ON6thNovember，1871，LieutenantBakerreturnedfromGondokorowithfournoggurs，andtheentiredetachmentofLieutenant-ColonelAchmet。
　　Thenewswasasfollows：-
　　AfterthedepartureofMajorAbdullah，thenativeshadattackedthecampofColonelAchmet，andhadwoundedhiminthebackwithabarbedarrow，whichhadtobecutout。Anotherarrowhadpassedthroughtheheartofhisservant，killinghimonthespot。Severalsoldiershadbeenwounded，butnotseriously。ThecornhadbeendeliveredfromhisstationtothemagazinesatGondokoro。
　　On3rdNovember，thirtyvesselshadleftGondokoroforKhartoum，takingabout1，100people，includingchildren，women，sailors，soldiers，andinvalids。
　　Inspiteofmypositiveorders，thatnonebutthereallysickshouldbesenttoKhartoum，RaoufBeyhadinmyabsencesentawaygreatnumbersoftroopswhowereinsoundhealth，thusreducingtheentireforceoftheexpeditionto502officersandmen，includingbuglers，drummers，clerks，&c。，exclusiveoffifty-twosailors。
　　Thusanexpeditionthatshouldhavecomprised1，645menwasreducedtosoinsignificantaforce，thatitappearedimpossibletoproceedintotheinterior。TheBariswereatwarwithus；theslave-hunters’
　　companiesweretreacherous；andyetIwastosuppresstheslavetrade，andannextheequatorialdistrictswithlessthanone-thirdoftheforcerequired。
　　AbouSaoodhadapparentlygainedhispoint，andtheexpeditionwasparalyzed。ItwasconsideredthatwithsosmallaforceIcouldnottravelfarfromheadquarters：thusasmytermofservicewouldexpireon1stApril1873，Ihadonlyoneyearandfourmonthsremaining，andinthisshorttimeitwouldbeimpossibletoaccomplishmyobject。
　　InthedreadfulstateoftheriverwecouldnotspeculateuponthearrivalofreinforcementsfromKhartoum。OurcuttingsandcanalsintheDalirGiraffemighthaveclosedup；ortheymighthaveimproved：ofthiswewereignorant。
　　IhadsentoffmyletterstoEngland，alsothosetotheKhedive，complainingoftheconspiracyoftheofficers，andinclosingthedocuments。AtthesametimeIhadimpresseduponhisHighnesstheimperativenecessityofopeningthechannelofthegreatWhiteNilewithoutdelay。[*]
　　[*Footnote：HisHighnesslostnotimeinsendingthenecessaryordersfortheclearingofthemainchanneloftheWhiteNiletothegovernoroftheSoudan。Thisenergeticofficer，IsmailAyoobPacha，workedwithalargeforceduringtwoconsecutiveyearsandrestoredtherivertoitsoriginalcharacter——completingtheworkafterIhadreturnedtoEngland，butbeforethearrivalofmysuccessor。ColonelGordonwasthusenabledtomakeuseofthesixpowerfulsteamerswhichIhadsentupfromCairotoKhartoum，andtheexpeditioncontinuedwithouthindrance。]
　　IhadwrittentoDjiafferPachaforreinforcements[*]tobesentfromKhartoumimmediately，togetherwithalargesupplyofdhurra。
　　[*Footnote：ThesereinforcementswerethirteenmonthsactuallyontheriverfromKhartoumtoGondokoro，andtheyonlyarrivedatthecloseoftheexpedition。
　　IhadverylittlehopeofreceivinganythingfromtheSoudan。Itwasthereforenecessarytomakemyarrangementsforthefuture，independentlyofallextraneousassistance。With502officersandmen，andfifty-twoarmedsailors，Ihadtoaccomplishthework。
　　Theforceatpresentwithmeconsistedof251officersandmen；thusI
　　hadexactlyhalfofthetroops。Gondokorowaswellfortified，andtheBelinianhadbeenthoroughlycowed，thereforeIhadnothingtofearinthatquarter。
　　Ihadmorethanfilledoneofthegreatmagazineswithcorn：therefore，includingthedhurranowonboardseveralvessels，Ihadabouttwelvemonths’supplyfortheexpedition。
　　Althoughmyforcewasterriblyreducedinnumbers，themenwhoremainedwerestrongandhealthy。Ididnotdespair；butIdeterminedthatthisreductionofmilitaryforceshouldNOTparalyzetheactivityoftheexpedition，andthatinspiteofeveryintrigue，Iwouldsucceedinthemainobjectsoftheenterprise；theslavetradeshouldbesuppressed，andtheterritoryshouldbeannexedtotheequator。
　　On10thNovemberItookahundredandfiftymeninordertomakeareconnaissanceofthecountry，atthelastcataractsoftheWhiteNile，aboutsixmilessouthofourposition。
　　Westartedearly，andmarchedalongthehighgroundparallelwiththeriver，passingthespotwherethenativeshadattackedussomedaysprevious。Nothingcouldexceedthebeautyofthiscountryasanagriculturalsettlement。Thelong，slopingundulationswereornamentedwithinnumerablevillages，inallofwhichwereoverflowinggranaries。
　　Onarrivalatthedrybedofabroadstream，weascendedaslope，andtomyastonishmentInoticedaconsiderablebodyofnativeswhoneitherranawaynorappearedhostileintheirdemeanour。LeavingmyriflewithMonsoor，Irodeupwithinfiftyyardsofthem，apparentlyunarmed，butI
　　hadapairofbreech-loadingpistolsinmyholsters。
　　MyBariinterpreter，Morgian，nowexplained，thatIwasonlyonanexploration，andthatIhadnointentionofdisturbingtheirproperty；I
　　onlydesiredtocommunicatewiththeirsheik。
　　ForthefirsttimeIreceivedacivilanswerfromtheBaris。Theyexplained，thatalthoughtheywereBaris，theyhadnoconnectionwiththepeoplewhohadfoughtus。TheyweregovernedbyagreatsheiknamedBedden，whoseterritorywasboundedbythetorrentbedthatwehadjustcrossed。Theypromisedthatheshouldpaymeavisitonthemorrow：inthemeantine，ifwerequiredanycorn，theywouldsupplyus。ThiswasapolitenesstowhichIwasquiteunaccustomed。Ithereforethankedthem，butdeclinedtheiroffer，sayingthatIwantednothingfromthemexceptfriendship。
　　Inowdiscovered，thatthesepeoplehadneverhadanycommunicationwiththeslave-traders，whowereafraidtomolestsopowerfulatribe。
　　Atparting，Igavethemawhitehandkerchiefasasignaltooursentries，whentheyshouldarrive。
　　Wethenreturnedtoourstation，thetroopssharingthesatisfactionthatIfeltinhavingatlengthdiscoveredfriends。
　　Onthefollowingdayatabout3p。m。thesentryonthehillcalledtotheguard，thataverylargebodyofnativeswasapproachingthestation。
　　IpresumedthatthesewerethefollowersofBedden。Ithereforeascendedtheslopeandexaminedthemwiththetelescope。
　　Mysuspicionswerearousedfromtheextraordinarynumberofpeople；atleast700nativeswereaccompanyingtheirsheik。
　　Ireturnedtocamp，andmadearrangementstoreceivehisvisitwithaguardofhonour。Idrewupahundredmenparallelwiththeriver，aboutfiftyyardsfromthebank，nearthebowofmydiahbeeah。Fiftymenwereinlineatrightangleswiththeriver：thusthelinesformedtwosidesofasquare。
　　InthefrontIplacedthefieldpieceloadedwithcanistershot。I
　　intendedtoreceiveBeddenwithduehonourinthehollowsquarethusprotected。Intheeventoftreachery，hisforcecouldbealmostannihilatedbyonedischarge。
　　Thehillsentrynowreportedthearrivalofamessenger，whowavedawhitehandkerchiefontheendofabamboo。Thiswasthesignalagreedupon，andthemessengerwasallowedtopass。HecommunicatedthefactofBedden’sapproach：inafewminuteslaterthegreatsheikarrived。
　　Hewasverytallandgaunt；andwithoutanydelay，bothheandhispeoplewereusheredintothehollowsquare，wheretheyallstucktheirlancesinthegroundandsatdown。
　　InowsentforBeddenandafewofhisprincipalmentothepoopdeckofmydiahbeeah，which，beingcoveredwithcarpets，andarrangedwithsofasandchairs，wassomethingveryastonishingtothegreatsheik，whohadneverseenanythingbutavesselinthedistance。
　　Iexplainedtheobjectsoftheexpedition；atthesametimeIpresentedhimwithalongEgyptianblueshirtthatreachedtohisankles，andmadehimlookmorerespectable。Acrimsonsashroundhiswaist，andaredtarbooshfezuponhishead，improvedhisappearancewonderfully，andhebegantofeelathome。
　　Ipresentedhimwithsixpoundsofbeadsofvariouscolours，togetherwithsomestringsofharnessbells。Brassbuglesandalargemirrorattractedmoreattentionthananyothercuriosities。
　　Igavehimabrassbugle，tohisgreatdelight。Theuseofthecannonwasthenexplainedtohim，andtheeffectsoftheshellwerepardonablyexaggeratedtoproducearespectfortheweapon。
　　Hegaveussixpotsofmerissaandsomefowls，promisingtocomeagaintomorrow。
　　Allthesepeoplebelieveinsorcery，andeachsheikpossessesspellsandconjurers。Tortoiseshells，scalesofthemanis，lions’claws，andthoseoftheleopard，roots，knotsoftreesofpeculiarshape，andmanyotherthings，arewornastalismans。
　　Mywife’sparrotwassupposedtobeacojoor，orfetish。ThiswasthegreybirdofWestAfrica，thatwasunknownintheseparts。Theinterpreterexplainedthat”itcouldspeaklikeahumanbeing，andthatitflewaboutthecountryandlistenedtowhatpeoplesaid——allofwhichitrepeatedtoitsmistressandmyself；thuswekneweverythingthatoccurred，andthenativescouldnotdeceiveus。”Thisparrotwasexceedinglytame，andwasneverconfined。Itwasnowwalkingaboutthedeck，andwhileitsextraordinarypowerswerebeingdescribedbymyBariinterpreter，Morgian，totheamazementandfearofthenatives，itadvancedstoutlytothesheikBedden，andwouldhavebittenhisbigtoehadhenotquicklyjumpedupandtakenleave。
　　Themagneticbatteryandthelargemusicalboxwerealsobelievedtobemagic。
　　Atsunset，thegreatsheikdepartedinthebestofspirits，withallhispeople，ashehaddrunkatumblerofMarsalabeforehestarted，inordertotrythequalityofourmerissa。
　　Thepopulationofthiscountryisverylarge，andthenativesaregoodagriculturists。Althoughthesoilisstony，itisveryproductive，asthecultivationiscarefullyattendedto。Dhurra，sesame，dochan，andbeans，inadditiontoaspeciesofHibiscuswhichproducesanedibleseedandalsoafinefibre，aresowninexactoblongsorsquaresresemblingtheplotsinallotment-groundsinEngland。Nearthevillagesarelargeheapsofmanure，collectedfromthecattlezareebas。Thesearemixedwiththesweepingsofthestations，andtheashesfromthecattle-fires，andaredividedwhenrequiredamongtheproprietorsoftheherds。
　　Eachcowofthezareebaisentitledtoacertainmeasureofmanureatthecommencementoftherains，whenallhandsturnouttocultivate；
　　thustheownerofmanycowsisenabledtofarmalargearea。
　　Thecowsareallherdedinoneortwopens；thusthewholemanureisheaped，and，whendivided，ismeasuredinlargebaskets。Itisthendistributedverythicklyoverthefield，andisroughlyhoedwiththeironmolote，theseedbeenthrownuponthemanurebroadcast，previoustothehoeing。
　　Thegeologicalappearanceofthecountrywouldsuggestthepresenceofpreciousmetals。Largemassesofrose-colouredandicy-whitequartzprojectfromthesurfaceindikes。Theserunformilesintolerablydirectlines，likewalls，fromwesttoeast。Generallytherocksaregranitic，consistingofsyeniteandgneiss，withmicaciousschistinthelowervalleys。Occasionally，dikesofbasaltbreakthroughthesurface，whichisgenerallymuchdenuded，andtherocksareweather-wornanddecomposed。
　　Ihavefrequentlywashedforgoldinthemostlikelyspotsamongthedeepholesofravines，wherethetorrentshavewornawaythebed，butI
　　havefoundnosignofeitherpreciousstonesormetals。Magneticironoreinlargequantitiesistheonlymetaltobediscoveredintheriver-beds。
　　On13thNovember，atsunrise，LieutenantBakerstartedwiththetroopstoconveycornfromadistantvillage。Iwassittingonthepoop-deckofthediahbeeah，enjoyingapipeandacupofcoffee，whenhesuddenlygallopedbackwiththenewsthataherdofbullelephantswasapproachingfromthewest。Iwasnotpreparedforelephant-shooting，andIrecommendedhimtoreturntothetroops，whowouldotherwisewastetheirtime。Ihadnosuspicionthatelephantswouldapproachourpositionafterhavingbeendisturbedbythesoldiers，inacountrythatwasperfectlyopen。
　　LieutenantBakercanteredbacktohismen，whileIcommencedtowriteupmydailyjournalaccordingtomydailycustom。
　　Inaboutaquarterofanhour，thesentryreportedaherdofelephants。
　　Allmypeopleclamberedupuponthegoogoosandbutstoobtainagoodviewoftheherd，whichfromthehighpoop-deckofthediahbeeahwecouldseedistinctly。
　　Therewereelevenbulls，andtheyweremarchingincloseorderalongthebankoftheriver，approachingusatabout400yards’distance。
　　IshouldhavethoughtitalmostaslikelytomeetaherdofelephantsinHydeParkastofindtheminthisopenandthickly-populatedcountry。I
　　nowdistinguishednativesalongthedistantheights，allofwhomwereattractedbytheuncommonoccurrence。
　　Inthemeantimetheelephantsapproached，swingingtheirtrunksandhugeearstoandfro，apparentlyunconsciousofthepresenceofthevesselsandpeople。