TheofficershadalwayslookedforwardtothegloriousopportunityofprocuringafewslavesinCentralAfrica，althoughtheycouldnotexactlydefinethemannerofobtainingthem：thusmysevereordersuponthissubjectcausedaseriousheart-burning，andadesiretogiveupsobarrenanexpedition。
　　Thestationwasnowcomplete，andwellfortifiedbyaditchandearthwork。Myownlittlestationwasthepictureofneatness。IhadtwoacresofthefinestEgyptiancottongalleen。Everyinchoftheknollwashighlycultivated，thelawnwascloselycut，andthediahbeeah，whichwasourhome，laysnuglyalongsidethebank，closetowhichwasalittlesummer-house，surroundedbyaprolificgarden。ThiswasalittlegemofcivilizationsetinthemiddleofsavageAfrica。My”FortyThieves”wereperfectgentlemenincomparisonwiththelineregiments。
　　Thesanitaryarrangementsofthestationweregood；therewasverylittlesickness，atthesametimethatupwardsof400mensufferedfromulceratedlegsathead-quarters。
　　Ourdomesticsweremuchimproved。Thosewhohadbeenslavesliberatedbymefromthetraders’vesselsatTewfikeeyah，hadlearnttheirduties，andhadbecomeveryuseful。Mywifehadtrainedsomenicegirlsofseventeenoreighteentohouseholdduties，inadditiontohalfadozenexcellentboys，whowereallneatlyclothed，andkeptinadmirablediscipline。AmongthesewastheAbyssinianboy，”Amam，”whohadlatelyreceivedhisfreedom。Hewasaprettylittlelad，andhisbrowncomplexionlookedquitelightincomparisonwithhiscoal-blackcomrades。TheAbyssinianbloodshowedinstrongcontrasttothenegrotypearoundhim，andhewasfarsuperiorinintelligencetoanyoftheCentralAfricans。
　　ThegirlswereunderoldKarka，whohadbeenwithusthroughoutourformerjourney。ThisoldwomanwasveryproudbecauseIhadgiven12topurchaseherfreedominKhartoum。Shewasagoodoldsoul，butwonderfullyfondoffineclothes；andongreatoccasionsshealwaysturnedoutincloudsofsnowymuslinwithrededgesandfringe，likeayoungAbyssinianbeauty。Itwasamusingtoseeheremergefromherhutinfullcostume，herbroad，flatfacebeamingwithsmilesinhappyconsciousnessofuniversaladmiration。
　　OldKarkawasasortofduenuatowatchoverthemoralsoftheyoungergirls，andtoseethattheydidnotbecometoo”fast”；butIbelievethateventheheartofKarkabeathighwhenacertaincorporalofthegallant”FortyThieves”passedby。OldKarkawasactuallyaccusedofsendingpresentsoffood，carefullycookedbyherownhands，tothehouseofthissamecorporal，Abdullah，thusappealingtohisstomach，whichisthedirectroadtotheheart，inAfricancourtship。Theyoungergirlsandtheboysoftheestablishmentexclaimed，”Mashallah！OldKarka！whowouldhavebelievedit?”
　　Itwascurioustoobservethedifferencebetweenmystationandthatofhead-quartersatGondokoro：atone，allwascontentmentandgoodorder；
　　intheother，discontentanddisorder。
　　IhadconstantcomplaintsfromMr。Higginbothamthatmyorders，thatheshouldbesuppliedwithmenforpublicworks，weredisobeyed，andthateveryobstaclewasthrowninhisway。
　　MyEnglishmenhadbeen，asusual，veryindustriousandhavingerectedtheironmagazines，theywerenowengagedinbuildingaflat-bottomedbargetoassistintransportingcornfromtheislandssouthofRegiaf。
　　Theyhadnotbeeninthebesthealth，buttheyneverthelesscontinuedtoworkwithanenergyandspiritthatwereadelightfulcontrasttothesluggishnessandapathyoftheEgyptians。
　　ImmediatelyonmyreturnfromBelinian，IhadgivenordersthatthirtyvesselsshouldbepreparedtoreturntoKhartoum。
　　Ihadnotreturnedthesevesselsearlier，asIrequiredallthesailorstoassistinbuildingthestation，andincollectingcornforthetroops。AtthisseasonOctobertheNilewasatitsmaximum，thereforeIhopedtherewouldbenodifficultyinthereturnvoyagetoKhartoumwithemptyvessels，andthestreamintheirfavour。HadIreturnedthemearlier，Ishouldhavebeenobligedtovictualthemforafourmonths’
　　voyage，atatimewhencornwasextremelyscarce。Thesailorshadnowassistedusinourwork，andtheywouldnotrequireprovisionsformorethantwomonths，astheNilewasfull。
　　EveryarrangementthatIhadmadehadbeenmostcarefullyconsidered。
　　TherecanbenodoubtthatthegreatestenemytotheexpeditionwastheWhiteNile。Thisadverseriverhadgivenaseriouscheck。Theworkandfatigueincuttingthroughtheobstructionshadkilledmanymen，andhadlaidtheseedsoffatalcomplaintsamongmanyothers。Themen’sheartshadbeenbrokenattheonset。TherewasevennowafeelingofdespairofthepossibilityofreceivingsuppliesandreinforcementsbyriverfromKhartoum。Weappearedtohaveforsakentheknownworld，and，havingpassedtheriverStyx，tohavebecomesecludedforeverinawildlandofourown，whereallwereenemies，likeevilspirits，andwhereitwasnecessaryeithertoprocurefoodatthepointofthebayonet，ortoliedownanddie。
　　IftheWhiteNilehadbeenthefine，navigableriverthatIhadknowninformeryears，IbelieveIshouldhavehadnodifficulty，asIcouldhavequicklyovercomethescruplesofmyofficersbydirectreportsoftheirconducttotheKhedive；butwewerelosttotheworldalmostasabsolutelyasthoughquarteredinthemoon。
　　Ihadproposed，wheninCairo，thatsteamersshouldrunmonthlybetweenKhartoumandGondokoro，withthepostandallnecessarysupplies。Informerdaysthiswouldhavebeenamatterofcourse，andthefactofaconnectionwiththeSoudangovernmentwouldhavesupporteddiscipline；
　　butthefrightfulobstructionsoftheriverrenderedcommunicationimpossible，exceptbyaregularexpeditioninlargeforce。
　　Myownheartfeltheavysometimes；butIsaidnothing。Icouldeasilyappreciatethefeelingsofothers，whoseheartswerenotactuallyinfavouroftheenterprise。
　　NeverthelessIcommanded，andnomatterwhattheobstaclesmightbe，I
　　hadonlyoneduty。
　　Anewandsadcalamityhadattackedus。Thewell-knownAfricanhorse-sicknessbrokeout。Inspiteofeveryprecaution，myhorsesdied。
　　Thediseasecommencedbyanappearanceoflanguor，rapidactionoftheheart，scantinessofurine，costiveness，swellingoftheforeheadabovetheeyes，whichextendedrapidlytothewholehead；stiffnessandswellingoftheneck，eyesprominentandbloodshot，runningatthenoseoffoulgreenishmatterinextraordinaryquantities，——convulsions，death。
　　MyfavouriteHorse，”ThePig，”wasattacked。Ihadanxiouslywatchedhimdaily，andonemorningIfanciedthattheusualhollowabovetheeyeswasratherfull。Thisfatalsymptomwastootrueawarning。Hepassedthroughtheusualstagesofthecomplaint，anddiedonthesamedaythathewasfirstattacked。
　　Ihadonlysevenhorsesremainingoutoftwenty-onethathadstartedwithmefromCairo。Inadditiontothese，weretwohorsesbelongingtotheofficers。
　　Thefactofthehorsesdyingaddedtotheunfavourableimpressionalreadyinthemindsoftheofficersandtroops。Inadditiontothiscalamity，thedroughtatGondokorohadbeenunprecedented。Thenativecultivation，andthatofthetroops，hadallperishedonthelightsandysoilofGondokoro。Rainhadfalleninthevicinity；butthisunfortunatelocalityisverysubjecttodroughts，astherain-cloudsareattractedbyneighbouringmountains，wheretheyexpendthemselves。Therichsoiloftheriverislandswillalwaysinsureacrop，astherootspenetratetoadepthwheretheyobtainmoisturefromtheriver。Asalreadydescribed，thetroopshadworkedsobadly，thatonehalfoftheislandcrophadbeencarriedawaybybirds。Thus，whentheharvestwasintheirhands，theyneglectedtogatherit；theynowcomplainedthatnothingwouldsucceedinGondokoro。
　　AbouSaoodhadnotgonetoKhartoum，thereforehisjourneytoBeliniantorequestmypermissiontodepart，wasonlyaruseforsomepurposeatpresentunknown。
　　IshallnowextractverbatimfrommyjournaltheentryuponOctober13，1871：——”October13，Friday——Thetruthhasburstoutatlast。AsIhavelongexpected，theevilspirithasbroodedmischief。”
　　LatelastnightIreceivedaletterfromRaoufBeyinclosingtwoothers：
　　onefromtheregimentalofficers，addressedtotheirrespectivelieutenant-colonels；theotherfromthelieutenant-colonels，inclosingtheletters，andsecondingthedeclarationwithapetitionembodyingthesamerequesttothefullcolonel。TheletterfromRaoufBeysupportedthepetitionsandsecondedthegeneralcomplaint。Theburdenofthislengthyandcarefully-arrangedcorrespondence，wasthedeterminationoftheofficersandtroopstoabandontheexpeditionandreturntoKhartoum。Thesealsofeveryofficerwereattached，withtheexceptionofthosebelongingtothe”FortyThieves。”
　　Inoticedthatalthoughtherewerethreeseparatelettersuponseveralimmensesheetsofpaper，theywereallwritteninthesamehandwriting。
　　Thisprovedthattheyweretheresultofdictationfromasuperior，andIatoncetracedtheconspiracytothecolonel，RaoufBey，thefriendofAbouSaood。
　　Ithadbeenpre-arrangedinthisfashion，withoutahintofsuchanintentionhavingbeengiventome，thattheofficersshouldsignaround-robintotheirlieutenant-colonels；thelattershouldsupportandforwardthepetition，togetherwithaletterfromthemselves；thecolonelshouldthenforwardthisgeneralandirresistibleexpressionofpublicopiniontome，togetherwithalongepistlefromhimself，explainingtheabsolutenecessityofageneralabandonmentoftheexpedition，andareturntoKhartoum。
　　Ifindthesewordsinmyjournal：——”Theselettersfromtheofficersdeclare，thattheexpeditionmustreturntoKhartoum，asthereisnocorninthecountry，andthesoldierswoulddieofstarvation。”Althoughthesepeoplecomplainofwant，theyactuallypurchased126
　　slavesduringthejourneyfromTewfikeeyah，thusaddingtothenumberofmouths，andatthesametimeactingagainstmypositiveorders。”Theysaythereisnocorninthecountry，butasyettheyknownothingoftheneighbourhood，withtheexceptionofBelinian；andwheninthemidstofplentythey_willnotcollectit。_ThustheKhedive’sofficerswouldactuallyabandontheexpedition，andforsaketheimmenseamountofstores，merchandise，&c。，whichwouldfallintothehandsofthenatives。”ByGod，notamanshallgoback，exceptbymyorders！nomatterwhethertheymutinyornot。Ishallforwardtheofficers’letterstotheKhedive。”
　　ThisconspiracywouldhaveplayedthegameofAbouSaood，andhewouldhaverevelledinhissuccess。ImadenoremarksupontheconductofRaoufBey，butthechainoffactswillspeakforthemselves。
　　Forthefirsthalf-hourafterthereceiptoftheseletters，Iwasdisgustedthrougheverybone。Itappearedasthoughallhopeofsuccesswasgone。Whatcouldbedonewithsuchwretchedandtreacherousmaterial?
　　IwouldnotcondescendareplytothelettersIhadreceived。Irodeuptohead-quarters；Mr。Higginbothamwasill，aswerealsosomeoftheEnglishmenandMr。Marcopolo。Neverthelessallwereunanimousintheirresolvetostandbytheexpeditionatanyrisk。
　　IsentLieutenantBaker，R。N。，toRaoufBey，withinstructionsnottomentiontheletters，buttoconveythefollowingorder：——”ColonelRaoufBey，withsixcompaniesoftroops，tobeunderarmsat2
　　A。M。，toawaitmeathead-quarters。”
　　Mr。Higginbothamhadtheentirechargeofthevessels。Iorderedthreenoggurstobeprepared，togetherwithonesmalldiahbeeah，topassthetroopsacrosstheriverat2A。M。
　　Alltroopsandsailorsweretotaketwodays’provisions。IhaddeterminedtopushstraightfortheBariislands，southofRegifhill。
　　ShouldIbeabletoprocurethesupplyofcornthatIexpected，itwouldatoncecheckmatetheconspiracy。