TherewasonlyonesteppracticableiftheimprovementofAfricaweretobeattempted。Egyptwastheonlycountrythatcouldformagovernmentbytheextensionofherfrontiertotheequator。Thiswouldinsurethesafetyoffuturetravellerswherehithertothelifeofanindividualhadnoguarantee。
Thisannexationisnoweffected,andourrelationswiththeKhediveassureusthattheheartofAfricawillbethrownopentothecivilizinginfluenceoftheNorth。
WhentherailwayshallbecompletedfromCairotoKhartoum,therewillbedirectcommunicationbyrailandriver。Countriesthatareeminentlyadaptedforthecultivationofcotton,coffee,sugar,andothertropicalproductionswillbebroughtwithintheinfluenceofthecommercialworld,andthenatives,nolongerkidnappedandtornfromtheirhomes,willfeelthebenefitsofindustry,astheynowfeeltheblessingsofprotection。
Itiswellknownthatthegreatestdifficultieslieinthefirstfootstepsofagreatenterprise;butthosedifficultiesareovercome,andpatienceandperseverancewillatlengthperfectthegoodwork。TheimpressionofcivilizationmustbegraduallyandslowlyengraveduponCentralAfrica,andthosewhoworkinthisapparentlyhopelessundertakingmustnotbeappalledbythedifficultiesofthetask。
InthesharethatIhavetakenduringnineyearspassedinAfrica,I
havesimplyrepresentedoneofthoseatomsofwhichGreatBritainiscomposed。IdeeplyregretthatpersonallyIhavenothadthehonourofservingmyQueen,butItrustthatindirectlyIhaveworkedoutthatprinciple,whichEnglandwasthefirsttoinitiate,expressedintheword”Freedom,”which,wemaintain,isthenaturalinheritanceofman。
MingledwiththeregretthatIwasnotintheserviceofHerMajesty,isthepleasurethatIfeelintestifyingtotheablemannerinwhichtheRoyalNavywasrepresented,throughoutalongandtryingexpedition,byLieutenantJulianAlleyneBaker,R。N。Thisenergeticyoungofficerrenderedmethegreatestassistance,andhasleftavividimpressiononthemindsofthenatives,andoftheEgyptiantroops,oftheactivity,andthestraightforward,manlycharacterthathasalwaysdistinguishedBritishsailorsinwhateverdutytheyhavehadtoperform,whetheronseaorland。
IreturnmyacknowledgmentsofthefaithfulandcourageousservicesofLieutenant-ColonelAbd-el-Kader,andotherofficerswhoaccompaniedmethrougheverydifficultywithpatienceanddevotion。
IalsothankMr。Marcopolo,myintelligentandtrustworthysecretaryandchiefstorekeeper,atthesametunethatIacknowledgetheservicesofthoseindustriousEnglishengineersandmechanicswhosothoroughlysupportedthewell-knownreputationoftheirclassbyadeterminationtosucceedineveryworkthatwasundertaken。Theirnewsteamer,theKhedive,remainsupontheWhiteNileanexampleoftheirenergyandcapability。
Lastly,ImustacknowledgetheableassistancethatIhavereceived,incommonwitheverypersonconnectedwiththeinlandexpedition,frommywife,whocaredforthesickwhenwewerewithoutamedicalman,andwhosegentleaidbroughtcomforttomanywhosestrengthmightotherwisehavefailed。Duringaperiodoffourteenmonths,withadetachmentof212officersandmen,exclusiveofmanyservantsandcamp-followers,I
ONLYLOSTONEMANFROMSICKNESS,andhewasatanout-station。
Inmomentsofdoubtandanxietyshewasalwaysathoughtfulandwisecounsellor,andmuchofmysuccessthroughninelongyearspassedinAfricaisduetomydevotedcompanion。
Thefoundationforagreatfuturehasbeenlaid;aremoteportionoftheAfricanracehithertoexcludedfromtheworld’shistoryhasbeenbroughtintodirectcommunicationwiththesuperiorandmorecivilizedraces;
legitimatetradehasbeenopened;therefore,acceptingcommerceasthegreatagentofcivilization,theworkisactuallyinprogress。
Fortifiedpostsextendtowithintwodegreesoftheequator。ThealliancewithM’tese,thekingofUganda,enabledmenotonlytocommunicatebyletteraddressedtoLivingstoneinthedistantcountryofUnyanyembe,butareplywassentbyLieutenantCameron,togetherwithlargepresentsofivory,tomeatGondokoro,[*]asIhavebeeninformedbyaletterfromColonelGordon。
[*Footnote:TheletterandtheivoryfromM’tesewerereceivedbyColonelGordon。]
TheKhediveofEgypt,havingappointedColonelGordon,R。E。,hasprovedhisdeterminationtocontinuetheworkthatwascommencedundersomanydifficulties。TheNilehasbeenopenedtonavigation;andifthetroublesthatIencounteredandovercameshallhavesmoothedthepathformyableandenergeticsuccessor,Ishallhavebeenwellrewarded。
Thefirststepsinestablishingtheauthorityofanewgovernmentinatribehithertosavageandintractablewereofnecessityaccompaniedbymilitaryoperations。Warisinseparablefromannexation,andthelawofforce,resortedtoinself-defence,wasabsolutelyindispensabletoprovethesuperiorityofthepowerthatwaseventuallytogovern。Theendjustifiedthemeans。
AtthecommencementoftheexpeditionIhadfeltthattheobjectoftheenterprise——”thesuppressionoftheslavetrade”——wasoneforwhichI
couldconfidentlyaskablessing。
AfirmbeliefinProvidentialsupporthasnotbeenunrewarded。Inthemidstofsicknessandmalariawehadstrength;fromactsoftreacherywewerepreservedunharmed;inpersonalencountersweremainedunscathed。
Intheend,everyoppositionwasovercome:hatredandinsubordinationyieldedtodisciplineandorder。Apaternalgovernmentextendeditsprotectionthroughlandshithertoafieldforanarchyandslavery。Theterritorywithinmyrulewaspurgedfromtheslavetrade。ThenativesofthegreatShoolitribe,relievedfromtheiroppressors,clungtotheprotectinggovernment。TheWhiteNile,foradistanceof1,600milesfromKhartoumtoCentralAfrica,wascleansedfromtheabominationofatrafficwhichhadhithertosullieditswaters。
Everycloudhadpassedaway,andthetermofmyofficeexpiredinpeaceandsunshine。Inthisresult,IhumblytracedGod’sblessing。
FINIS。
APPENDIX。
AfewextractsfromthevaluableworkofDr。Schweinfurthwillthrowalightuponthespiritwhichanimatedtheauthorities,allofwhomwereincensedatmyhavingpresumedtounderstandtheKhedive’sordersliterallyrespectingthesuppressionoftheslavetrade。
Inpage485,vol。ii。,hewrites:——”Theill-feelingandsmotheredrageagainstSirSamuelBaker’sinterferencenurturedbythehigherauthorities,breaksoutverystronglyamongstthelessreticentlowerofficials。InFashoda,andeveninKhartoum,IheardcomplaintsthatwetheFranksweretheprimecauseofallthetrouble,andifithadnotbeenforoureternalagitationwiththeViceroy,suchmeasureswouldneverhavebeenenforced。”
Inpage477,vol。ii。,hecontinues:——”NotwithstandingthatSirSamuelBakerwasstillontheupperwatersoftheriver,theideawasquiteprevalentinalltheseribas,thatassoonasthe’EnglishPacha’hadturnedhisbackuponFashodathegovernmentstationintheShillookcountry,themudirgovernorwouldrelapseintohisformerhabits,andlevyagoodroundsumontheheadofeveryslave,andthenletthecontrabandstockpasswithoutmoreado。Butforoncetheseribapeoplewerereckoningwithouttheirhost。ThemudirhadbeensoseverelyreprimandedbyBakerforhisformerdelinquencies,thathethoughtithisbestpolicy,forthisyearatleast,tobeasenergeticashecouldinhisexertionsagainsttheforbiddentrade。”
Inpage470,vol。ii。,Dr。Schweinfurthwrites:——”IknewthatSirSamuelBakerwasupontheUpperNile,anddidnotdoubtthathispresencewouldhavetheeffectofmakingthegovernmenttakethemoststrenuousmeasuresagainstanyimportofslaves。”
Page429,vol。ii。:——”BeforeSirSamuelBaker’sexpeditionputastoptoitaltogether,theslavetradethatwascarriedondowntheriverwasquiteinsignificantcomparedtotheoverlandtraffic。””ForyearstherehasbeenapublicprohibitionagainstbringingslavesdowntheWhiteNileintoKhartoum,andeverandagainstrongerrepressivemeasureshavebeenintroduced,which,however,haveonlyhadtheeffectofraisingthelandtraffictoapremium;butasageneralrule,theEgyptianofficialsconniveattheuseofthiscomparativelyunimportantchannelofthetrade,andpocketaquietlittlerevenueforthemselvesbydemandingasumvaryingfromtwotofivedollarsaheadashush-money。”
Inpage429,vol。ii。:——”TheexpeditionofSirSamuelBakerhasstoppedthesource。”
Inpage410,vol。ii。,Dr。Schweinfurthwrites:——”AlreadyhadSirSamuelBaker,withpraiseworthyenergy,commencedscouringthewatersoftheUpperNile,andbycapturingallslave-vesselsandabolishingalarge’chasua’belongingtothemudirgovernorofFashoda,hadleftnodoubtastotheearnestnessofhispurpose,”&c。
Inpage83,vol。i。:——”Beyondthetrueeasternshore,theDinkaaresaidtobesettledinextensivevillages,andatthattimestillfurnishedaninexhaustiblesupplyofslavestothemaraudingexpeditionsofthegarrisonofFashoda。In1870Bakersucceededinputtinganendtothisdisorder,theknowledgeofwhichpenetratedtothemostremotetribes。”
TheevidenceofsotrustworthyatravellerasDr。Schweinfurthisexceedinglyvaluable,ashewasintheWesternNiledistrictsatthetimethatIwasactivelyengaged;thushehadopportunitiesofwitnessingtheresultsofmyinterference,andthehostilityexhibitedbytheauthorities。Heissimplyinerrorconcerningtheimportanceoftheslavetradeoftheriver,whichhemuchunderrates,aswillhavealreadybeenseenbythefactof700slavesbeingstowedawayupononlythreevesselsbelongingtoAbouSaood。
Thesevessels,thatwerecapturedbymyordersatFashoda,ontheirwaytowardsKhartoum,wereanexampleofthetruthforetoldbythetraderswithwhomDr。Schweinfurthwastravellinginthewest——”thatassoonastheEnglishPachahadturnedhisbackuponFashoda,thegovernorwouldrelapseintohisformerhabits,andlevyagoodroundsumontheheadofeveryslave,andthenletthecontrabandcargopasswithoutmoreado。”
Therewerealwayswell-knownslaveroutesthroughKordofan,butthesechannelsbecameofextremeimportancewhenIrenderedtheslavetrafficoftheriverimpossible。
Itisquiteunnecessarytowritemoreonthesubjectoftheslavetrade。
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