese；。Atthatspotitwascalledthe”M’wootaN’zige；，”thesamenamewhichthelakebearsthroughoutUnyoro，thereforetherecanbenoreasonabledoubtthatitisthesamewater。Thedescriptionoftheambatchblockandtheriverflowingintothelakeexplainstheinformationthatwasgiventomebynativetraders，whodeclaredtheyhadcomebycanoefromKaragwe；，viatheAlbertN’yanza，butthatitwouldbedifficultwithoutaguidetodiscoverthepassagewherethelakewasextremelynarrowandthechanneltortuousintothenextbroadwater。
　　ColonelGordonhascontinuedtheamicablerelationsestablishedbymyselfwiththeUnyorochiefRionga，andwithM’tese；，KingofUganda。
　　Thecommercialaspectoftheequatorialprovincesisimproving，butourrecentexperienceinSouthAfricamustteachthemostsanguinethatverymanyyearsmustelapsebeforethenegrotribesbecomeamenabletothecustomsandimprovementsofcivilizedcommunities。
　　Theexpeditionof1869whichHisHighnesstheKhediveentrustedtomycommandlaidthefoundationforreformswhichatthattimewouldhaveappearedincredibleinEgypt。Theslave-tradehasbeensuppressedthroughtheagencyofBritishinfluence，persistentlysupportedbytheKhedive；Darfur，thehot-bedofslave-hunting，hasbeenconqueredandannexed；ColonelGordonhasthesupremecommandoftheentireSoudan；
　　MalcolmPachaiscommissionedtosweeptheslavetrafficfromtheRedSea。
　　WiththisdeterminationtoadopttheideasofEurope，theKhedivehaspassedthroughthetryingordealofunpopularityinhisowncountry，but，byacooldisregardforthehostilityoftheignorant，hehasadheredtoapolicywhichhasgainedhimtheesteemofallcivilizedcommunities。HehaswitnessedthebloodystrugglebetweenRussiaandTurkey，andthoughcompelledasavassalstatetorendermilitaryassistancetotheSultan，hehasprofitedbythelesson，andhasdeterminedbyawisereformtoavoidtheerrorswhichhaveresultedinanarchyanddesolationthroughouttheOttomanEmpire。
　　Intheyear1870theslave-huntingofCentralAfricawascondemned。
　　SincethattimeEnglishmenhavebeenhonouredwiththespecialattentionoftheKhedive，andhavebeenappointedtopostsofthehighestconfidence。Europeantribunalswereestablishedintheplaceofconsularjurisdiction，Britishgovernmentofficialshavebeeninvitedtoreformthefinancialadministration，andMr。RiversWilsonhasbeeninducedtoaccepttheresponsibleofficeofMinisterofFinance。NubarPachahasbeenrecalledtooffice，andhemustregardwithpridethegeneralconfidenceoccasionedthroughoutEuropebyhisreappointment。TheabsolutedespotismhithertoinseparablefromOrientalideasofgovernmenthasbeenspontaneouslyabrogatedbytheKhedive，whohaspubliclyannouncedhisdeterminationthatthefutureadministrationshallbeconductedbyacouncilofresponsibleministers。
　　EnglandhasbecomethegreatshareholderintheSuezCanal，whichistheimportantlinkwithourIndianEmpire。Atthealarmofwarwehavealreadyseenthefleetofsteamtransportshurryingthroughtheisthmus，andcarryingnativetroopstojointheBritishforcesintheMediterranean。Wehavelearnttoknow，andtheKhedivehaswisdomtounderstand，thatthebondsbetweenEgyptandGreatBritainareinseparable。AtthesametimewehavebeenaidedbythecordialallianceofFranceinpromotingtheadvanceoffreeinstitutionsandthegrowthofEuropeaninfluenceintheadministrationofthecountry。EnglandandFrance，whostruggledinhostilerivalryuponthesandsandseasofEgypt，arenowjoinedinthefirmdeterminationtoupholdtheintegrityofthegreatcanalofSuez，andthesepowersandleadersofcivilizationwillbecometheguidesandguardiansofEgyptianinterests。ThereformsalreadysanctionedwithaneweraofjusticeandeconomywillinsuretheconfidenceofBritishcapitalists；theresourcesofEgyptwillbedevelopedbyengineeringskillthatwillcontroltheimpetuosityoftheNileandprotecttheDeltaalikefromthescarcityofdrought，andfromtheriskofinundation。TheNilesources，whichfromtheearliesttimeshadremainedamystery，havebeendiscoveredbythepatienceandindustryofEnglishmen；theNilewillatnodistantperiodberenderednavigablethroughoutitscourse，andEgypt，whichforactualexistencedependsaloneuponthatmightyriver，willberestoredbyBritishenterprise，supportedbytheintelligenceandgood-willofitsruler，tothepositionwhichitheldinthepagesofEasternhistory。
　　1878。
　　S。W。B。
　　ISMAILIA。
　　CHAPTERI。
　　INTRODUCTORY。
　　InthepresentworkIshalldescribethehistoryoftheKhediveofEgypt’sexpedition，whichIhavehadthehonourtocommand，asthefirstpracticalstepthathasbeentakentosuppresstheslavetradeofCentralAfrica。
　　Ishallnotrepeat，beyondwhatmaybeabsolutelynecessary，thatwhichhasalreadybeenpublishedinmyformerworksonAfrica，”TheAlbertN’yanza”and”TheNileTributariesofAbyssinia，”butIshalladheretothesimplepathtakenbytheexpedition。Thisenterprisewasthenaturalresultofmyoriginalexplorations，inwhichIhadbeenaneye-witnesstothehorrorsoftheslavetrade，whichIdetermined，ifpossible，tosuppress。
　　InmyformerjourneyIhadtraversedcountriesofextremefertilityinCentralAfrica，withahealthyclimatefavourableforthesettlementofEuropeans，atameanaltitudeof4，000feetabovethesealevel。Thislargeandalmostboundlessextentofcountrywaswellpeopledbyaracewhoonlyrequiredtheprotectionofastrongbutpaternalgovernmenttobecomeofconsiderableimportance，andtoeventuallydevelopthegreatresourcesofthesoil。
　　Ifoundlandsvaryinginnaturalcapabilitiesaccordingtotheirpositionandaltitudes——wheresugar，cotton，coffee，rice，spices，andalltropicalproducemightbesuccessfullycultivated；butthoselandswerewithoutanycivilizedformofgovernment，and”everymandidwhatseemedrightinhisowneyes。”
　　Inthisdislocatedstateofsociety，theslavetradeprosperedtothedetrimentofallimprovement。Richandwell-populatedcountrieswererendereddesolate；thewomenandchildrenwerecarriedintocaptivity；
　　villageswereburnt，andcropsweredestroyedorpillaged；thepopulationwasdrivenout；aterrestrialparadisewasconvertedintoaninfernalregion；thenativeswhowereoriginallyfriendlywererenderedhostiletoallstrangers，andthegeneralresultoftheslavetradecouldonlybeexpressedinoneword——”ruin。”
　　TheslavehuntersandtraderswhohadcausedthisdesolationwereforthemostpartArabs，subjectsoftheEgyptiangovernment。
　　ThesepeoplehaddesertedtheiragriculturaloccupationsintheSoudanandhadformedcompaniesofbrigandsinthepayofvariousmerchantsofKhartoum。Thelargesttraderhadabout2，500Arabsinhispay，employedaspiratesorbrigands，inCentralAfrica。Thesemenwereorganizedafterarudemilitaryfashion，andarmedwithmuskets；theyweredividedintocompanies，andwereofficeredinmanycasesbysoldierswhohaddesertedfromtheirregimentsinEgyptortheSoudan。
　　Itissupposedthatabout15，000oftheKhedive’ssubjectswhoshouldhavebeenindustriouslyworkingandpayingtheirtaxesinEgyptwereengagedintheso-calledivorytradeandslave-huntingoftheWhiteNile。
　　Eachtraderoccupiedaspecialdistrict，where，byadivisionofhisforcesinachainofstations，eachofwhichrepresentedabout300men，hecouldexercisearightofpossessionoveracertainamountofassumedterritory。
　　InthismannerenormoustractsofcountrywereoccupiedbythearmedbandsfromKhartoum，whocouldmakeallianceswiththenativetribestoattackanddestroytheirneighbours，andtocarryofftheirwomenandchildren，togetherwithvastherdsofsheepandcattle。