”Itwouldbeadisgracetotoleratethesethieves，asGondokoroisrenderedaperfecthell，andthenativeswillnaturallyabhoranylawfulgovernmentsolongastheycanconsortandsharespoilswithsuchbrigandsastheseso-calledtradersofKhartoum。”UponmyreturnhomeIwroteanofficiallettertoAbouSaoodofwhichthefollowingisacopy：——”ISMAILIA，orGONDOKORO，June12，1871。”ToAbouSaood，vakeelofthefirmofAgad&Co。”Sir，”Youarrivedhereonthe10thinst。withalargenumberofcattlestolenbyyouandyourpeople。”You，knowingthattheBariswereatwarwiththegovernment，haveneverthelessbeenindailyandfriendlycommunicationwiththem。”TheBarisofthiscountryarerenderedhostiletoallhonestgovernmentbytheconductofyourpeople，who，bystealingslavesandcattlefromtheinterior，anddeliveringthemhere，haveutterlydestroyedallhopeofimprovementinapeoplenaturallysavage，butnowrenderedbyyouractsthievesoftheworstdescription。”ItisimpossiblethatIcanpermitthecontinuanceofsuchacts。”Ithereforegiveyouduenoticethatattheexpirationofyourcontractyouwillwithdrawallyourpeoplefromthedistrictundermycommand。AtthesametimeIdeclaretheforfeituretothegovernmentofthecattleyouhaveforciblycapturedundertheeyesofmyauthority。”SAMUELW。BAKER。”
　　TheonlyerrorthatIcanacknowledgethroughouttheexpeditionwasmypresentleniency。IshouldatoncehaveplacedAbouSaoodinirons，andhavesenthimtoKhartoum，insteadofleavinghimatlargetocarryonhisintriguesagainstthegovernment。
　　IintendedonthefirstopportunitytosendnoticetotheShirtribeofthesafetyoftheircattle，butanincidentshortlyoccurredthatalteredmydetermination。Thesecattlewerekeptinaseparatepenorzareeba，andwereguardedwhenatpasturagebyspecialsoldiersforsomeweeks，inorderthattheyshouldbereturnedtotheShirtribeuponthefirstopportunity。
　　AtthesametimethatAbouSaoodwasindisgrace，hewasabosomfriendofthecolonel，RaoufBey，whocommandedmytroops。Theydinedtogetherconstantlyinthehouseofthelatterofficer，andtheirfriendshiphadoriginallycommencedinKhartoumduringthelongintervalthattheregimentswereawaitingmyarrivalfromCairo。ItwasduringthatintervalthattheofficersoftheexpeditionhadfraternizedwiththeWhiteNiletraderswhoresidedatKhartoum。
　　Theresultofsuchintimacymightbeimagined。
　　Theobjectoftheexpeditionhadalwaysbeendistastefultobothofficersandmen。Thetradershadalreadyseenbythe，examplesmadeatTewfikeeyahthatIshouldactuallydestroytheircherishedslave-trade。
　　ItwasthereforenaturalthatAbouSaoodshouldexerthimselftoruintheexpedition。HavingfriendinRaoufBey，hewasinapositiontocreatedivisionofopinion。Heconstantlyassociatedwiththisofficer，inorderthatitshouldbegenerallyknownthathewassupportedbyaninfluentialpersoninthegovernmentservice。Thescandalofthecampquicklyassumedthattheopinionsconcerningtheslave-tradersbetweenmyselfandRaoufBeywereatvariance。
　　Theofficersoftheexpeditionhad，contrarytomyexpressorders，purchased126slavesfromthestationsofthetradersduringtheWhiteNilevoyage！IhadonlylearntthisonarrivalatGondokoro；thuswhencornwassoscarcethattherationswerereduced，whilethoseofmeatwereincreased，wehadanadditionof126mouths！
　　Thepolicyoftheslave-traderswasidenticalwiththefeelingsoftheofficersandmen，allofwhomwishedtoabandontheexpeditionandreturntoKhartoum。AbouSaoodworkedmolelikeinhisintrigues。HefraternizedsecretlywithAllorronandhisBaris。Manyofhismenpurchasedtobaccofromthenativesinexchangeforammunition。ThenativesfromBelinianwereindailycommunicationwithAbouSaood’scamp，andtheirspiesobtainedinformationofourproceedings，andcarriedthenewsthroughoutthecountrythat”theywouldbesupportedbyAbouSaoodagainstmyauthority。”
　　Ilearnteverythingthatoccurredthroughtrustworthyagents。ItquicklybecameknownthatRaoufBeywasdesiroustoterminatetheexpedition。
　　Thecontagionspreadrapidly，andthemenworkedlanguidlyandwithouttheslightestinterest：theyhadmadeuptheirmindsthattheexpeditionwasafailure，andthatascarcityofcornwouldbetheirexcuseforareturntoKhartoum。AbouSaoodfannedtheflameamongtheofficers，anddiscontentbecamegeneral。
　　InthemeantimetheBariswereveryactiveinannoyingthecampatnight。Althoughthesenativescouldnotstandagainstthetroopsintheopen，theyharassedthembynecessitatingaperpetualvigilancebothbynightandday。Itwasnecessarytohavestrongpatrolsintwopartiesatallhours；andIregrettosaytheEgyptianofficersandmendidnotappeartoenjoyastateofwarwhereactivityandgooddisciplinewereabsolutelynecessary。TheSoudaniofficersandmen，althoughignorant，werefarsuperiortotheEgyptiansinactivityandcourage。
　　Unfortunatelythecampwassickly。Themennowsufferedfromthefatigueofthelongvoyagethroughslushandmarsh。Manyhadfeveranddysentery。Ulceratedlegswereprevalent；andthisdiseaseappearedtobecontagious。Manymendiedfromthesemalignantulcers，whichinsomecasesentirelydestroyedthefoot。Thewomendidnotsufferfromthiscomplaint。Itoriginatedfromapoisonousgrassthatfesteredthewounditgave，andrapidlyproducedanincurablesore。Asthewomenhadnotbeenexposedtotheworkinthemarshes，theyhadescapedthescourgeinflictedbythesharpedgesofthegrass。
　　Therewasnorestforthepeople；theyhadtobuildtheircampandfighttheBarisatthesametime。Ascarcityofcornstaredthemintheface。
　　TheofficersandmenwerewellawarethatwecouldnothopeforregularsuppliesofcornandreinforcementsoftroopsfromKhartouminthedreadfulstateoftheriver：thustheyfelttheirpositionkeenly，assick，dispirited，inthemidstofenemies，withapproachingfamineofcorn，andnocommunicationwiththeSoudan。Allthesedifficultiesweretobeenduredforthesakeofanobjectwhichtheydetested——”thesuppressionoftheslavetrade。”
　　CHAPTERIX。
　　NEWENEMIES
　　Ourenemieswerenotconfinedtothelandonly：thecrocodilesintheneighbourhoodofGondokorowereexceedinglyferocious。Asthenativesweresomuchinthehabitofswimmingtoandfrowiththeircattle，thesewilycreatureshadbeenalwaysaccustomedtoclaimatollintheshapeofacow，calf，ornigger。TwoofAbouSaood’ssailorswerecarriedoffontwoconsecutivedays。Oneofmysoldiers，whileengagedwithmanyothersinwater，onlyhipdeep，wasseizedbyacrocodile。Theman，beingheldbythelegbelowtheknee，madeagoodfight，andthrusthisfingersintothecreature’seyes；hiscomradesatthesametimeassistedandrescuedhimfromabsolutedestruction；buttheleg-bonewassomashedandsplinteredinmanyplacesthathewasobligedtosubmittoamputation。
　　Oneofmysailorshadanarrowescape。Heandmanyotherswereengagedincollectingtheleavesofaspeciesofwater-convolvulusthatmakeanexcellentspinach；thisplantisrootedonthemuddybank，butitrunsuponthesurfaceofthewater，uponwhichitspinkblossomsareveryornamental。
　　Thesailorwasstoopingfromthebanktogatherthefloatingleaves，whenhewassuddenlyseizedbythearmattheelbow-joint；hisfriendsimmediatelycaughthimroundthewaist，andtheirunitedeffortspreventedhimfrombeingdraggedintothewater。Thecrocodile，havingtastedblood，wouldnotquititshold，buttuggedandwrenchedthearmcompletelyoffattheelbow-joint，andwentoffwithitsprize。Theunfortunateman，inexcruciatingagony，wasbroughttothecamp，whereitwasnecessarytoamputateanotherpieceslightlyabovethelaceratedjoint。
　　Imadeapointofcarryingarifleatalltimes，simplytodestroytheseterriblereptiles。Thereneverwasabetterriflethan”theDutchman，”
　　madebyHolland，ofBondStreet。Thislittleweaponwasadouble-barrelledbreechloader，andcarriedtheBoxerbulletofgovernmentcalibre，withachargeofthreedrachmsofpowder。Theaccuracyofbothbarrelswasextraordinary；itwasonlysightedupto250yards，butbytakingtheheadveryfull，itcarriedwithgreatprecisionupto300。Icouldgenerallymakecertainofcrocodilesifbaskingonasandbankwithinahundredyards，asIcouldputthebulletexactlyintherightplace，eitherbehindtheeye，orrightthroughthecentreoftheshoulder。Thishandyrifleweighed9-3/4lbs。，andthroughouttheexpeditionitwasalmostasmuchoneofmycomponentpartsasaboneofmybody。Ihadalargesupplyofammunition；thusI
　　neverlostanopportunityofshootingatacrocodile’sheadifIsawoneabovethesurface。Onmanyoccasionstheynevermovedfromtheshotwhenbaskingonsand-banks，butweresimplyextinguished。
　　Oneofourwomenwenttotherivertowash，butneverreturned。Thiswasclosetoourdiahbeeah；andthewaterbeingshallow，thereisnodoubtthatshewasseizedbyacrocodile。
　　Iwasonedayreturningfromhead-quarterstomystation，adistanceofamileandahalfalongtheriver’sbank，whenInoticedthelargeheadofacrocodileaboutthirtyyardsfromtheshore。Ikneweveryinchoftheriver，andIwassatisfiedthatthewaterwasshallow。Asolitarypieceofwavingrushthatgrewuponthebank，exactlyoppositethecrocodile，wouldmarktheposition；thus，stoopingdown，Iquietlyretreatedinlandfromthebank，andthenrunningforward，Icreptgentlytowardstherush。Stoopingaslowaspossible，Iadvancedtillverynearthebankuponwhichgrewtuftsofgrass，until，byslowlyraisingmyhead，Icouldobservetheheadofthecrocodileinthesameposition，notmorethantwenty-sixortwenty-eightyardsfromme。Atthatdistance，theDutchmancouldhitahalf-crown；Ithereforemadesureofbagging。Thebankwasaboutfourfeetabovethewater；thustheanglewasfavourable，andIaimedjustbehindtheeye。AlmostasItouchedthetrigger，thecrocodilegaveaconvulsivestart，andturningslowlyonitsback，itstretcheditsfourlegsabovethesurface，strainingeverymuscle；itthenremainedmotionlessinthispositioninwaterabouttwofeetdeep。
　　Myhorsewasalwaysfurnishedwithalonghalterortethering-rope：
　　thusIorderedthesyceandanothermantojumpintotheriverandsecurethecrocodilebyaropefastenedroundthebodybehindthefore-legs。Thiswasquicklyaccomplished，andthemenremainedknee-deephaulingupontheropetopreventthestreamfromcarryingawaythebody。
　　InthemeantimeMonsoorhadmountedmyhorseandgallopedoffforassistancetothecampofthe”FortyThieves。”
　　Crocodilesareverytenaciousoflife，andalthoughtheymaybeshotthroughthebrainandbeactuallydeadforallpracticalpurposes，theywillremainmotionlessatfirst，buttheywillbegininstinctivelytomovethelimbsandtailafewminutesafterreceivingtheshot。Iflyinguponasand-bank，orindeepwater，theywouldgenerallydisappearunlesssecuredbyarope，asthespasmodicmovementsofthelimbsandtailwouldsetuponthewater，andthebodywouldbecarriedaway。
　　Thecrocodile，thathadappearedstonedead，nowbegantomoveitstail，andmytwomenwhowereholdingontotheropecriedoutthatitwasstillalive。ItwasinvainthatIassuredthefrightenedfellowsthatitwasdead。Iwasonthebank，andtheywereinthewaterwithinafewfeetofthecrocodile，whichmadesomedifferenceinourideasofitsvivacity。Presentlythecreaturereallybegantostruggle，andtheunitedeffortsofthemencouldhardlyrestrainitfromgettingintodeeperwater。Themonsternowbegantoyawn，whichsoterrifiedthementhattheywouldhavedroppedtheropeandfledhadtheynotbeenafraidoftheconsequences，asIwasaddressingthemratherforciblyfromthebank。Iputanothershotthroughtheshoulderofthestrugglingmonster，whichappearedtoactasanarcoticuntilthearrivalofthesoldierswithropes。Nosoonerwasthecrocodilewellsecuredthanitbegantostruggleviolently；butagreatnumberofmenhauledupontherope，andwhenitwassafelylanded，Igaveitablowwithasharpaxeonthebackoftheneck，whichkilleditbydividingthespine。
　　Itwasnowdraggedalongtheturfuntilwereachedthecamp，whereitwascarefullymeasuredwithatape，andshowedanexactlengthof12