首页 >出版文学> Ismailia>第95章

第95章

  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。