Beddencontinuedinacold，stoicalmanner，anddeclaredthathispeopleweredeterminednottoworkforme；theyhadneverbeforecarriedfor”TheTurks，”andnothingwouldinducethemtoengageinsuchalabour。
　　Ibeggedhimtoremembertheimportanceofhispromise，uponwhichIhaddependedwhenmakingallmyarrangementsforthejourney。Ifhefailedmenow，Ishouldbeentirelyruined；whereasifheassistedme，asIhadrelieduponhishonour，weshouldalwaysremainthefirmestfriends，andhewouldbebenefitedbyagrandherdofcattle，andwouldreceivemostvaluablepresents。
　　Henowdeclared”thathispeoplehadtakenthematterintoconsideration，andtheywerequitedetermined。Theywouldnotlistentohim，orbepersuadedtoanythingtheydisliked。Theyneverhadcarried，andtheyneverwould。”
　　IhadthetwonativeswithmewhohadresidedforsometimeinourstationatGondokoro。Oneofthesemen，namedPittia，endeavouredtopersuadeBeddentobeathisnogarabigdrumandtosummonhistribe；
　　hemightthen，inmypresence，explaintheworkproposed，andhispeoplewouldseethecowswhichtheywouldreceiveaspaymentfortheirlabour。
　　Beddenlookedveryillathisease；butaftersomedelay，herosefromhisseat，anddeclaredhisintentionofimmediatelybeatinghisnogara。
　　Hetookleaveanddepartedwithhispeople。
　　FrommyexperienceofBaris，IfeltsurethatIshouldneverseeBeddenagain。
　　Hehadhardlyleftthetent，whenPittiaexclaimed，”Iwillfollowhimandlistentowhathesaystohispeople。IbelievehewilltellthemNOTtocarrytheloads。”Pittiaimmediatelydisappeared。
　　Manynativeshadcollectedontheeastsideoftheriver，wheremyvesselshadnowformedalinealonethebank；Ithereforecrossedoverinthedingytoconversewiththeminthefainthopeofsecuringcarriers。
　　Thenativesweresquattingaboutinsmallgroups，andtheylistenedcoldlytoallIhadtosay。TheonlyanswerIcouldobtainwas，”thattheybelongedtoBedden，andifhetoldthemtocarryourthings，theywouldobey；butwithouthisordertheycoulddonothing。”
　　ThisistheregularAfricandiplomacywhenworkisrequired。Thepeoplesay，”Wemustreceiveordersfromoursheik。”Thesheiksays，”Iamwilling，butmypeoplewillnotobeyme。”Itisthispassiveresistancethatmayruinanexpedition。
　　MyfirstexplorationinAfricamustnecessarilyhavefailedhadInotbeenprovidedwithtransportanimals。Thereadersof”TheAlbertN’yanza”mayrememberthatIcouldnotobtainasinglenative，andthatIstartedfromGondokorobymoonlightwithoutevenaninterpreterorguide。
　　ThehorriblestateoftheWhiteNilehadpreventedallpossibilityofconveyingcamelsfromKhartoum。Mycartsandcamelharnesswereprepared，buttheinvaluableanimalscouldnotbetransported。Iwasthusdependentuponsuchrottenreedsasnativepromises。
　　NoonewhoisinexperiencedinAfricantravelcanrealizethehopelesspositionofbeingleftwithamassofmaterialwithoutanypossibilityoftransportingit。
　　Thetravellermaysituponhisboxuntilhestiffensintoamonumentofpatienceanddespair，buttheboxwillnotmovewithoutacarrier。Thereisonlyonemethodoftravellingsuccessfully，andthisnecessitatestheintroductionoftransportanimals，wherethebaggageisheavyanduponanextensivescale。
　　Ifeltperfectlyhelpless。Mycolonel，Abd-el-Kader，advisedmetoseizethesheik，Bedden，andtotiehimupuntilhispeopleshouldhavedeliveredalltheeffectsatLobore。
　　ThisImighthavedone，butitmightalsohaveoccasionedwar，whichwouldpreventthepossibilityofsecuringcarriers。Ishouldalsoincurtheresponsibilityofhavingprovokedthewarbyanactwhich，althoughnecessary，couldhardlybejustifiedaccordingtocivilizedideas。
　　Ihadverylittlehope，butIhadsofrequentlyseenasuddenrayofgoodfortunewhenallhadlookeddarkandcloudy，thatIwenttobedatnighttrustingthatsomethingmightturnupinourfavourto-morrow。
　　On29thJanuary，1872，Pittiareturnedwithbadnews。Beddenhadsentmealaconicmessagethat”heshouldnotcallagain，andthathispeopledeclinedtocarrythebaggage。”
　　Pittiaexplainedthatthenativeshadalllefttheneighbourhoodtogetherwiththeirsheik，thereforeitwouldbewellnottoallowthesoldierstostrayfarfromcamp。
　　ThiswasthegrossingratitudeexhibitedbyBeddenandhispeople。NotonlyhadIscrupulouslyrespectedalltheirproperty，butIhadevenplacedsentriesovertheirtobaccogardenstopreventthepossibilityoftheft。
　　Theabsenceofthewomenandchildrenhadbeenacertainsignofill-will。
　　Itwasnecessarytoconsiderwhatshouldbedone。Wewereperfectlyhelpless。
　　Ihadabout2，500headofcattleand1，800sheep。Theseanimalsweredriveneveryeveningtothemarginoftheriver，andwereonlyprotectedatnightbyalineofsoldierswhosleptaroundthem。
　　Theconductofthenativesfilledmewithsuspicions。Thesightofsolargeaherdwithoutprotectionmighthaveexcitedtheircupidity。Theyhadexpectedmyarrivalwiththisgrandsupplyofcattle，andinsteadoffindingtheirvillagesoccupied，Ihadobservedthattheirownherdshadbeendrivenoffforconcealment；notawomanorchildwastobeseeninthecountry；thenativeshadrefusedtocarry；and，lastly，theirsheikandhispeoplehadabsolutelyabsconded。
　　Inthemeantimemycattlewereunprotectedatnight，thus，shouldthenativesmakeasuddenattackinthedarkness，therewouldbearegularstampede，asthelargeherdwouldbeseizedwithapanicattheredflashesofthemusketsduringtheattack，andtheywouldscatteralloverthecountry，andneverbeseenagain。
　　Thenativeshadprobablyconsideredthat，insteadofcarryingourloads，andtherebyearningacowperman，itmightsavethemmuchtroubleshouldtheypossessthemselvesofourcattlewithoutthenecessityofcarryingthebaggage。
　　FrommyknowledgeofthebrutalcharacterofallBaris，Iarrivedattheaboveconclusion。
　　Iatoncegaveorderstosecurethecattle。Atadistanceofabouthalfamile，therewerethreesmallvillagesonthehighslopingground，situatedabouteightyyardsapart，andformingatriangle。Iinstructedmymentomakeaninclosure，byconnectingeachvillagewithastronghedgeofthorns。
　　Thecountrywasgenerallybareoftrees，butfortunatelytherewasagroveofhegliknotfardistant；andthetroopsatoncebegantofellthesetrees，andtoformfencesbylayingthepricklybranchesinthepositionIhadselected。
　　The”FortyThieves”wereallprovidedwithsmallandsharpCanadaaxes，whichtheycarriedunderthestrapoftheirknapsacks；thusforty-eightaxeswereatwork，inadditiontotheheavierinstrumentsbelongingtotheexpedition。
　　Alltheofficersandmensharedmysuspicions，andtheyworkedwithgreatalacrity。
　　Itwasjustdarkbythetimethatthethreefenceswerecompleted，andtheherdofcattleweredrivenandsecuredwithintheinclosure。
　　Iarrangedaguardofsixtymen：twentyuponeachsideofthetriangle。
　　Theyweretoremainoutsidethefence，andtokeepavigilantlook-out。
　　Thisworkbeingover，IreturnedatnighttothediahbeeahtogetherwithLieutenantBaker。Wefounddinnerreadyonthepoop-deck，wheremywifehadbeenratheranxiouslyexpectingus。IsentforColonelAbd-el-Kader，andgavehimthenecessaryordersforthenight。
　　Mydiahbeeahwasacharmingvessel，thathadoriginallybeensentfromCairotoKhartoum，whentheformerViceroyofEgypt，SaidPacha，visitedtheSoudan。
　　Thepoop-deckwasloftyandveryspacious。Thiscomfortableboathadbeenmyhomefortwoyears，andshewaskeptinadmirableorder。
　　TherewerenomosquitoesduringthisseasoninBedden’scountry，althoughtheywereverynumerousatallseasonsatGondokoro，therefore，beingrelievedfromthesepests，theenjoymentoftheeveningwasdelightful。
　　Thenightwascalm，asusualintheselatitudes。Dinnerwasconcluded。I
　　wasenjoyingmyeveningchibouquewiththebestGhebbellitobacco，thatsoothesmanyanxieties。Thetroopswereforthemostpartasleep，andallwasquiet。Mywifewassittingonthesofaordivan，andLieutenantBakerhadbeenrecallingsomereminiscenceofthenavy，whenseveralmusketshotsinthedirectionofthecattlekraalsuddenlystartledeverysoldierfromhissleep。
　　Theshotswerealmostimmediatelysucceededbyheavyfiringfromthewholeforcestationedatthecattlezareeba。Thebuglessoundedthealarm，andeverymanwasquicklyunderarms。
　　Havingarrangedthemeninpositiontodefendthevesselsincaseofageneralattack，Itooktwentymenofthe”FortyThieves，”togetherwithasupplyofrockets。IwasaccompaniedbyLieutenantBakerandmostoftheEnglishmen，andwepushedrapidlyforwardtowardsthecattlezareeba，wheretheflashesofmusketsweredistinctlyvisible。
　　Asweapproachedtheposition，Iorderedmybuglertosound”ceasefiring，”asIexpectedtoreceiveafewbulletsintendedfortheenemy。
　　Wewerequicklychallengeduponarrivalatthezareeba。Wefoundthecattleallsafe；onlyafewsheephadbeenkilledbytheheavyattemptatastampedewhenthecowstookfrightatthemusketry。
　　Iwasinformedthatthenativesinconsiderableforcehadmadeasuddenrushuponthezareeba，andhadthrownshowersofstonesinordertocreateapanicamongthecattle，whichtheyexpectedwouldbreakthroughthefenceandscatteroverthecountry。
　　ItwasfortunatethatIhadtakentheprecautionofsecuringthem。
　　Iwasdeterminedtocleartheneighbourhoodbeforetheattackshouldberenewed。Thenightwasdark。Iwasprovidedwithmatchesandport-fires，andIquicklymadeanexcursionandsentseveralrocketsintothenearestvillages。TheHale’srockets，asusual，rushedthroughthehouseswithoutignitingthem；butafewofthepowerfulEgyptianrocketsthatareusedasfireworks，rapidlylightedupthescene，asthedescendingfire-ballsignitedthethatchedroofs。
　　Theserocketswerefiredfromaninclinedrestofasoldier’sfixedbayonet。
　　Havingclearedtheneighbourhood，Ireturnedtothediahbeeahatmidnight。
　　Ifindthisentryinmyjournal：-”January29，1872-Allthegoogoosorgranariesaboundwithcorn。Thenativesaresorich，bothindhurraandcattle，thattheywillnotwork，buttheyareonlyreadytosleeporsteal。Afterallmykindness，theyhavewantonlyattackedmycattlewithoutthepleaeitherofhungerorprovocation。”Whatcanbeaccomplishedwithsuchpeople?IshallbeobligedtoreturnthesteamertoIsmailiaGondokoro。Itisheartbreakingworkafterallmytroubleinhavingbroughthertothisdistantpoint。”Nothingcanbedonewithoutcamels，andtheseanimalscannotbebroughtfromKhartoumintheclosedstateoftheriver。”Myoriginalplanincluded200camels，200cavalry，andfifteenlargedeckedsloops。NoneofthesenecessaryitemshavebeensentfromKhartoum，thusIamparalyzed。”
　　CHAPTERXV。