Seven Years HE Soudan ROAfOLO GF.SS/ PASHA Digitized by tine Internet Arcliive in 2015 littpsV/archive.org/details/sevenyearsinsoudOOgess SEVEN YEARS IN THE SOUDAN BEING A EECORD OF EXPLORATIONS, ADVENTURES, AND CAMPAIGNS AGAINST THE ARAB SLAVE HUNTERS ROMOLO GESSI PASHA FELIX GESSI ILLUSTRATED LONDON SAMPSON LOW, MAESTON & COMPANY LimitPil 3t JJunstsn'B 38mts? Fetter Lane, Fleet Street, E.G. 1892 [All rights reserved] LONDON : I'UINTEB BY GlLJllil.T AND UITINGION, LIMITED, M'. .IOn>'.S llOVbE, CLEKKENWELI , E.G. Zo tbe Sainteb /IDciiiori^ GOEDON PASHA FEE FACE. RoMOLO Gessi was boru at Constautinople iu 1831. His father, Marco Gessi, was a lawyer of Eavenna, a political exile, and his mother, Elisabetta Golobetti, was an Italian born in Armenia. In 1842 Marco Gessi died, leavinor a moderate fortune realized hj the practice of the law, and Romolo, through the forethought of a maternal uncle, was sent to German}^ to finish his education. In 1848 Mr. Lloyd, the English consul at Bucharest, an old friend of Marco Gessi, perceiving in Romolo an intelligent mind united to the knowledge of several languages, among which were Turkish, Russian, and Greek, took him into his office at Bucharest, where he remained till the declaration of war against Russia by the Allied Powers. Receiving an appointment on the English Staff, Gessi set out for the Crimea in the office of inter- preter to General Strnowhys. During the war he rendered most important services, not only as inter- preter, but by taking the direction of various secret expeditions. After the death of General Strnowhys, who fell in battle at his side, Gessi met with Colonel Gordon, with whom he formed a friendship. The war ended, Gessi went to London, from whence he re-embarked for the East, visiting Syria and all the ports of the Black Sea, till, on his Danubian journey, he married in 1860 Maria Purkart, and settled finally at Tulcia in Roumania. vi Preface. It was in this city that Gessi and Gordon met for the second time. Gordon had come to reside at Tulcia as a member of the International Commission for determining the boundaries between Russia and Turkey. This chance meeting of the two friends from the Crimea was to have a decisive influence on the fate of Romolo Gessi. In 1873, Gordon being appointed to the Government of the Egyptian Soudan, proposed to liis friend to follow him. Gessi accepted the offer and started for Egj-pt. At this point begin the memorials of this remark- able man, which we have now collected in great part from letters sent from the seat of war to our journal the Esploratore, and in part also from inedited documents confided to us a few days before Gessi's death. Early in 1874 Gessi repaired to Cairo and from thence to Suez, Avhere he embarked, and after having touched at Gedda, set sail for Suakim, where he organized a caravan of two hundred and fifty camels, crossed the desert and reached Berber. From this station he ascended the Nile in a boat as far as Khartoum, and was sent by Gordon, after the few days' halt necessary for the pi*eparations for a journey into the interior to the Gazelle, charged with establishing commercial and administrative stations with small garrisons. Returning by the White Nile, he ascended it as far as Rejaf, and planted stations at Sobat, Gaba-Shambe, Bohr, Lado, and Rejaf. Having accomplished this work, Gessi made the best of his way back to Khartoum, and was soon afterwards charged by Gordon with an extremely difficult geographical mission, in which two eminent English staff officers, Watson and Chippendale, had already failed. This mission, or rather exploration, consisted in ascending the Nile as far as the last Cataract, and proceeding from Dufile to Wadelai, and from Wadelai Preface. vii to the Albert Lake. Chippendale and Watson had indeed reached Wadelai, but insuperable difficulties had compelled them to retire, and the great problem of whether the Nile really flowed out of the Albert Lake remained still unsolved. Gessi set out for Dufile, ascended the Nile on two iron boats, and found its outlet in the Mwutan Lake, the circumnavigation of which he accom- plished in forty days, returning to Dufile without having lost a single man. Such an exploration, made with scanty means and such boldness among hostile peoples, navigating in the most dangerous season that tropical tempestuous lake in small and fragile sailing and rowing boats, awakened at the time the admiration of all the geographical world. It was one of the most im- portant explorations of our century. After this journey the geographers could finally lay down on the map the hydrographical system of the Nile, hitherto very uncertain. The reader will learn from the memorials the reasons why Gessi, after such signal services, re- signed his appointment as Captain in the Egyptian army and returned home. But our friend was not a man for European life. He returned to Egypt, organized a large expedition to ascend the Sobat, a river the course of which still remains unknown, and which has great importance for the protectorate of Galla. But all his baggage and scientific instruments fell a prey to fire at the station of Suez, perhaps by the hands of Mussulman fanatics, our friend thus losing property of about 30,000 francs in value, the result of his savings. But he was not disheartened on this account ; he returned to his native country, and was presented by me to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Italy, from whom he received material aid and encourage- ment. Count Telfener of Rome, and Gonzales at Paris also contributed generous offerings for a new VIU Preface. exploration in which Dr. P. Matteucci took part, and Gessi again set out for Khartoum, from wlience he made his way to Fadasi on the borders of the Gralla country. The aim of this expedition was the liberation of Captain Cecchi, a prisoner of the Queen of Ghera. But difficulties of all kinds and insufficient means obliged the two Italian travellers to return. Gessi, however, was not the man to abandon an under- taking at the first check, and he set himself at once to prepare a second expedition with the same object but by another route, ascending the Sobat river. " All was ready to start," our friend wrote, " when an official from the Upper Nile brought the news of the revolution of Suleiman Ziber Bey, head of the slavers." Gordon, forgetting the disagree- ment which had arisen between him and his former captain after the exploration of the Albert Lake, offered him the difficult and dangerous command of the expedition against the rebels. Gessi hesitated at first, having already experienced too much of the ingratitude of the Egyptian Government, but urged by Dr. Junker, and remembering his old ties of friendship with Gordon, and attracted, moreover, by the very difficulties of the enterprise, which corre- sponded to the iron energy of his character, he accepted. What he accomplished in this memorable cam- paign his memorials modestly tell us. Schweinfurth called him at this time " the legendary man," and from the letters of Junker, Casati, the Rev. Mr. Wilson, Felkin, and fragments of the book of Buchta, the reader can see in what account his achievements Avere held by men who had personalh' visited the theatre of the war in which he fought. Suffice it to say that Gessi, with a few hundred soldiers untrained and far inferior to the numerous hordes of Suleiman, the sole Christian and sole European, with a traitorous staff officer formerly a Preface. ix negro chief, and through a thousand difficulties of climate, being obliged to march almost continuously in inundated lands and pestilential marshes, — by his genius and energy succeeded not only in conquering but exterminating the enemy, causing Suleiman and all the slave-traders to be shot, and completely quelling, by this salutary example, the rebellion in those provinces. Having concluded the war by the capital execution of the chiefs, our hero set to work to organize the country reconquered for Egypt. He opened canals, constructed boats on the numerous rivers which intersect this rich territory, discovered forests of caoutchouc, and instructed the natives in the method of collecting it, established schools, and organized an army of blacks, sending away the Arabian troops who were friendly to the slave traders. The Government nominated him Pasha, but his enemies, interested in the rebellion, and jealous of so much glory, were powerful at Cairo and Khartoum, and the exterminator of the infamous rebellion was recalled. This recall was the cause of the tragic death of this extraordinary man. And here I can only repeat Avhat I wrote in the Et>ploratore (Vol. vii. p. 146) after the death of my friend : — " The history of the Mahdi will tell, more clearly than we can, what were the consequences of the system hitherto pursued by the Egyptian Grovern- ment of the Soudan. It will tell, better than we can, to what prosperity these fertile provinces would have risen if the hatred of the Mussulman and some traders who bore unworthily the name of Christian had not persecuted Gessi by the vilest means. This implacable hostility was the true cause of his death, and that of four hundred of his followers." But we will leave to Gessi himself the description of this disaster. To Gessi as Pasha, after the retirement of Gordon, X Preface. the entire control of the Soudan should have fallen, but the Egyptian .Government, far from recognizing his merits, not only assigned no pension to the widow or the man who had conquered a splendid and vast province, but even refused her the arrears of the pay which as general was due to her husband ! We are, however, certain that England, now omnipotent in Egj^pt, Avill compel that Government to perform a simple act of justice. The reader must not be offended with the manner in which Gessi Pasha has in this frank record ex- pressed himself. As we have said, he spoke and wrote in several languages, and, having lived many j'^ears out of Italy, his command of his mother tongue perhaps suffered. We have only ventured upon a few corrections, and then only when the phrase did not well express the idea. We desired in fact to leave on these writings the original impress of the author, a man who lias been rightly styled the " Gfaribaldi of Africa." Manfredo Ca5[PEUI0. NOTE BY THE TEANSLATORS. We gladly undertook the task entrusted to us of translating the Memoirs and Journals of Romolo Gessi Pasha. The book was published in Italy last year, and is based upon the distinguished explorer's notes which were edited and arranged by his son, Felix Gessi, and by Captain Camperio. This English edition of the work of course appears with the full sanction and authority of its Authors ; indeed, Signor Felix Gessi has kindly en- riched the English edition with some letters which do not appear in the Italian Edition, and this new material, in our judgment, considerably enhances the interest of the work. "We believe that the book will be found to be an important contribution to the knowledge of Equa- torial Africa, and the history of the Slave Trade in the Dark Continent, This conviction has led us to look upon the work of translation as a labour of love, and we are glad moreover to do anything in our power to place before English readers the simple and remarkable account which the brave Italian soldier and explorer has himself given of his experiences and adventures during the eventful seven years which he spent in the Soudan, LlLV WOLPFSOIIN, Bettina Woodwaed. Naples, November, 1891. CONTENTS. Preface ... CHAPTEE I. GORDON IN THE SOUDAN. Egypt in Central Africa — Irregular administrative proceedings — The slave trade, four hundred thousand slaves — Raids — The Anti-Slavery Society of London — The Khedive Ismail Pasha — Infamous governors — Sir Samuel Baker — Un- successful expedition— Appointment of Colonel Gordon — Colonel Gordon — War in the Crimea — Grand IMandarin — The Emperor of China — Gordon in the Soudan — The staff — Departure from Cairo — Arrival at Suez CHAPTER II. FROM SUEZ TO KHARTOUM. The Zagazig overloaded steani(!r — Jedda — Sale of slaves — Pil- gxim?, — Damages — Sharks — Suakim — Quarantine — Two hundred and forty camels — Caravan of two hundred and ten camels — The desert — Three hundred English miles on foot — Ariab — Profitable chase — A fall from a camel — Crocodile hunt — A man devoured — Khartoum CHAPTER III. THE "SAPHIA." Preparations — Departure in the SapMa — Anson — The ivory merchants and the slaves — Deserters — Indolence — Hurri- cane — Kava — The gum - anderach {f) — Mosquitoes — Captain Hussein — African nights — Hippopotamus hunts — Hurricane — Aground — The Bagara — Kaka . XIV Contents. CHArXER IV. TUE SIIILLUKS AND THEIR CHIEF MEK. PAGE Hunters of wild beasts — Treason — Yussuf Bey — Xugar with elephant tusks — War — The Sobat — Wild boars and lions —The Sheikh of Sobat— The Mek of the Shilluks— On board — Manners and customs of the Shilluks . . .21 CHAPTEE V. IIDXTIXG. Two celebrated hunters — Nine elephants killed — The Bordeen j;oes to Gondokoro — On the Bahr-el-( ihazal — Plundering — Wc kill f(jur buffaloes — My Reiley rifle — Difficult naviga- tion— lIippoi)otami — One wounded — Thirty-seven great elephants — Twentj^-threc blacks assassinated — Flight — Mcshra-el-Rek — Hunt with Anson and Haggi — Kempt and Giegler — Letter from Gordon — Enormons hippopo- tamus killed ......... ,34 CHAPTER VI. REPORT TO GORDON. Report to Gordon — Stations on the Bahr-el-Ghazal — Denomina- tion of the " vekil " — The cattle of the Sandch, Niain-Xiam of ihe Arabs — Bad news — TJnburied corpses — Slaves — The Sandch and tlie negroes .50 CHAPTER VII. THE WEALTH OF TUE SOUDAN. Natural products — Skins and cattle —Ebony .... 58 CHAPTER VIII. DEATH OF ANSON. In the shadow of the tamarinds — Two lions in flight — Buffaloes and rhinoceroses — "Wild oxen — Fever — Anson's death — Arrival of Gordon ........ 65 CHAPTER IX. HAVOC AMONG THE EUROPEANS. Gaba-Shambe — Large monkeys — Haggi pulled down by a leopard — He kills it — Old lions— The traveller Miani — New station — Aground — The botanist Witt dies — Un- Contents. XV PAGE healthiness of Gondokoro — Death of Linaut de Eellefonds — Sultan Mtesa — Colonel Long . . • . .71 CHAPTER X. GORDON AT WORK. Abu-Sud — Betrayer of Baker — Gordon deceived — Destitu- tion of Abu-Sud — Internal wars — Trade in ivory and slaves —The Dinkas 81 CHAPTER XI. AT LADO. Lado, headquarters — Elephant in the camp — Long returns from Uganda — The Sheikh of Lado — Twelve thousand uxcn — Crocodiles — Ernest Linaut de Bellefonds — Chijijiendale and AVatson — The Khedive — Marno and Hansal — Death of my son — Banquet of Yussuf Bey — Kaka in danger — Death of Yussuf Bey — Assault of Kaka hy the Shilluks — Return to Fashoda 88 CHAPTER XII. THE EXPLORATION OP THE ALBERT NYANZA. The Albert Xyanza — Shari or Congo % — Failure of Watson's and Chippendale's expedition — Departure for the Albert X^yanza — The DuJUc and the IMaguiKjo- — Arrival at Dufilc — Pre- ])arations for departure — Carlo Piaggia and Lake Kapeki — Seriba Behit — Contrary winds — Tlmnderstorm — A piringi killed — Seriba Baro — Water-plants — Inhabited shore — Difficult navigation — The Ardus tribe — The Nile flows from the Albert Lake ....... 99 CHAPTER XIII. WADELAI AND THE MOUTH OF THE ALBERT LAKE. Advance l)y rowing — Natives — Hospitality — Interpreters — Arrival at Wadelai — AVadelai's brother — Vassal of Kaba Rega — Treason of the false Wadelai — Merissa — River of the Luris — Ferocity of the Luris- — Blood -brotherhood with Wadelai — The Yaco — Crocodile's blood — Hij^popota- mus meat — Populous shores— Bananas and doora — The Langos — Distrustful natives — Equinoctial hurricanes — Kaba Rega — War-ships — Fires — Kaba Rega and Mtesa — Letter of Mtesa to Gordon — Hostility — Flight — Mortality in the Uuyoro — Hurricane — Foquah and Faigaro . . 105 XVI Contents. CHAPTEE XIV. SHIPWRECK. Interpreter killed — Storm — Shipwreck — Rescue of i)rovisions — Lost instruments — Magungo — Warlike music — Two thou- sand natives — Flight of arrows — Wad-el-Mek — Cataract — Thousands of hippopotami — Compact with the natives — Message to Anfina — War hetween Wad-el-]*Iek and Kaha Rega — Victory of Wad-el-Mek . , . .117 CHAPTER XV. ON THE MYSTERIOCS LAKE. The Bisso Mountains — Great cascade — Grigantic waves — The Dongolese — Malcontent crew — Belila — Want of discipline — Attempt at towing — Another cascade — The River Tisa — Third cascade — Thunderstorm — Thousands of fish and crocodiles — The gate of Shubra — All on land. . .123 CHAPTER XVI. CIRCUMXAVIGATION COMPLETED. Natives of Unyoro — Killing an enormous hippopotamus — Great feast — Thunderstorm — Floating island — Southern extremity of the lake — ^larshcs — High mountains in view to the south — Hostility of the natives — Failure to land — Village among the marshes — Mount Modrog —Navigation to the north — Rapid voyage — Volume of water in the Nile — Width of the lake — Population — Little shelter — Ivory — Climate — In the Nile — Arrival at Dufile— The exploration of Coja or Kapeki Lake by Carlo Piaggia • 1 30 CHAPTER XVII. JOURNEY TO FADASI. Misunderstanding with Gordon — Gessi leaves for Italy — Pre- parations for exploring the Sobat — Morch and Buchta — A disastrous fire — Determination to search for Cecchi and Chiarini with Dr. Matteucci — Telfener's generosity — Pre- sented to Prince Humbert — New subsidies — Return to Egypt 139 CHAPTER XVIII. TRADE OF THE SOUDAN WITH ITALY. On the dahabia — Assuan — Korosko — -Tributes — Dearth — Trade with Italy — Tamarinds and gums — Calisto Legnani — Lombroso — Spada — Departure . . . . .145 Conteiits. xvii CHAPTER XIX. THE FCNGI3. PASK Sennaar — Ethiopian antinuity — The Blue Nile — The Fungis — Fertile soil — Fine-looking and good population — Death of the Re Galantuomo — Flag hung with crape in the desert — Low water — Karkog — - Trade — Roseres — Baobab — Fazoglu — Gold — Famaka — Anthropology — Revolution in the Galla country — !Mount Agaro — The Tumat — Fires — Harif . . ' lol CHAPTER XX. FADASr. Kasan — Millions of starlings — Wild animals — The natives and their gold — Benishangal — -The Galla country — Our flag — Marno — Fadasi — A Galla market — Salt — The Aman Xegroes — Brigandage — Massacres — The Gurguros . . 162 CHAPTER XXI. THE SLAVE MONOPOLY OF THE GOVERNMENT. The Yabus — Road by the Galla — The Sheikh 'of Fadasi — A month of expectation — Insuperable difficulties — We leave Fadasi — Arrival at Khartoum — Departure of Matteucci — The Sheikh of Belinguan and the Sobat — Preparations for the Sobat — Stoppage of a caravan of slaves — Monseigneur Comboni — The slave monopoly of the Government — Inter- view with Gordon . . . . . . . .171 CHAPTER XXII. REVOLUTION IN THE BAHR-EL-GHAZAL. Arrival of Junker — Enrolments— Everything ready — Money, doora, arras abundant — Wealth of produce — I do not go to the Sobat — An official fiom Fashoda — Revolution in the Bahr-el-Ghazal — Suleiman — Agitation at Khartoum — A steamer stranded — Gordon in perplexity — Arrest of rebels — Sequestration of cases- — The masters of the seribe — My little troop — Forces of Suleiman . . • . .180 CHAPTER XXIII. THE WAR AGAINST THE SLAVERS ON THE GAZELLE KIVER. Farewell to Gordon — Hurricane — Forgotten post — Capture of a daliabia — Ismailia — Meeting with Ernin Bey — Arrival at Fashoda — Slaves disembarked — The Sultan of the Shilluks a -Will Contents. — Tail) Bey — Difficulties — Sixty irregular Arab soldiers — Eniin Bey departs . . . . . . . .IS" CHAPTER XXIV. THE COXQUKST OK THE SHILI.UKS. The (touqiiest of the Shilluks — Granaries of tlie Soudan — Capital of the Sliilluks — Mohammed Her — Mussa Pasha — Ex- pedition of the Arab merchants — Defeat of the Sliilluks — Trade in slaves — Epidemic at Khartoum — Capture of twenty tliousand slaves — The Aral)s imprisoned '. 1 'Ji" CHAPTER XXV. SLAVE-IJU.\LIN(i GOVEKXOIW. Arrival at (iaba-Sliambe — Slave-dealers — Steamers — Libera- tion of one hunilrod and seventy slaves — Ibrahim Fauzi Bey — Gaba-Shambi- — Want of bearers — Empty magazine — Harif — Agricultural colony of Rejaf — Surra Etfendi — Arrival at Lado — Dismissal of Ibrahim Fauzi Bey — Diffi- culty of finding troojjs at Lado — Dearth of provisions — Hippopotamus killi!il — Mangrios Effi?ndi — The Sultan's liorse . '. 200 CHAPTER XXVI. FATH;UIXG MAKCHES. Laoo — The Dinkas and the Kits — Tiiree men drowned — Agar — Knmbek — Tin- Atots — European slave-dealers — Obstruc- tion on the Xilc 209 CHAPTER XXVII. THE .1EL.VI5UA. ^fy baggage — Dokumeseie — Sultan Uanda — The great river to the .south of Bagangoi — Indian elepliants — O.x-carts — Trained bulls — Ziber Pasha— Tiie jelabba — The com- mercial future — The scribe — Leopard in the camp — Athanassiade's .slave — Dragomans killed — The Englisli mission — Mason's voyage on the ^Iwatan — Zige — Arrival of new troops — The post delayed 215 CHAPTER XXVIIL THE MOVE.MEXTS OK SULEIMAN. Arrival of the post — Enormous difficulties — Emin believes victory impcssible —Suleiman advances — Treachery — A Contents. xix fatiguing march— Water rij) to the armpits — The El Tiingi river — Xotliiiig from IMakraka — Anotlier betrayal — A little help — Suleiman at Dem luris — Spies . . . 2. '52 CHAPTER XXIX. THE HATTf.E OF DEM IDUIS. Suleiman continues to advance — Battle of Dem Idris — Heroism — Concjuest — Ten flags, etc.— Four thousand dead — News of the victory runs through all the Soudan — Heroic act of Gordon — England feared — Desertions in Suleiman's camp, 244 CHAPTEK XXX. THE SMALL-POX. Pestilence — CanuiLalism — Victory — Suleiman .sets tire to our camji — The rebel camp burned — Incident at Dem Arbali— Reinforcements arrive- — Enemy's escort captured — W;int of ammunition — A defeat — Hoi firing — M y horse ■wounded — Heavy loss' — A great victory- — X^oresult — Guerillawarfarc — Great mortality — Ammunition exhausted — Famine- — The Jolabba lieaten at Dem Bckir — liasketsful of lieads . 2.").'") CHAPTER XXXI. Al-TEli THE VICIOKV. My critical position — Want of food ajid ammunition — Xo assistance- — Gordon's letter — Reinforcements to the rehel.s — Sheikh Fango of Delgaur.a — Victory over the Jelabba.^ — I summon Suleiman to surrender — His refusal — Attack of Suleiman's residence — Stupendous tiopical scenery — Hidden elephant tusks — Ascent of IVIount Serago — Ko enemy — Wescatter to eat and explore — Smoked antelopes' fle.4i — Attack and taking of Fangala — Poor blacks ! — — Eiberated slaves — Our advanced march — Fusilade — Victims revenged ...... liG'.' CHAPTER XXXII. A FOHTL'NATE AMBUSH. The attack — Rabi's flight — Plentilid booty — An ambush — Courage of the enemy — A massacre — More booty — March on Rekir — Sultan Harouu — Campung in the scriba — ^larch on Deluauna — Copjier mines — The Delgauua river. 2^4 a 2 XX Contents. CHAPTER XXXriI. ZIBElt's CONSPIRACY. PAGE Suleiman's harem — Thousands of women — The baobab — The Bahr-el-Arab — Juicy melons — Ziber's treasures — Copper bullets — Suleiman's fatlier — Ziber's conspiracy — Con- nivance with Darf our rebels — March to Kalaka, Darra and Tuesha — Meeting with Gordon Pasha .... 294 CHA.PTEK XXXIV. THE MEETING WITH GORDOy. Commerce Avith ^leshra-el-Rek — Navigation to Wau — "Wealth of timber — Pi.lms — Vegetable butter — The death of my son — Milanese expedition — Kalaka a nest of slaves — Arrival at Darra — Xo water — Doctor Alfieri . . . 308 CHAPTER XXXV. SDLEIMAX A PRISOXER. Difficulties of the English mission in Uganda — Proposals of colonization — Rapid march — Drought — Lions — Messe- (laglia Bej', Governor of Darfour — Intelligent scouts — Considerable forces of the enemy — Suleiman in Darfour — jNIidnight march — Rain — Cold — The Uadi-Ibra river — Disagreement among the enemy — The village Gara sur- prised— Absolute silence — Successful stratagem — Suleiman a prisoner ......... 315 CHAPTER XXXVI. THE DEATH OF SULEIMAN. Lemin's report — General desertion — Suleimau and nine chiefs shot — Letter to the Editor of the EspJomtoru . . . 325 CHAPTER XXXVII. THE RICHES OF BAHK-EL-GHAZAL. The missionaries Wilson and Felkin — Return to Dem Suleiman — Sultan ^Itesa — India-rubber — ^Eriodendrum aufraduo- sum — Richness of the land — Copper in quantities — Rice — Ivory — Graphite^ — I organize transports by river — English and Italians — African missionaries— Lieutenant Marocco — Another capture of slaves — The article in the Times . 337 Contents. XXI CHAPTER XXXVIII. THE SANDEH CHIEFS. PAGE Svibmission of the SanJeli chiefs to Gessi Pasha — Imnicnse field of exploration opened to south and west — The eunuchs of Moubuttu ......... 347 CHAPTER XXXIX. REORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTRY. Burned villages — Riddance of the Arabs — Proclamation — Energetic measures — Famine — Arrival of the Jelabba — El Arbab — A man carried off by a leopard — Isolated slave- traders — Xatives set to work — India-rubber, tamarinds and gums sent to Khartoum — Arabs embarked — Crossing the country — -Dr. Junker's exploration ..... 358 CHAPTER XL. CAPTAIN CASATI. The small farm on the Lake of Como — Captain Casati — Schwein- furth and the Monbuttu — King Mbio — Gifts to Mdarama — Repose — The Guinea worm — Atrocious sufferings — Everyone infected — The Horbans of Resegat — Letter to Dr. Junker — Emin Bey incapable of governing his province . 870 CHAPTER XLL GREAT MORTALITY THROUGH FAMINE. One hundred thousand slaves — Who is Emin Pasha % — Return from Bahr-el-Ghazal — Famine — -Cannibalism — Marno's arrival — A few saved — On the BonJeen—A. terrible night — Arrival at Khartoum — The last notes of Gessi Pasha . 385 CHAPTER XLII. FROM KHARTOUM TO SUEZ. Letter to the EspJoratore . . . , . . .411 CHAPTER XLIII. THE DEATH OF GESSI PASHA. Last moments — Letter from Count Pennazzi — Gessi Pasha's report, written ten days before his death . . . .418 Appendix 435 Index 459 « LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE Romolo Gessi Pasha ...... Fi-ontispieee Meiuljers of the, first Expedition Tn fa<'<' 6 Arrival at' Sua kill! ... . '. . 8 Camel Caravan . . . . '%> fw' 1 1 Acacia Spina Christ i .... . 1;! Xative. Camp in tlie Di'siTt 14 Fashoda 25 Head of a young Euffalo ."50 A wounded Butialo ...... -JN Tlie Corpses of slaughtered !N"egroes 1-2 Meslira-el-Kek .... To fac<- Specimen of a Bagara O.strich . A large Forest Floating Islands . .102 An Attack by Xatives on Lake Albert Nyanza . Tn faci- 110 Xatives cutting up dead HippiijiotaTniis . . Dr. Pell(!grino Matteueci II :j Doorn {So ly J) )im Vulgaris) . . 1 lii Seuaar . .... To j'w,i' 1-51 Ko.seres . . 151 Mount Agaro )ilO Fadasi ..... . . To. fare lii5 The (iogora .Mountains of Fadasi .... l(iH Captain Manfred Camperio, Editor of the E-' 17(i The Slave-dahabia .18!) A group of Elephants . .1 !)."> The Chiefs of Gal>a-Shambe 202 -V weary March . .210 XXIV List of Ilhistrations. PAGE The Sheikh of Agar 212 A Jur Woman 213 The Village of Agar To face 213 A Lip-l)Utton . .' 214 A Jelabba 218 A Black Porter 225 Battle of Dem Tdris To face 244 Suleiman's Besingers throwing down their arms . ,, 253 Explosion of Bombs ...... „ 258 Sheikh Goli. 261 Flight of Suleiman ...... To face 266 March on Mount Serago . . . . . „ 289 Dem Suleiman ....... „ 303 ' Emin Bey 306 Felix tlessi 309 Execution of Suleiman and Party .... To face 329 Crossing the Bahr-el-Arab ..... „ 331 The Leopard of Dem-el-.Vrbab .... ,, 362 Dr. W. Junker 369 Captain (now Major) Gaetano Casati . . . . .379 The Saphia in the shallows To face 400 Gessi Pasha's Journey across the Desert . . . ,, 418 Head of Gordon impaled in front of the Mahdi's tent „ 457 SEVEN YEAES IN THE SOUDAN. CHAPTER T. (JOT^DOX IN THE ROUDAX. Egypt in Central Africa — Irregular administrative proceedings — The Slave Trade— 400,000 Slaves— Eaids— The Anti-Slavery Society of London — The Khedive Ismail Paslia — Infamous Governors — Sii Samuel Baker — Unsuccessful expedition — Appointment of Colonel Gordon — "War in the Crimea — Grand i\Iandarin — The Emperor of China — Gordon in the Soudan — The Start' — Departure from Cairo — Arrival at Suez. It was in the year 1837 that the Egyptian Govern- ment first despatched expeditions into Africa to open up new roads for the commerce of the continent. Various stations were then established at Bahr-el- Ghazal, Bahr-el- Jeraf and the White iVile, for the barter of cotton stuffs and other articles which the natives were eager to exchange for indiarnbber, grain and ivor3^ This trade was carried on directly by the Government, and was, in fact, a monopoly, but about the year 1848, in consequence of the irregularity of its administration, and perhaps also because the expense exceeded the profits, it was left to private enterprise. Various merchants of Khartoum then took np their residence in these settlements ; they paid yearly to the Gov^ernment, as tax, as much ivory as they had 2 Seven y^cais in the Soudan. collocted in a month.' These merchants carried on a o-ood trade and became rich in a short time. 'rhe slave trade was hitherto unknown m the boudan of the Nile, and only began in 18G0. This new and infamous traffic soon proved most lucrative, and m a ^horfc time those who carried it on became million- aires. In the brief space of fourteen years more than four hundred thousand women and children were taken from their native country, and sokl in Egypt and Turkey, while thousands and thousands were massacred in the defence of their families. Other speculators of Khartoum joined themselves to the first in taking part in these raids. They armed some nuqar^; and undertook expeditions into the tern- tory of the natives. The latter were surprised during the nio-ht, the villages were burnt, the men killed, the women, children and ivory carried off. The boats beino- freighted, thev returned to Khartoum, where the 'spoils^ of such' raids found ready purchasers. These events took place openly, and the authorities of Khartoum were unable to hinder thein ; and even to this day the evil, though in a more hidden form, still exists. Europe was not, however, indifferent, especially Enoland, where the Anti-Slavery Society was formed, composed of the most influential personages. The con- tinual protests of these philanthropists, and articles imblished in the leading daily papers, induced the Government to demand of the Viceroy that an end should be put to this infamous trafi&c. ihe then Viceroy, an enlightened prmce, gave orders for the immediate suppression of slavery ; but the evil was too deeplv rooted, and those who had to execute the orders of the Government were directly interested in the shameful trade, attracted bv the enormous gains it offered. The immense distance that separates Cairo from Khartoum per- ' Tlio Tuikish vear lias thirteen months. ■■ Largo sailing boats. Gordon in the Soudan. 3 mittocl them to continue this traffic despite every prohibition. Enormous sums were expended in vain, for the ofovernors who succeeded each other in the Soudan sent misleading reports, and the Government, betrayed by its own officers in its turn, unwittingly deceived all Europe. A report of mine made to the Governor-General, which the reader will find further on, will show that slavery, plunder and massacre still continued in August 1874. The Khedive Ismail, wishing to avoid fresh blood- shed, and also eager to put an end to such ignominy, came to terms with the traders and bought their stations, munition, cattle, ivory and slaves, setting these last at liberty. But this generous attempt was of no avail ; the traders, after having pocketed the money, established new stations further on, and resumed their rapine as before. The officials cheated the Government, while the latter, wishing to give proof of its good intentions, did not shrink from any sacrifice. After Sir Samuel Baker had terminated his explora- tions in Central Africa, the Viceroy asked him in ISOO to attempt the abolition of slavery, and to place com- merce on a more satisfactory basis. Baker, who had traversed a part of the country and knew its miseries, accepted the mission. A poAverfui expedition was then organized with soldiers, cannons and steamers ; the leader had considerable sums of mone^^ and un- limited powers at his disposal. Everything promised the best results. Without wishing to detract from the merits of this eminent explorer, it is but just to remember that com- petent persons did not hold Sir Samuel Baker's views, nor did they judge him equal to the mission entrusted to him. Wlioever read the reports of Sir Samuel Baker to the President of the Royal Geographical Society, afterwards published in the J! 2 4 Seven Years in the Soudan. Times, -would liavc tliouglit that slavery was com- ])lete]y suppressed, and that a great part of the African territory had been annexed to Egypt. But this expedition, which cost more than half a million sterling, had no important result, and yet it is certain that Sir Samuel Baker had to sustain a severe cam- paign, not having had the forethought to place himself in safety before the tempest broke. All the owners of seribe'' conspired against him, and offered a vigorous resistance. Finalh', worn-out, and beaten by the enemy, who burned all his provisions in the various depots, he found himself compelled to retreat. The supposed conquests and suppression of slavery were proved a chimera ; the trade flourished more than ever, and the country again had to endure the horrors of its oppressors. It was a serious check for the Egyptian Govern- ment ; but the Viceroy was not the man to pause mid- way in his work of civilization. He meditated a new expedition, and this time with greater circumspection and prudence. Convinced that such expeditions would not yield better results than the first without a leader who should unite to military qualities a conciliatory spirit, he obtained the English Government's consent that Colonel Gordon should assume the administra- tion of the Soudan. Colonel Gordon was known to all Europe by his cam- paign in China, so that in England, to distinguish him from other Gordons, he was called " Chinese " Gordon. When he accepted the connnand of the expedition, he was representing his Government on tlie European commission to reo-ulate the boundaries near the Danube in conformity with the treaty of Paris. He had taken part in the Crimean War, and had been decorated with the Legion of Honour, and after that campaign he was charged by the Government with the settlement of the Russian-Turkish frontiers. '• Vill;i>j;cs suiTomuleil liy lioilgcs or palisade?. Goniou in the Soudan. 5 His deeds in the Crimea had rendered him popular. Endowed with an energy of character proof against all trials, he possessed all the qualities of a good captain. Never embarrassed by difficulties, either small or great, generous, humane, disinterested, but, at the same time, severely strict and of immovable will, he might justly be called a Icunjlit without fear and irithout reproach. After having pacified China, the Government of that Empire sent him, in recom- pense for the great services rendered, a considerable sum of money, but Gordon sent it back, saying he had merel}^ done his duty. He was then named Grand Mandarin of the Empire, and received the mantle with the badge of the Dragon, a distinction which was never before granted to a European. But so much honour had no more effect on him than the money previously offered. The sovereign of the Celestial Empire, puzzled by such disinterestedness, wrote to Queen Victoria, and the Imperial letter was sent by means of the regent. Prince Kung, with the order to deliver it personally to the ambassador, Mr. A. Bruce, who was about to set out for Europe. Prince Kung, when he handed the writing to the ambassador, said, " Gordon re- fused our money, and the Emperor has already con- ferred on him the greatest possible distinction, but as all these honours seem indifferent to him, the Emperor has charged me to deliver this autograph letter to her Majesty Queen Victoria, in which he begs her Majesty to accord to Gordon whatever honours may be more accej)table to him than all that it is in our power to offer." Doubtless the letter arrived at its destination. The J 'a ll Mall Gazctti' made the followino- reflections apropos of it: " The letter to the Queen, relative to Gordon, must be forgotten in some secretary's drawer, but would it not be well to make inquiry for it, if only as an historical document?" Colonel Gordon, having received powers from his Government, accepted the proposals of the Viceroy, 6 Seven Years in the Soudan. and at the beginniag of December 1873 quitted tbe Danube for Cairo. Having arranged what was necessary- with the Viceroy, Gordon repaired to England to provide stores and outfit for the expedition. He returned to Cairo towards the end of February, and liaving organized his staff, set out for Khartoum with only Colonel Long and the adjutant, Hassan Eiiendi. A special train conveyed them to Huez, and there they embarked on a steamer which the Government placed at their dis- posal. Arrived at Suakim, Gordon started immediately for Berber, whicli he reached in seven days. At Berber he set sail on a innjitr, but having met with a steamer whicli had been sent for him, he re-embarked on it and so arrived at Khartoum. He set off for Goudokoro, where he arrived in eighteen days, and in eleven more returned to Khartoum. The rest of his staff had remained meanwhile at Cairo, expecting the vessels which were to bring the baggage of the expedition to Alexandria. The staff comprised : — Lieutenant-Colonel Long, of the Egyptian army ; Major Campbell ; Signor Romolo Gessi, formerly official interpreter in the Crimea ; M. Auguste Linant de Bellefonds, special interpreter to the colonel ; Hassan Effendi, of the Egyptian army ; M. Kempt, mechanical engineer ; Mr. Russell, son of the Times' correspondent, and Mr. Anson, son of the English admiral and neph.ew to Gordon. The three ships expected from England arrived between the 20th and 28th of March 1874, and wo received the order to start. I went immediately to Nubar Pasha, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who gave me letters for the director of the railway station, and other letters for the Governors of Suez and Suakim. At eight o'clock in tlic morning we were all at the station, and at nine, having taken farewell of our numerous friends, the train started. Kempt was to MEMBERS OF THE FIRST EXPEDITION. 1. C. E. Gordon Pasha. 6. Russel. 2. Roiiiolo Gessi. 7. Abu Sud. 3. Augusts Linant do 8. Colonel Purtli. Bellefonds. 0. Colonel Long. ■i. Colonel Colstov. 10. Major Campbell. 5. Colonel Prudy. 11. Rauf Pasha. Central group : Russel, Long, Gessi, E. Bellefonds, 'A. Bollefouds, Anson, Campbell. Page 6. Gordon in the Soudan. 7 leave Alexandria the same day, and join ns at Suez Avitli the bao-CTaofo wliicli had arrived from Eno-land. At Suez we were lodged at tlie Hotel Anglais, and I presented myself in the evening to the Governor,- to whom I gave the letter of his Excellency i^nbar Pasha. The steamer which was to take us to Suakim was the Zagdzlg, and the next morning we set to work to embark onr baggage, and that which Kempt had brouo-ht from Alexandria. On the 29th onr assent, Colonel Thompson, M. Bellefonds with his brotlier Ernest, and Mdme. Desiree, a Erencli comedy actress, arrived at Snez. On the 30th at three p.m. we all embarked on a little steamer placed by the Government at our service, which took us on board the Zagazifj, already under steam. The last farewells were said, the machiner}^ set in motion, and shortly after we found ourselves in the open sea. 8 Seven Years in tJic Soudan. CHAPTER II. FROM SUi:Z TO KHARTOUM. The Za7rt-/7— Oveiloacled steamer— Jeddali— Sale uf Slaves — jjilo'i-ims _ Damages — Sharks — Saakim — Quarantine — Two liumlrcd and fortv camels— Caravan of two hundred and ten camels— The Dose"rt— Three hun.lrcd English miles on foot— Aiiab— Profitable chase— A fall from a camel— Crocodile-hunt— A man devoured — Khartoum. The Zaiin::! a caravan to Bcrbur, liati sliortly before stolen eleven slieep 'ill one day. Straiio-e to say, all the annovaiiees, all the aets of rapine, are generally due to the Turks, rarely to the Arabs. On all our journey Ave could only buy, with great difficulty, four sheep. M. Linant do Bellefonds told me at Berber that the gendarmes had even plundered a village, and at the approach of another detachment the entire population had fled to the mouu.. tarns, abandoning all their possessions. Berber was now not far off, and our caravan halted to ])e put in order. The next day we resumed our march. The evening was cool and I had left my com- panions about an hour behind, and was half asleep, when my camel started at the sight of a carcass ; my saddle, not being well secured, slipped, and I fell head foremost. The shock was so severe that I had no strength to call for aid, and believed my last hour had arrived. My friends coming up raised me from the ground, but \ could scarcely either walk or ride. I dragged myself on for half an hour and then we stopped. They rubbed me with spirits of wine. Meanwhile the caravan continued its way, and I only reached Berber Seven Years in the Soudan. the (lay after, all bruised and shaken, and accompanied only by my guard. , 7 •/ The governor of Berber was al)sent, ;ind the rakd, his representative, provided lodghigs for ns. Our commander, who had returned to Khartoum from Gondokoro, telegraphed that he would come to meet ns. During the time of our stay at Berber, we were occupied with the division of the baggage, and its shipment on the nuqa^^ which the governor had made IX ill I .1 ready for us. Four days afterwards we were ]omed by Colonel Gordon, who had come by steamer. He ordered that we should hold ourselves ready to set out for Khartoum next morning, and, after having transported all our luggage on board, we embarked the same evening. The Colonel wished to take the land route in order to carefully watch the slave trade. The iourney from Berber to Khartoum was rather slow in consequence of the small power of the steamer and the nmvvn which had to be towed. We passed From Suez to Khartoiun. 15 the time sliootmo- at the numerous crocodiles on the little islands in the river. One of the men of the iiugars haviag gone into the Avater for an instant to draw a cord to land, fell a prey in a moment to one of these monsters. The banks of the river did not present anything of interest, excepting the sight of myriads of aquatic birds of every kind, on Avhich we spent our ammunition. At last vre arrived at Khartoum. Our commander had already thought of everytliing, and we were lodged in the house of Agat Effendi, one of the principal ivory merchants. Major Campbell took up his abode on the opposite bank of the Nile in the commander's house, an elegant building which had been constructed for the telegraphic service. Colonel Gordon arri^-ed two days after us, and having published the order of the day, told, us to hold ourselves ready to proceed. i6 Seven Years in the Soudan. CHAPTER nr. THK " SAl'MIA." Preparations — J)eparturo in the Saphia — Ansou — The ivor3--merchants and the slaves — Deserters — Indolence — Hnrricane — Kava — The ^ums-anderach(?) — Mosquitoes — CaptainHussein — African nights — Hippopotanms hunts — Hurricane — Aground — The Bagara — Kiika. DuiJiNi; the ten days wc passed at Kliartoum, wp. occupied ourselves Avitli tlic preparations for departure. We had to make provision for six months, and the Colonel was distributing a part of the stores which had arrived from England. On May 29th I received the order to embark on the steamboat Saphia bound for Bahr-el-Ghazal. Mr. Anson was appointed my adjutant, and an escort of twenty-three negro soldiers was assigned to me. Husseiu, the captain of the SdiJita, had orders to put himself entirely at our disposal. At four o'clock in the morning of the next da}' I was to set out on my journey, but the departure was delayed because the soldiers had not arrived, and the cashier did not pay their arrears till the moment of embarking. Finall}', at eight o'clock the steamer cast anchor near the arsenal to take in some oars and await two nugars laden with doora which we were to take in tow. Two merchants in ivory and slaves, Kutshuk Ali and Agat Effendi, gave me letters for their representatives at Bahr-el-Gliazal. Here perhaps it will be well if T give a few quota- tions from my journal: — The " Saphiay 17 Satnrdaij, Maij oOtli. — As we were about to start we lieard that a soldier had deserted. On the shore we perceived various women, the wives of the soldiers and sailors. One of them wept, tore her hair, and cursed every one on board. Not miderstanding their language, I had the cause of liei' grief explained to mc. They told me that her husband was leaving without giving her a penny, and she did not know how she shoidd provide for herself and the child in her arms. Her husband looked at her with indifference, while the woman's exasperation continually increased. She lifted her child al)Ove her head, and it seemed as if she Avould kill it by clashing it to the ground, but fortunately one of the by-standers was in time to prevent such a desperate act. As for me, ray hair stood on end with horror, and a cold shudder ran through my frame ; I threw her some money, which her companions gathered up and put in her pocket. The whistle of the Sapltia announced its departure, and the vessel turned its prow towards the country to which it was bound, while the sobs and lamentations of the unhappy women sounded fainter and fainter in the distance. We never paused till nightfall. StDidaif, Maij 31sf. — At break of day the steamer was put in motion. The -soldiers had just been })assed in review, when an unforeseen hurricane burst forth ; the Sajihia not being able to advance with the heavily- laden nugars which threatened to sink, was obliged to come to a stop. The soldiers of my escort Avere scantih^ clothed, and many Avere in an invalid state from old Avounds, ill-cured or never cured at all, and which sometimes Avere open to the bone. I asked them AA'hy they had embarked in such a condition, and only received for reply that their captain did not trouble himself about it, and had simply giA^en orders for departure. The bad Aveather haA'ing ceased, we resumed our way, and stopped at eight in the cA'^ening in an un- interesting localitA'. The A^egetation was poor, the c 1 8 Sez'cn Years tn the Soudan. doom was about fifty centimetres liigli. From time to time we saw a few mimosas. Moiidaij, Jane lat. — Strong south winds ; after five hours' navigation we stopped on the right bank of the river to take in fuel. On examining a case of medicines wliich we iiad procured on setting out, I perceived the most necessary of all, quinine, Avas wanting. Thousands of aquatic birds covered the little islands ; my friend Anson amused himself by firing into the midst of these grou})s, and did not always miss his aim. The river presents a breadth of about two miles and the water is tolerably transparent. Tuesday, June 2nd. — We arrived at Kava, a town of four hundred houses, and summoned the Sheik to order wood for the boiler, and hay to cover the doora in the niigar. After infinite difficulty we got what Ave Avanted, but Ave remained Avhere we Avere till elcA^en in tlie morning, halting at G p.m. for a neAV su])i)ly of fuel. Thursday, June — This place is called Menazir ; the Avater in the boiler Avas changed and the crew Avas occu})ied in the transjjort of fuel. San t-^yood (of the sandarach tree (?) ) is very hard, and is an excellent substitute for coal. Tlie surroundino- A'eoretation is A^ery beautiful ; here and there cattle and goats are to be seen, a sign that the natives are not far distant. The extraordinary quaiitities of mosquitoes obliged us to take refuge under the nets, depriA^ing us therefore of the fresh eA^ening air, after suffocating days of heat. The first days T had my hands and face so disfigured that I seemed to liaA-e suffered from the small -pox, and I cannot understand how these poor soldiers and sailors can do Avithout the careful pre- cautions Avhich Ave take Avitliout being able to saA'e ourselves completely, Avhile many of them do not eA'en possess a shirt. I })ut the question to tliem, and they replied that they could not help it ; but I belieA^e that their skin is so hardened as hardly to feel the stings. Captain Hussein is a capable man, authoritative The " Saphiar 19 when necessary, bvit popular among the crew. At the time or the Crhnean war lie was on board an Egyptian frigate. All the ports of the Black Sea were well knoAvn to him, and since I had also gone throng! i the Crimean campaign and knew all those ports and the long Circassian coast, we had means of whiling away many hours in talking of past times. He treated the crew with gentleness and even familiarity, and they loved him. The African nights on the Upper Nile are generally clear, but the cries of birds and blowing of hippopotami are incessant. We saw the latter raise their heads from the water a hundred yards from the vessel to disappear immediately afterwards. I shot at them with some suc- cess, but they plunged under water to die at a greater distance. In some places I could see as many as fifty in one group. The crocodiles were less frequent than in the neighbourhood of Berber and Khartoum. There were innumerable flocks of the /^/.s, a kind of stork which the Egyptians regard with superstitious veneration, and infinite were the varieties of white, grey, and black sea-gulls. Friday, thine 6th. — We left Menazir this morning at seven o'clock. The sky was cloudy, a tempest imminent. We had not yet finished drawing up the anchor when the hurricane broke out, accompanied by thunder and lightning. Part of the covering of the nugar blew away, and the Sai')ltia not having had recourse to the screw soon enough, ran aground on a sand-bank. The man who has never seen an African storm cannot form an idea of it — hundreds of luminous sparks flash at the same time from every side in all directions. The terrible noise of the thunder never ceases for an instant, while Avith extraordinary rapidity, from the fall of torrents of rain, the traveller finds him- self surrounded by a veritable iimndation. 1 witnessed similar hurricanes several times, but never of such a force as the one that overtook us when we left Mena/ir. The water which fell on the deck had no (' 20 Seven Years in the Soudan. time to run off at the sides. Fortunately it lasted for a short time, only about an hour, else the damage done Avould have been somewhat serious. As soon as the weather cleared Ave resumed our voyage till half-past seven in the evening. Safardai/, June ()Ui.- — ^We continued till half-past four in the afternoon and then had to stop to get fuel. My stock of meat Avas finished, of my four lambs not a morsel remained, and it was apparent the last of the chickens would soon be consumed. r landed Avitli Anson, and after lialf-an-hour's shooting Ave killed seAam or eight guinea-foAvl and eleven ducks. AVe kej)t the best, giA^ng the rest to the crew. The flesh of the guinea-foAvl is inferior in taste to that of our domestic foAvls, but it makes excellent broth. The meat is stringy and hard, and requires long boiling to be eatable. The ducks are small, resemble much our Italian querquedules, and are of a good HaA'our. The same day Ave passed along the territory of the Bagara. This nomad race of Mussulmen are tolerably numerous, rich in cattle, and renoAvued for courage, in summer they pass Avith their cattle to the opposite bank of the riA'er, and go to KaA^a to saA'e the animals from the hornets Avhich assail them in such numbers as often to cause their death. Himting and fishing su])ply them Avith food. The Bagara are renowned in Africa as skilful hunters ; they attack the elephant Avith their sAvord- shaped lances, and running after them cut the tendons of tlieir hind feet. It is A'ery difficult for an ele])hant pursued by tAvo Bagara to escape. They are tribu- taries of the Egyptian GoA'ernment inconsequence of being obliged, by the Avant of ])asture, to cross to the opposite shore Avith their cattle. Their lances are excellently made, the blades are eighteen or tAventy inches long. 1'he Bagara are good agricul- turists, and know how to make use CA^en of the plants and roots Avhicli grow along the riA'er. 2 I CHAPTER IV. THE SHILLUK.S AND THEIR CHIEF :\IEK. Hunters of wild beasts — Treason — Yussuf Eey — Nm/ar ■with elephant tusks — "Wau — The Sobat — Wild boars and lions — The Sheikh of Sobat— The Mek of the Shilluks-On board — Planners and customs of the Shilluks. Sunday, June 7fh. — AVe set off again and arrived at Kaka by midnight on Monday. Kaka is a Sliilluk village, u'here fifty soldiers are stationed under the orders of a Jusbash or captain to raise the imposts. We provided ourselves anew with fuel, and just when we were about to start a man ran down to the shorp whom, from his beard, I judged to be a foreigner. Calling him to me, he told me that he was a Greek and had been at Kaka for two years and a half hunting, and had a companion with him, a Bulgarian by birth, but that having run short of their ammuni- tion, they were waiting for some vessel to take them to Khartoum, that they might get some more. His clothes and haggard face betrayed his semi-poverty, and I could not resist proposing that he should come with me, promising that he might continue his pro- fession, and that I would do all in my power to help him. He consented, and I sent two soldiers with him to help to bring his baggage on board, while his companion was to return to Khartoum with the skins of lions, leopards, giraffes and buffaloes, convert them into money, and rejoin us in Balir-el-Ghazal. We set out on our voyage, and my first care was to cure my guest of an obstinate fever that had tormented him for some time. He told me his story. 2 2 Seven Years in tJic Sotidan. His name was Haggi Stefo Paleologo, a l)lacksmith by trade. He liad been absent from his native countiy for twelve years, of Avliicli several Avere spent in Alexandria and ('airo, wliere lie worked in the Viceregal Palace. He had then taken service on the steamers of the Peninsular Com])an3% had been in China, at Bombay and Calcutta, and on returning to Egypt, had established himself again at Cairo. Having heard that a mosque Avas to be built at Khartoum, he offered himself as mason, and Aveut there, but money having become scarce, the building Avas deferred. Haggi, from a boy, had learned to shoot. His father, he told me, i)ref erred shooting to Avorking ; it AA'as a famih' failing, for CA^en his grandfather, at eighty A'ears of age, Avas still hunting Avhen Haggi had left his natiA'e country. Being Avithout occupation at Khartoum he asso- ciated himself Avith a doctor Avho adA'anced him some money, and he set olf for Kaka. He returned to Khartoum a A^ear later, but the profits of the chase had hardly paid his expenses. Xot knoAving the country, he had lost much time in seeking out the ])hxces rich in game. His pack-animals had died, and he Avas returning from one of his excursions Avlien, by good chance, he had met me just AAdien his affairs Avere at the Avorst. During his tAvo years and a half hunting he had only been able to take fourteen skins of lions, seventeen of giraffes, about fifty of buffaloes, three of leopards, a few hippojiotamus-liides, about two hundred and sixty pounds' Aveight of ostrich feathers, a hundred hides of Avild oxen and three hundred ol;e of the fat of giraffes and ostriches. All this might be Avorth at Khartoum about a thousand dollars, AAdiich, diAaded in two parts, would yield a profit of some 300 francs a year for each head. The elephant- hides Avere small and of little A'alue. His companion was a baker aa'Iio had come to Khartoum to seek his fortune. He, too, Avas an The Shi links and their Chief Mek. 23 expei'itMiced luinter, l)ut lie could not g-et on with Haggi. The hitter knew the country well, and the natives respected him. AVheii he entered a Shulluk \allage the people rejoiced, because the game he shot provided them with food. Some of the Shillnks are dependent on Egyi)t ; but others of them are not. It is most difficult to subdue the latter, since, on the arrival of troops they escape into the mountains with their cattle. Water is scarce in the district, and the springs are only known to the natives. Every means attempted by the authorities of Fashoda proved vain. The Shilluks have a Sultan for their head, whom they blindly obey ; he is dis- tinguished by the title of Sheik, and is always Avandering about ; he several times entered Fashoda^ in disguise, and more than once the troops sought after him in vain. The father of the Sheik died in the prison of Fashoda after having been treacherously arrested. The governor of this town, a certain Kurd, protested friendship for him and induced him several times to come to Fashoda, where he always received the Sheik with much kindness, During one of these visits, while being served with coffee, four men fell upon him unexpectedly, bound him and threw him into a loathsome dungeon. Indignant at such base- ness on the part of one he had believed his friend, the Sheik refused all nourishment and died after eight days, cursing the traitor. His son succeeded him, and his hatred of the Egyptians has since known no bounds ; he has always refused any treaty, pref er- ing his own death, and that of his adherents, to any act of submission. Hitherto it has been impossible to capture him ; he is informed of all that happens at Fashoda, where two of his sisters are married to two Egyptian officers ; his followers provide him with ammunition. AYhile we were on our way to Fashoda, Haggi pointed out to me several of the Sheik's places of refuge, which made me think he umst be in commu- 24 Seven Years in the Sondan. nication witli him. T imagined him a brave man, iucapal)le of Avrong-doing. We readied FashodaoJi June lOtii at eleven o'eloek a.m. Having letters of introduction for Lieut. -Col. Yussuf Bey, commandant of the place, I went to him Avith Anson ; Ave found him courteous and ready to satisfy us in every way. AVe asked him for two tents, two asses, cords and medicine, especially quinine ; an hour after the asses, tents, and cordage were on board. At noon we dined with him and discussed the political situation of the country. In the evening there was another invitation to a Shilluk party ; but the day which had begun so well Avas to finish sadly, for towards evening our host heard of the death of his son at Kaka, a youth of twenty-tAvo, Avho Avas returning from Sennaar, Avhere he had been to A'^isit his relations. When we returned on board Ave found ten milch- ewes and some fresh A'egetables, a gift of Yussuf, and the doctor brought all the medicines we needed. Onl}^ tAvice during all my long stay in Africa Avere my requests so promptly granted as now by Yussuf Bey and previously by Nubar Pasha, Avlien I asked him for letters of introduction. In the eA'ening there arrived three nngar^ AA'ith elephant tusks, but the country from which they came being beyond my jurisdiction, I had no right to examine Avhether, Avitli the Avhite iA^orA", there Avas not also some black, in other Avords slaA^es. The toAA'n of Fashoda is the place of trans- portation for criminals condemned for life. It is said that anyone sent to Fashoda never returns. The climate is unhealthy, the air pestilential, and it rarely happens that a condemned prisoner survives the effects of the priA^ations of the place. There are a few shops slenderly supplied Avith articles at a high price. Yussuf Bey does all he can to improA^e the city, but he cannot accomplish much. They say that perceptible improA'ements have been The ShUluks and ihdr Chief Mck. 25 already made ; my o})inion is that a town which has nothing to export, cannot make great progress. On leaving Fashoda, Yussnf Bey gave us letters for the military wiiora we mif^ht meet on the road, and Seven Years in the Soudan. who could aid us in collectiiif^ fuel. The soldiers and sailors of the f<(if\({ received rations for a fortnight, and by four in the afternoon we were en route for Wau. There we met with the military and the two nuf/ars. We delivered the letters, Avith the result that fifty soldiers immediately set to work to gather w^ood. route again at half-past three ]).m. In the evening Ave arrived, at the first station of the terri- tory dependent on our Colonel. This place is called Sobat. The station is composed of some forty huts ; the ])lace Avas deserted and giA^en in custody to a Sheik. I took a gun to go in search of fresh proA'i- sions ; Anson and a servant came with me, and in a short time Ave discoA^ered the fresh traces of a wild boar, r had my hunting-piece ; my carbine I had given to the servant. In this country one must ahvays have tAvo or three guns to hand, because it happens sometimes that, hx an iuA^ersion of parts, the game becomes the hunter. I Avas following the traces of a boar Avhen I obserAxd on the soil, Avhicli Avas still dam]), the recent imprints of a lion. I followed them for about an hour, and then lost them in a clump of high grass. I saAV seA'eral AA^ild boars, but it was not possible to approach them. Return- ing on board, I chanced upon a coA'ey of scA'enteen partridges, and succeeded in bringing down eleven, Avhile the rest took refuo^e in the lonor orrass. I also killed four quails. The African quail is much smaller than the European, and its feathers are darker. On board, the Sheik was presented to me ; his first words were to tell me that he was hungry, and had come with his son to have something to eat. I told them to give him some doora in a pumpkin cut in two, and some water. In less time than it can be told all had disappeared. ^Al^en he Avent away I caused the little bag he carried Avith him to be filled Avith doora. The tract of country Avhere Sobat stands is some- The Shilhiks and their Chief Mek. 27 wluit low, iind subject to inundations. Tlio opera- tions on board made nie foresee tlie loss of another day, and so I prepared to go agaiu in trace of my lion. Haggi would not follow me exce})t lie lauded on tlie other shore, where, as he told me in secret, he had a friend who was persecuted by the Egyptian Govern- ment, and who, seeing the steamer, would think they came in search of him, " I," said Haggi, " will go alone to seek for him, and, at a signal from me, he will come." At seven o'clock in the morning Haggi landed, while T stood on the deck of the steamer awaiting the signal ; towards ten Haggi ap])eared and invited me to follow him. All alone we followed a narrow beaten ]iath, and arrived at a lake ; a boat, hollowed out of the trunk of a tree, brought us to the other end. We then marched on for half-an-hour, and already per- ceived the roofs of some huts on the horizon, when all at once about two hundred men, armed with lances, came towards us. I observed to Haggi that it would be better to turn back at once. " Do not be afraid," he replied, " these peo})le are preparing to welcome us." A few moments afterwards we found ourselves surrounded by a group of savages in fight- ing attitude. Having arrived near a hut, we paused under the shade of an immense tamarind-tree, capable of sheltering five hundred persons beneath its branches. A man wrapped in a red cloak came to meet us. His belt was secured by two buckles of the shape of a pear and studded with precious stones. I do not remember whether they were topazes or something else. I only remember that the fine quality of the workmanship surprised me. Of fine proportions and tall in stature, this chief, without being really handsome, had a vivacious and attractive expression. His lower lip was somewhat prominent ; his manners grave and distinguished. Having made his men withdraw, the chief had skins spread for us to sit upon, served us with 28 Seven Yea7's in the Soudan. sugared coffee and native pipes with Soudan tobacco, and then inquired after my health, wliere T was going, and for Avhat purpose ; and when he heard that we were on the way to Bahr-el-Ghazal, he spoke of the unliealthiness of those parts. During the colloquy T was able to discover who was this personage, such a friend to Haggi, and surrounded by so much mystery. I found that I was in the presence of the dreaded Mek. He offered us rice, roast meat, and merissa, a kind of beer, which, notwithstanding m}^ thirst, I declined, preferring fresh Avater. Seeing that I did not drink the merissa, the chief had a bottle of brandy brought for me, and after the meal exquisite honey and coffee were served to us. Mek had just returned from a journey to Eregiuk. T visited his hut, which was clean and orderh' ; the principal furniture consisted of two large aiujarep, or couches, on one of which was spread a beautiful leopard's skin ; a filter for water, a double-barrelled carbine, two guns, three swords, a revolver, and two pairs of pistols — this was the sultan's furniture. He told me that his present abode was only temporary, and that he had his house farther into the interior of the country, where he possessed seventeen thousand oxen. In his father's time he had twenty-three thousand, but he had afterwards made a present of six thousand to the poorest Shilluks, and it was his intention to give them some more, and only keep ten thousand for himself. I then asked him if he would not prefer a life less dangerous and agitated than that which he led. By coming to terms with the Egyptian Government, and paying a trifling tribute, he Avould enjoy their protection, against others who might attack him. Before I had finished speaking, Mek's face took a threatening aspect. " With whom do you want me to treat ? " he asked. " Surely not with the traitors who killed my father, who, Avlien invited to eat with them, Avas taken and bound ! " The Siiilluks and t/icir Chief Mek. 29 I replied that it was certainl_y not with such peo})le that he must treat ; but it was ni}-^ opinion that, if he went in person to Cairo, and presented himself to the Khedive, he might be certain of being well received, and that everything would be fairly arranged. " How can I go to Cairo ? " he exclaimed, " Do you not see how they pursue me, even in the desert ? I should be murdered before I reached Khartoum. And even if I arrived at Cairo safe and sound, how could I manage to see the Khedive ? AVho would present me ? Do you believe that these governors, guilty of everj^ sort of tyranu}^ and stratagem to the injury of this poor country, would not try every means to prevent me from having an audience P " His words were not destitute of good sense, and, from his way of speaking, I perceived that he had already thought of everything, and had his answers ready. " They accused me of complicity in the murder of twenty Egyptian soldiers," he continued, "but the accusation was without foundation. I only knew of that affair when the troops of Fashoda set fire to our huts, surprising us by night, and firing grapeshot among sleeping people, who were altogether guiltless of the massacre of the twenty soldiers. They accuse me also of having had the intention of taking Fashoda by assault with twenty thousand men ; but this also is false. The governor of Fashoda wished to give proof of his zeiil, and at the same time had an eye on our cattle. Every time that these governors come among us with the intention of plundering, they always find a mode of giving a different colour to their theft, making it seem a necessity to fight Avith us." I saw that no reasoning would suffice to persuade this brave man, and that it was necessary to leave it to time ; he had suffered too much ; he was too much under the impression of grief for the loss of his father for me to hope to be able to remove his pre- 30 Seven Years in the Soudan. judices, many of which, I must say, were very Becoming*' cahner, lie tell to examining my Reilly carbine and the explosive bullets, which he saw for the first time. " Certaml}^" he exchiimcd, after a moment's silence, " we cannot strive agamst such arms as these with our lances ; but come and fight us with our own weapons, and you will see who Avill gain the victory ! " Undoubtedly one Shilluk is worth at least three the ele})hant, rhinoceros and buffalo. In truth, com- paring the two, I could not refrain from laughing when I thought of the ovations which Mr. Gerard, the lion-hunter, received a few years ago in Euroi)e, and the airs he gave himself ; how he was decorated and presented with carbines of honour. The Shilluk does not wait till he finds himself alone with a lion, and then defend himself. He goes all alone to seek him, dis- covers his traces, finds him, and the struggle begins. There has been no case of a Shilluk falling alone the The Shilliiks and their Chief Mek. 31 victim to liis audacity, tliougli often both liou and man are found stretched dead ; but most frequently the Shilluk remains the victor. I shall speak further on of the two brothers Duma, the most intrepid Shilluk hunters. To return to the chief Mek, avIio had disa})peared for a moment, but came back followed by two negroes, one of wliom carried a sheep and the other an earthen jar full of honey. Pie begged me to accept this little present, excusing himself for not being able at that place to do more, hoping, however, to have the happi- ness of seeing me again and to receive me worthily in his seriba. He accompanied us to the boat, and, on taking leave of me, said, — " You have never seen me, you have never seen me ; do you understand ? ' ' By this he meant to give me to understand that I must not betray his place of refuge. On our return to the vessel I found Hussein in great alarm. Not seeing me reappear, he thought some misfortune had happened, and was just going to disembark the crew and send them to seek me. I was very glad to have arrived on board before Hussein had executed his intention, since Mek might have taken it for some act of treachery. But I was obliged to invent some story to account for the sheep and the honey. The next day, having finished the provisioning of the vessel, the steamer started on its way, leaving the White TSTile on the left, and entering the canal of Bahr-el-Grhazal. The huts of the Shilluks are well built, and the aspect of their villages makes one infer that a certain order prevails there. The huts are symmetrically placed, the roads clean, and a large enclosure receives the cattle at night. They are counted every even- ing ; a narrow passage compels the oxen to file in one by one ; in passing, the animal strikes with his horns, head, or hump a piece of Avood hung in the 32 Seven Years in the Soudan. middle of the entrance; a man counts the blo\v.s that are given, and if tlie sum is right all go home, but, in the contrary event, it is reported to the Sheik, Avho instantly sends a third of the men to seek for the strayed oxen. These men are not allowed to return till they have found them or their remains, or traces that they have been eaten by lions. The Shilluks never kill oxen for food, but they eat the flesh of such as die from disease or other causes. They make use of fresh and curded milk, which is very digestible and refreshing ; they also cultivate the (/oor^^, but in small quantities. The poorest among the Shilluks has never less than two or three slaves, who have to work for their master. The Shilluk woman directs but does not herself perform household duties, Avhile her husband only thinks of hunting and fishing. On the whole the Shilluk has nothing distinguished in his appearance, and is excessively laz}". The men and women spend their time stretched on lion skins, Avhile the slaves are employed in rubbing them with fat. This operation, which they call dllha, reduces them to a state of general exhaustion, from which they recover when appetite compels them to eat. In every village is seen a hut dedicated to Micama,. the spirit of good and evil. Micama is believed to be in com- munication with the Sheik, who thus receives inspira- tion how to govern well. ^»o Shilluk ventures to hunt or fish without asking the Sheik's advice. When a man dies, he is buried in front of his house in a sitting position, and a timiulns of clay is erected over his grave. The widow smears her face and iiair with mud, and utters cries and groans for several days. The nearest relations take care of the Avidow, providing her with what she needs, guarding her flocks, and cultivating her land. Marriage is contracted by purchase of the girls from their parents. Usually the father of the bridegroom goes to the father of the bride to ask The Sliilliiks and their Chief Mek. 33 how many oxen and sheep he requires in exchange for his daughter. When the price is agreed upon, the bridegroom brings the oxen to his future father- in-law ; the hitter gives him his daughter, who, before entering it herself, must show the Sheik her new house. Once married, the bride must tell the bride- groom if she is a virgin. If a woman has been seduced by anyone, the day after her marriage she puts a wreath of grass on her head, and kneeling before her husband makes her confession to him. The latter takes her to the Sheik, who causes the seducer to be summoned, and condemns him, accord- ing to his means, to pay a certain number of oxen to the husband. The sole industry of these people consists in the manufacture of straw mats, excellently made, and suited for sale in our shops. When the Shilluks succeed in killing much game, the meat is separated from the bones, cut into narrow strips and dried in the sun. When this is accomplished the meat is crushed between two stones, and reduced in this way into little pieces, which are eaten either raw or boiled. As the Shilluks, like the rest of the Africans, prefer the interior of the animals to the flesh, the former is more carefully distributed. From the bones, pounded and boiled, the}'' obtain the fat for rubbing their bodies. All the peoples bordering on the country of the Shilluks are subject to the incursions of these latter. The Shilluk passes for a most intrepid warrior ; he never retires, even when in inferior numbers, before a foe. When the men go to battle the women follow them with food and water. After the war the widows return home to smear their faces, lamenting the loss of their husbands. If fortune is propitious and the booty abundant, the first share is for them. D 34 Seven Years in the Soudan. CHAPTER V. HUNTING. Two celebrated hunters — Nine elepliants killed — The Burdeen goes to Gondokoro — On the Bahr-el-Ghazal — Plundering — "We kill four buffaloes — My Reilly rifle — Diflicult navigation —Hip})0- potami — One wounded — Tliirtj^-seven great elephants — Twenty- tluee blacks assassinated — Flight — Mushra-el-Kek — Hunt with Anson and Haggi — Kempt and Gigler — Letter from Gordon — Enormous hippoi)otamus killed. The two brotliers Duma live in a village of the interior five days' journey from Kaka. Their father had left them a modest fortune in oxen, but they had no inclination for a pastoral life. Their ruling passion and daily occupation was hunting and fish- ing. Grradually they disappeared from the village, whither the}^ only returned last year after an absence of seven years. In the other villages, the brothers always found an enthusiastic welcome, the people knowing that, where they were, meat Avas never wanting. Both were strong-limbed and of un- common agility, and generally joined the ivory mer- chants, who had to pay them a percentage on' the elephant tusks according to the weight. When an elephant rushed upon them they calmly awaited him, and at the right moment leaped to one side. The elephant, not being able to arrest his course all of a sudden, turned towards one of the two brothers while the other plunged his lance into his side. The animal then quitted the first to fall upon the man Avho had wounded him, and the other cutting the tendons of the hind legs, the elephant fell to the ground. Once, Hunting. however, one of the brothers was very near falling- a victim to his boldness. He attacked the elephant alone in the usual way, but stumbled and fell. He rose directly, but the elephant had already seized him in his trunk and hurled him to a distance of fifteen feet. Fortunately he fell into the middle of a thick bush, and thus escaped with some scratches and bruises. His friends laughed at the incident, and the following day he said, " I w^ill rather eat my wife seven times than not take my revenge." He set out again, refusing the company of his brother, and returning late in the evening called all the village together, " Come," he said, " help me to transport the tusks, and take as much meat for your- selves as you like." All the population followed him. Ha had killed nine huge elephants. But the fiercest animals are undoubtedly the buffalo, the rhinoceros and the leopard. These animals, so much feared by the natives, were attacked and killed by the two brothers with no more emotion than the hunters of hares experience with us. These two remarkable men were renowned from Kaka to the Victoria Nyanza. The elder of the two threw his lance with such precision that he rarely missed his aim at the tendons of the elephant's foot. Sometimes he was sent for from distant parts to kill some lion which did great mischief. Both men have gentle characters, and never refuse their aid to others. I left them at Kaka, whither they had gone, intending afterwards to go on the first occasion to Fashoda. AYe must now resume our account of affairs at Khartoum. While we were on the Avay the steamer Bovdem left that town for Gondokoro. The Bordecn had on board Mr. Kempt, engineer, and Mr. Russell, who was employed by Colonel Gordon. A third steamer was likewise on the way to Goudo- n 2 36 Seven \ 'ears in the Soitdan. koro -witli J\l;ijor Campbell of the Egyptian army on board, and Mr. Witt a German botanist. A fourth vessel carried Mr. Linant de Bellefonds, secretary and private inter j)reter to tlie Colonel. A fifth had started for Berber to embark Abu-Sud, "who had been taken into the (Jolouel's service. I shall afterwards speak of tliis personage, who was rendered famous by the English i)ress. One of the princi])al objects of this expedition, as we have already said, Avas the suppression of the slave- trade. The Colonel did not therefore think of trea- ties, but went straight to his end, cutting oft" the evil at the very root and prohibiting the trade in ivory. A proclamation by the Commander-in-chief of the ex- pedition, declared that from that day the article ivory was a (Tovernnient mouoi)oly ; Avhoever possessed ivory must, b}' a certain date, deliver it up and dis- solve the company of traders. This was a blow at the very heart of the slave-trade, and the merchants found themselves compelled to dismiss their men and implore the Government to buy up their cattle. At the same time a station was established on the Sobat, a place where the uugars are com])elled to pass, and here these vessels were subjected to rigorous examination. They must also make a halt at Fas- hoda to be visited, while seven steamers traverse the river u]) and down and render all smuggling im- possible. Gondokoro was temporarily declared the head-quarters ; llejaf, Dufile, ]\tagungo, Fatico, and Makraka were occupied as military posts, and civil governors ])laced there ; a regular communication connected all these jjorts with each other, and the slave-merchants were obliged to bow to the new authority. The abolition of their trade, in con- sequence of the ivory trade being made a monopoly, the dissolution of the companies, the installation of the new authorities, the pacification of the tribes, the organization of the land and river forces, was the work of four months. Htmting. 37 Mean-svhile I continued my jonruev to the Balir-el- Ghazal. This river has an imperceptible falL We stopped in sight of an immense forest h'ing opposite the tribe of the JSTuer. The captain of the Saphla had never been in these parts, nor had anv steamer ventured to penetrate so far. Not knowing whether fuel could be found further on, Captain Hussein ordered the men to take in as much wood as the vessel could carry. We had hardly cast anchor when we perceived a hundred paces off some fifteen huts, which the natives, at sight of us, had abandoned in headlong haste, fearing that they would be captured and enslaved. The crew of the vessel and the soldiers took possession of the tools of the natives to cut down the trees, but their first thought was to plunder the dAvellings of these poor people. I immediately sum- moned them all before me, and ordered the return of the stolen articles, and my commands were promptly obeyed. I then asked them if they took me for a brigand-chief instead of an officer, and ordered everything to be restored to the place whence it was taken, warning all that the first who should attempt an act of plunder should be instantly shot. The forest has the appearance of a park of im- mense tamarind and gum-trees, centuries old. I took my gun and tried to shoot a few guinea-fowl. The heat was excessive. I returned on board with the intention of resuming the chase with Haggi, who was busy making cartridges. While we were at dinner, a soldier came to say that he had seen several buffaloes in the neighbourhood. The tempta- tion was too great. I landed with Haggi, and made the soldier lead us to the place. We were following the tracks of the buffaloes when a small but deep water-course blocked our way. We returned on board, and had ourselves taken to the other side of the brook, where we landed. We had not proceeded 38 Seven Years in the Soudan. two liuiidred steps, Avlien T saw six fine male buffaloes. Hiding behind ant-hills, and taking advantage of the wind, which blew towards us, Ave sIoavI}" approached the animals. A soldier Avith a reser\'e gun AA'as AA^th us. When Avithin eighty ])aces from the animals, they scented the danger, and the tAA'o on guard fixed their eyes in our direction. We Avaited behind a sugar- A WJUXDEIl BO^FALO loaf-shaped ant-hill for half an hour, not daring to niOA^e for fear of scaring the game, Avhen I changed mA* mind, and tried to reach another ant-hill a hundred feet aAA'ay, from AA'here I could haA^e shot side-ways, taking adA-antage, as I supposed, of the bushes. A\^itliout being noticed by Haggi, to whom I had said nothing of niA^ intention, I started for the place. When half-Avay betAveen the tAvo ant-hills T saAv that Hunting. 39 Haggi was taking aim, and I was just about to call out that lie should not fire while I was in the open, when his shot resounded. The buffaloes looked up, hesitating and uncertain whence came the danger. The grass where I was w^as low, and I was plainly visible. The buffalo Haggi had fired at was wounded in the shoulder, too high to break the bone, and, foaming at the mouth, with his tail in the air, he rushed upon me. Immovably I aAvaited him till he Avas within twelve paces, when I planted a ball in his head about an inch below" his horns. He bent his hind legs, but recovered himself almost at once. I fired my second barrel, and he fell lifeless to the ground. While this was going on, the other five buffaloes had stopped a hundred steps away. We again approached them behind the ant-hills to within twenty-five paces. The buffaloes never removed their eyes from the spot where the shots had been fired, perhaps expecting their companion to join them. I fixed with Haggi on the animals we should aim at. Our position was excellent, we ran no kind of danger, and the buffaloes had partly recovered . from their alarm and were beginning to graze nearer and nearer. We were only about eighteen to twenty steps from them when we fired, and saw two fall. Haggi had- only a single-barrelled gun. I then fired my second barrel, but the buffalo hit remained standing, while the other tAvo made off at a gallop. T had already reloaded my gun and Avas about to fire again, wdicn I saAV my Aactim fall, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. The ball had penetrated the chest and broken the right shoulder-blade, lodging in the stomach. The bullet Avas flattened like a croAvn- piece. My gun was an English rifle, manufactured especially for elephant-hunting. I fired afterAvards with this w^eapon Avith conical bullets, but those T liad used on this occasion Avere of small dimensions. The aim of this gun is very exact, and the perfection. 40 Seven Years in the Sozidan. of its workmanship redounds to the credit of Mr. Reilly, the manufacturer. This and three other guns had been ordered by Sir Samuel Baker at the Khedive's expense. When I had occasion later on to fire at hippopotami with explosive bullets, the effect was always most terrible. In spite of its force, mj gun was not too heavy, but I had to hold it very firmly in order not to feel the shock, but not\\'ithstanding my right arm, after firing a feAV times, took all the colours of the rainbow. The soldiers and crew came to share the booty. All the afternoon was spent in carrying pieces of buffalo on board. The meat was well-flavoured, but tough. I reserved for myself a fillet and a tongue. Notwithstanding all our industry, a great part of the game still remained on the spot at evening, and the crew proposed to fetch the rest next day. This was the first time I had shot large game. From childhood I had always hunted and was con- sidered a good sportsman, but the largest game I had as yet pursued had been wild -goats and wolves, having caused great devastation among the latter in Turkey. [ was about to go to bed, well pleased with myself, Avhen the guard called me on account of a great noise that came from the land. AVe heard terrific roaring, and, still nearer, the cries of hyenas. Xext morning early [ hastened to the spot. The flesh and bones were all devoured ; of the four buffaloes there only remained the extremities of five feet. The ground showed the imprint of three or four lions ; even the skins of the buffaloes had disappeared, ex- cepting a part of the tail. Towards ten o'clock we left the forest, not without the intention of returning. The next day we entered the lake, the width of which is estimated at six hundred metres, although the eye only perceives marshy land covered everywhere Avith aquatic plants. The channel became uarroAver and Htinting. 41 narrower till it was only sufficiently wide to allow tlie steamer to pass, tlie wlieels of wliicli frequently touched the grass on the sides. Hippopotami in im- mense numbers fled on every side before the prow of the vessel ; they could not turn back because the space was insufficient, and they were obliged to swim before us with a velocity which was surprising, being against the current. Although the Saphia was making eight knots an hour, the hippopotami were always a hundred yards ahead. One of these animals, remarkable for his enormous proportions, swam before us for five hours without ever allowing himself to be overtaken by the vessel ; but then, being exh^iusted by fatigue, we be- gan to gain upon him. Our guns were ready, and we all took our stations at the prow, ready to receive him Avith a salute. Having arrived at fifteen yards distance, he tried to go back, passing between the paddle-box and the shore ; by this manoeuvre he was only ten metres from us, and we sent four balls after him. All struck, and those from my Reilly gun made great wounds in his head. The captain stopped the steamer, and the body of the monster broke four spokes of the wheels in passing, and the iron circle was twisted in several points, so as to oblige us to immediately undertake temporary repairs. Notwithstanding the four bullets, the hippopotamus was able to swim for about a thou- sand yards farther, and then with difficulty regained the grasses of the marsh, among which we lost sight of him. The repairs lasted till next day, when we started once more. The water was transparent but bad in quality, and the current hardly perceptible. The following morning we discovered a herd of thirty-seven large elephants. Anson, who had first caught sight of them, could not make out what they were, and mis- took them for a village. They were near the river, having perhaps come to drink, and as the steamer 42 Sei'en Years hi the Soudan. approached they gradually retired. I fired at them at six hundred yards with my Remington. T had aimed well. One elephant uttered a cry or pain, the whole herd galloped off, and we soon lost sight of them Ju\ie 19. — We stopped at a forest to take in wood; Anson, Haggi and I, with two soldiers, profited by the stoppage to make an excursion into the forest in search of game. The country seemed deserted, not a path or any trace of mankind ; but the report of a gun THE CORPSES OF SLAUGHTERED NEGROES. on our left united us all in one group. Haggi had killed a wild ox. A soldier was despatched in search of aid to transport the animal, but he had gone per- haps but twenty steps when he called for me and showed me the bodies of three negroes recently killed, which the vultures had entirely stripped of ilesh. Farther on we discovered two others, then another, and so on till they amoimted to seventeen in all. Re- turning to the place where we had left the bull, I found that Anson liad also discovered the corpses of nineteen negroes and that of a robber. Tt was eas}' Hunting. 43 to see that there must have been a battle. The hair of some was quite different from that of the others, and some water gourds strewn upon the ground were evident proofs that we were not mistaken. The ox was carried on board, and we were obliged to retire because of the excessive heat. June 20. — "We set out again. The water grew shallower and shallower; large leaves of papyrus and other plants covered the surface of the river. The engine-driver was obliged to stop several times, and clean the tubes which carried the water to the boiler.. June 21.— The engineer declared it necessary to empty the boiler, as the plants had choked up the pump. All the rest of the day was taken up with cleaning the machine and pumping water. The mosquitoes were unbearable ; even the cabins were invaded by them. June 22. — The vessel was set in motion once more, but the steamer progressed with great difficulty. We had the tribe of the JSTuer to the left, and that of the Dinka to the right. At noon we saw a fire in the dis- tance, then further on a second, then a third. It was a tolerably large village and something extraordinary was happening there. Thousands of oxen were urged at full speed over the heights ; we saw men and women carrying skins and household utensils ; the children were hanging on to the men's shoulders. The village was deserted, and in the distance we saw a thousand men, armed with lances, evidently directing their steps towards the interior. They were certainly going to battle. A t a mile behind about two hundred women followed, bearing leathern water- bottles on their heads. The SapJi/in, made very slow way ; a quantity of grasses and roots accumulated at the prow, and the crew, armed with long poles, sought to free it. Twice already we had touched ground, and it was necessary to recur to the capstan and various manoeu- vres on board to free the ship. I then called the 44 Seven Years in the Soudan. captain to tell him that I did not intend to risk the safety of the vessel any longer, with the danger of being stranded so as to be obliged to await the rising of the river ; and that I had decided to land with ten men while the others could follow with the boats and most necessary objects. Poor Hussein, all bewildered, asked what he should do if he were attacked by two or three thousand savages ? "As to you," he said, "you may be sure you will be killed as soon as vou land. Let me ofo on : vou will see there Avill be water enouo'h." r sent on the boats to take soundings, but the water always decreased in depth. The crew of the Sajjhia consisted of tAventy men, so I gave the captain twenty guns and two thousand cartridges. Towards evening a boat appeared manned by three natives, all smeared with ashes, one of whom said that he was the brother of the Sheik of Meshra, where our niigars go to complete their cargo. He wore two wings of birds to the right and left of his head, and had a kind of tail fastened behind him, made of goat's skin. I obtained from this man the information that I desired as to the distance that still lay between us and our place of destination. According to him, pointing to the east and south, there were six good hours by way of the river and three b}" land, but only with a good escort of men. "With a few," he said, "it was im- possible to go there, because the Dinka would oppose the passage." I asked him if there were villages in the neigh- bourhood, and learnt that the}' were all very distant, excepting one, so I thought that with twelve soldiers, Haggi and a slave, all armed with Remingtons, I might attempt the land way. The vessel was to fol- low us closely, and in case of need we should have ten other soldiers and four sailors, in all twenty-six men. On the evening of the 23rd T ordered the boat to Htmting. 45 be prepared, aud next morning, at break of day, we landed. It being impossible to follow the bank of the river, we were obliged to withdraw into the interior, thus losing sight of our steamer. AVe had scarcely passed a path which led to the village, and left the latter on our left hand, convinced that no one had seen us, when we perceived the in- habitants had climbed on to the roofs of their huts to observe in what direction we were going. "With my field-glass [could watch all their movements, and there was a moment in which I saw them prepare their lances. Before quitting the steamer, 1 had given the necessary orders to the men, telling them that they were not to sto]i if they were attacked, but to continue on their way, turning round to fire. In this manner we should keep the enemy at a distance, while we advanced in the direction we desired. When we had passed, and left behind us untouched a herd of oxen, I observed that the natives began to lay down their lances. After two and a half hours' march we arrived opposite Meslira, but a boat was necessary in order to cross over to the other side. I perceived the masts of nine nngars, and thought that by sending one of my men I could have a boat sent to me. A soldier undertook the errand, and after_ three-quarters of an hour I saw him return with twenty natives, bringing an angarep, on which, stretching myself out at full length, I Avas transported to the other side safe and sound. They then carried over Anson, Haggi and my servant in the same way. The water reached to the shoulders of a man of middle stature. The river was never crossed except by several men at a time, who made a hideous noise meanwhile to scare the crocodiles. At Meshra-el-Rek we had a most friendly reception on the part of the captain of the nugars stationed there, and of the representative of the proprietors of 46 Seven Years in the Soudan. the seribe, who had come to receive the goods which the iUKjars had brought from Khartoum. They served us with coifee and tamarind-water, and afterwards with meat, vegetables, curded milk, and bread of the country. This reception I must say far exceeded my expectations. They placed two huts at our disposal, gave us a quarter of an ox and bread for the soldiers, and begged us to ask freel}'' for whatever we Avislied. In the afternoon the boat with a part of our luggage arrived. The water of the river was so low that the vessel touched the ground. It was of a greenish colour and very bad taste, and the whole river seemed covered with a layer of green on account of the enormous quantity of floating plants. The air was saturated with a fetid odour, and the ground extremely damp. I spent the night thinking of the difficulties which awaited me on penetrating into the interior. I had before me another twenty days' march in order to arrive at Shakka, visiting various seribe by the way. The next day I learnt that I could not have any natives to transport the luggage, and that I must await the arrival of the traders, who were expected with several thousands of porters carrN'ing ivory. I pitched my tent at half an hour's distance from the spot where Ave were, and Avhere the air seemed less pestilential. At three-quarters of an hour aAvay from my new abode I perceived, on the other side of the river, a fine forest, and I determined to visit it for hunting, although I Avas adA^ised not to A-enture among people Avho Avere so distrustful as the uatiA^es. Fehruarj/ 9.^th. — I crossed to the other side with Anson, Haggi and tAVO soldiers, but CA^en before arriAang at the forest, we Avere in the midst of the game. At my first shot, made at about a hundred and twenty yards, an arjel ^ fell. Haggi at the same moment succeeded in killingatetal (Antelope Caama(r)) ' Ar'/el (A. Dana and Soemaemigii. ) (?) Hunting. 47 by hiding himself behind an ant-hill, while Anson fired several times without any result. The hunt was hardly begun, so to s})eak, when the weight of our booty was too much for us to carry. "We were just going to send a soldier to call someone to help us, when we saw four natives running towards us, armed with lances. We halted to await them, convinced that, though armed, they certainly did not mean to make war on us. They also stopped at some distance, and gave us to understand that they desired to have the blood and the intestines of the animals we had killed. "We took the skin and the best part of the tetal, and offered all the rest to the savages, if they would carry the arjel to Meshra for us. Having resumed the hunt, we killed two other tetals and two bustards (Otis Kori). From this day till 'July 4th Ave did nothing but hunt ; the natives grew accustomed to see us, and at every report of a gun came in troops to claim their share. The soldiers fared sumptuously, and we regaled ourselves on beefsteaks which the gourmands of London and Paris would certainly have envied. The tetal weighed from 230 to 280 English pounds ; some even amounted to 300, but their flesh is not so delicate as that of the arjel and gazelles. We lost an entire day pursuing five magnificent giraffes, which were so timid that we could not approach nearer than five hundred yards. Of the buffalo, elephant, wild boar, lion, and leopard, we saw frequent traces, but at this time they had all gone inland because of the heat and the myriads of mos- quitoes which obscured the air. From our tent we often heard the roar of a lion who had come down to the river to drink, and Haggi, one day, firing his two shots at a wild ox, saw a lioness take flight from near where he stood. Jidy 4. — I Avas returning from the hunt in com- pany Avith Anson, Avhen, in the darkness, someone put his hand on my shoulder and asked me how I was. 48 Seven Years in tJie Soudan. Great Avas my surprise to recognize our friend Kempt, together with. Mr. Gigler, director of the telegraphs at Kliartoum. These tAVo gentlemen, Avho had come by order of the Colonel, gave me the folloAving letter: — " Dear Gessi, — Hassan Ibrahim Avill join you with these lines, and thus the staff under your orders will be complete. Wherever he may go, you Avill follow if you think it necessary. If you go to Abukaka, found a station there, and cultivate doora. The soldiers of Gondokoro will be under your orders, and I hope in a month to see you and Anson. If you think you can do better, do not let the opportunity pass out of regard for me. — C. G. Gordon." This letter filled me Avith joy, although, on the road I was to take, I should be obliged to cross an endless plain, and have to make two-thirds of the journey on foot and in the Avater through a country inundated by continual rains. Having given our guests the best dinner that circumstances alloAved, Ave Avent to rest, sharing our beds and a bottle of cognac Avith them. The next morning Ave accompanied them on board the Bordecii Avhichhad cast anchor beside the Saphia, andproAnd- ing them Avith three oxen, Ave bade them farewell. Juli/ 9. — I sent a part of the men and Mr. Anson on board the Saphia. July 10. — I mA^self embarked, folloAved by Haggi and tAvo servants. On the way I ])erceived a magni- ficent hippopotamus Avhich Avas visible because of the shalloAvness of the Avater. I approached him in a boat and fired at tAventy paces distant with an explosiA^e bullet, fracturing his loAver jaAv. A second shot Avounded him just on the forehead, and Haggi sent a third after him. XotAvithstanding his Avounds he did not stop, but we folloAved, and arrived in time to plant tAvo other bullets in his head. The monster fell at last struggling horribly, and uttering a terrible Htinting. 49 cry. The half of liis immense body was above water ; we hastened up and gave him the coxij) de grace. A great number of natives ran up to draw him to land, but their strength did not suffice ; at last a hundred of them drew him out of the river with cords. I had never supposed that the hippopotamus had such proportions. The canine teeth were well developed, and I was able to draw them, but for want of the neces- sary instruments it was not possible to take out the molars. The steamer, following my orders, ought now to have been under steam, and time pressed. But one soldier was missing, and I was obliged to send to seek him. .On my arrival on board, however, I discovered him carried by a native. He had quitted my company to buy two little slaves, and now had them with him. This was the only one among all my men who had given continual proofs of insubordination, and I had already meditated giving him a lesson. A better occasion than the present could not be found, and I caused him to receive fifty strokes with a rope to check his passion for making slaves. 50 Seven Years in tJie Soudan. CHAPTER VI. REi'ni^T TO connox. Report to Gordon — Stations on tlie Balir-cl-Ghazal — Domination of tlie Yekil^ — Tlic cattle of tlie Sandeli, Xiam-Niam of the Arabs — liad news — Unburied corpses — Slaves — The Sandi'h and the negroes. Bv noon the vessel started for its new destination, and I sent to Colonel Gordon the following report: — " My deatj Colonkl, — I have the honour to enclose you my report on Bahr-el-Gliazal, and beg to re- main, " Yours trulv, "R. Gessi." " Report. " The principal seribe of Balir-el-Ghazal, centre of the trade in ivory and slaves, are the twelve fol- lowing : — Gatasc, one — Kutshuk Ali, three — Agat, three — Hassabella, one — Abu Muri, three — Magajub Biselli, one. " Beside these there were two others, formerly held by Zibelir Bey ; but since he was nominated Governor (Mudir) of Shakka he did not see the necessity of paying men expressh". The ivory which he sends to the Government has been taken from the natives, whom he persecutes and makes war upon. From a reliable authority I have learnt that Zibehr Bey possesses, at the present moment, enough ivory to load a dozen iivr/ars. Report lo Gordon. 51 '•Enrolment of ihe Soldiers of the Sei-iljc. " The soldiers of the seribe are engaged from year to year. They must clothe and feed themselves at their own expense. The pay varies, according to circmnstances, from two hundred piastres to six pounds of beads, per month. " The pay is never in cash, but in goods of various kinds, as linen, coffee, sugar, tobacco, tarbusc, cattle, or slaves. In this way a piece of cotton cloth, which at Khartoum is worth a dollar and a quarter, is given for six hundred piastres ; two pounds of beads, for one hundred and fifty ; two pounds of soap for one hundred ; a tarbusc for two hundred and eight. The soldier can, if he likes, be paid in cattle or slaves. " When a village is taken by assault two-thirds of the booty in cattle and slaves belongs to the Vekil, one-third to the soldiers. The ivory obtained is the exclusive property of the Vekil. The soldiers make their slaves cultivate the land, and the product is their own. " These soldiers also put their slaves at the dis- posal of the seribe, and pocket the pay for them- selves. Every seriba counts a thousand to two thousand combatants, a third of whom are armed with guns, and the others with lances. The troop is at the orders of the Vekil, and a Bolukbashi ; they have a flag-bearer and a trumpeter. The ivor}' which these seribe send out is obtained by hunting or exchange, and the slaves are obliged to carry it to the place of shipment. But for this work the soldiers have no right to any pay. The soldiers must provide on the march the doora for themselves and their slaves. " Taking into account the very high prices which the Vekil make the soldiers pay for articles of the first necessity, it is no exaggeration to say that they gain ten or fifteen times more than their dependents can gain. The profit of the soldiers is in the capture E 2 2 2 Seven Years in the Soudan. of cattle and slaves, and therefore we must not be surprised if the natives are driven to robbery and pillage, and if circumstances of repulsive brutality occur. , . , ■ " Towards May 15th of this year there arrived two Vekil of the family Agat, and one of the family Abu Muri, with a great quantity of ivory. Un the wav the Vekil had taken by assaults various villages, kilfing and robbing mercilessly a thousand women and children, and ten thousand oxen. Two thousand of these were given to the soldiers a thousand kept in a village near Mushra, and three thousand sent to the Sandeh to be exchanged for ivory, ihis figure of six thousand oxen is by no means exag- gerated, and was known to all in the counti-y. " On July 3rd there arrived at Mushra the \ ekil Mahomed Hassan, partner of %^?f^,^.^,'^V .n^f toum; Cherik Hassabala, and Behid lu..uf ot the family Cherik Magajub Biselli, with a load of ivorv They also, on the road, attacked the villages and carried off to Mushra several thousand head of cattle, and hundreds of women and children. -I was assured that Yussuf Behid committed every species of cruelty in a village to force he nltives to reveal the place where they had hidden ?he ivory. After having put forty o these unhappy wretches to the torture, he succeeded m discovering three elephant-tusks ! " When I left Meshra seven nugars were there ex- pecting their load; they will be supphed by the hunters now at work, and those that are employed on their return from the seribe. " Tlie Vekil. « Tn creneral the Vekil belong to Khartoum while thos in their pay are, for the greater P-t, -m Doncola ; others are deserters from the Egyptian anny, or fugitives seeking safety from the law. Report to Gordon, 53 " Such men among the Vekil are admitted to the society of the j)i'incipal hmd-owners of Khartoum. "The powers which the Vekil liave arrogated to themselves pass the limits of all one can imagine. Their insolence is such that they pose as the legal representatives of the Egyptian Govern- ment, and make one believe that the exportation of ivory, slaves, and cattle is done by order and at the charge of the Miri. " During my stay at Meshra I had a visit from the Vekil Mahomed Hassan, and Behid Yussuf, escorted by twelve men wath double-barrelled guns, while two others carried their masters' arms, richly garnished with silver and artificial stones. " The conversation fell upon the badness of the road they had traversed ; upon the water, often up to the shoulders from the inundations caused by two months of constant rain ; and on the road, no less difficult, which they had to traverse on their return, when overladened with goods. " Being questioned on the large quantity of cattle which they possessed, and what they would do with them, they ansAvered that they intended to send them to the Sandch to exchange for ivory, but that a part of the cattle belonged to the soldiers. " ' But,' I rejoined, ' it seems to me that you have taken all their cattle from the natives.' " ' Oh,' they replied, ' if we did not do so, with what could we pay our men, and how could we get the ivory ? What would be the use of staying in this country ? And in the end what is the use of these herds to the natives, who never eat meat, and let the animals die naturally ? ' " ' And yet,' I said, ' they use them for milk and cheese.' " ' Don't be afraid ; they will not starve on that account. These people, if necessary, can live on roots alone ; and then they have the door a, which they cultivate. Then, too, do you think, perhaps. 54 Seven Years in the Soudan. that we are tlie only people who do such things r Just see what happens Avherever there are seribe. Have not quite lately some Vekil of the Bahr-el- Jeraf taken 2000 oxen from the natives, bv order of Yussuf Bey, the Governor of Fashoda V And how many thousand oxen Avere not required by the Governor of Khartoum, on account of the JMiri r ^ You see, the Miri also does as we do.' T did not know what to reply to such arguments, and asked them if they could furnish me with sixty natives to transport the baggage, not without adding that it Avas my intention to pay them. They replied that I must giA'e nothing to - the porters, because they Avere their s]aA''es, and it Avas Avith them that I must make the bargain for the pay. " ' But hoAv much do you want for cA'ery man, that is, for every burden of thirty oca ? ' - " They had the impudence to ask me tweh-e dollars per man, and I could not help telling them I thought they Avere jesting with me, and dismissed them abruptly, making them observe that the price they asked Avas three times the A'alue of my things, and I preferred, in that case, to burn all the baggage. "At this point a man arriA'ed Avith a letter, addressed to Mahomed Hassan. From his long face I augured nothing good. In fact, when I had finished reading, hetold me that he had receiA-ed bad ncAvs from Shakka. Zibehr Bey Avas blockaded by the Sultan of Darfour ; his position was well-nigh desi)erate, although cA^ery seriba had sent him a hundred men, making 1200 in all. This small force was insufficient, and the help sent bj" the goA^ernor not arriA'ing in time, he saw himself obliged to capitulate. " And then arose a chorus of imprecations against Zibehr Be3^as a turbulent spirit, the first cause of the attack from Darfour. Xeither was the Government ' Miri, Viceroy of Egypt. * The oca is equivalcufc to about three pounds and a half. Report to Gordon. 55 treated better, they averring that the aiitliorities had not known how to prepare sufficient forces. " These Vekil had, nevertheless, recent news from Khartoum. They knew that Abu-Sud was on the way, and would shortly arrive. From all this I Avas able to infer that the Vekil are joromjjtly in- formed of all that ha])pens at Khartoum and other places. " The evening of the same day, Mr. Kempt arrived at our camp, and delivered new instructions to me. " The Village of Mc.shra. " This village, not distinguished by the natives by a sj)ecial name, is composed of about forty huts, where live a part of the crews of the nugars, which touch there to buy ivory, and the representatives of the Vekil, A hundred feet aAvay are another hun- dred huts, to accommodate the slaves as they arrive. Meslira is situated on an island in the midst of the stream. " The water is very Ioav, and the nugars cannot approach the land, excepting the Nile is at full. The air is very bad, pestilential in fact, and at first I could not discover the reason ; but afterwards, having strayed further from the cabins, I discovered fifty corpses lying unburied. Hundreds of vultures and other birds of prey devoured, or carried away, the entrails of these poor creatures. I tried to persuade a Vekil that it was, in their own interests, urgently necessary to bury these corpses. He replied, laugh- ing at my ingenuousness, that the work would be too heavy, for when the Vekil arrive from the interior great numbers of their slaves die, and the Vekil have something else to do than to bury the dead. In fact, on leaving the seribe to go to Meshra, the soldiers carry with them just the doora necessary for them and their slaves, but as they capture others by the way, many slaves die along the road for want 56 Seven Years in tJic Soudan. of sufficient food, and others perisliat Meshra, where they arrive more like skeletons than human beings, bein^ emaciated by fatigue and hunger. " The next day I left this deadly place, and en- camped, as I have said, with my men at twenty minutes' distance to the north of the island. " The water of tlie river, nearly stagnant, and all covered with aquatic plants, was so bad, that we were obliged to boil it, correct it with rock alum, and then filter it. From morning to night I was persecuted by the crews of the nugars begging for medicine. The predominant maladies are malaria and intermittent fever. Whoever is struck by the first has but few hours to live. " The soldiers of the escort were all ill of inter- mittent fever. " The slaves are kept by the soldiers of the Vekil, and em])loyed in killing oxen, and drying the meat for provisioning the nugar, and the soldiers Avho arrive from the seribe. At the time of my stay at Meshra, from twelve to fifteen oxen were slaughtered daily, without taking count of those which were killed in the Vekil camp. "When the nugars have completed their cargo, the huts are partly destroyed, or occupied by the natives from the villages on the opposite bank. These people keep the cattle which the Vekil en- trust to them, and receive, in exchange, a little meat, and drink the milk of the cows. The inhabi- tants of the neighbouring villages are very poor, and so thin that one cannot imagine by what miracle they have the strength to move ; they are actual skeletons. They carr}" wood, which they exchange for a handful of doora. " To the north-west of Meshra an immense forest extends, about sixty miles in length. The natives assure me that no less than five days are necessary to cross it. Game abounds there, and ebony Avood. Rep07^t to Gordon. 57 The population belongs to the Dinka tribe, and are often distvn'bed by the raids of the Nuer. " The elephants, having become very rare in the Bahr-el-Ghazal, the Vekil, as we have already said, go to seek them in the Sandeh (Niam-Niam). The first incursion in this country happened four years ago, by act of the Vekil of Magajub Biselli, who found there a great quantity of ivory, which he ex- changed for cotton cloth. According to his custom, he attacked, on his return, many villages ; but the Sandeh op])osed him in hosts on the heights of a narrow pass, attacked the Vekil, killed one hundred and fifty of his men, wounded the Vekil seriously, and tcok from him two-thirds of his arms, and all the ivory he had collected. " From henceforward the Vekil were more })rudent, though they continued to exchange ivory for cattle, in which the Sandeh are very poor. At the present time many Vekil are on the road, returning from the Sandeh. " The time necessary for this journey varies from six to seven months. " Since I have been in the Bahr-el-Ghazal the rains are almost incessant. "R. Gkssi." Seven Years in the Soudan. CHAPTER VII. wi';alti[ (»f the soudan. Natural products — Skins and cattle — Eljony. Willi. E we ])ursuecl our way to the place of destina- tion, Colonel Gordon was' still at Khartoum, pre- })aring the arsenal, and seeing that troops and ammunition Avere dispatched without delay. Gordon had not a few difficulties to overcome, caused especi- ally by the habitual slowness of the people, and the ill-will of the government officials, jealous of the success obtained by the expedition. The local governor deceived the Colonel several times, and Gordon, Avearied at length beyond endurance, reported the fact to Ismail Pasha. The latter gravely recommended him to have patience, and endeavoured to persuade him that in Egypt it was no crime to say one thing and do another. I said before that the governors of distant provinces act at their pleasure, and abuse their power, deceiv- ing the central government and ruining trade. These people are the Avorst scourge I know, and seem to have been sent to giA^e the finishing stroke to the Soudan ; they regarded Muntag Pasha as a pearl in comparison to Ismail. " It is no longer taxes that you impose but real ransom-money," exclaimed the A'ictims. " The imposts are not for me," replied the func- tionary, " but for the Miri." But is he authorized to m ake them ? Certainly not. He is eager to display his zeal and intelligence by Wealth of t lie Soudan. 59 extorting from the poor peo])le more money than his predecessor, who perhaps was also a thief. By such proceedings he thinks to win praise from the Go- vernment and to gain the sympathy of the Khedive. How long will the Soudan endure these oppressions P Perhaps it will happen that, being reduced to the greatest misery, the country will demand that the governor shall be changed, and the next one will be able to send in very little money, and his province will yield no profit — then Ismail Pacha will say, rubbing his hands, and shrugging his shoulders, — " Do you see ? Such a governor has sent even less than I, and pretends to pass for an honest man ! " In the Soudan men have no time to breathe freely ; life is actually smothered with taxes of every kind. I am not speaking of the governors of former times ; I only assert that Mussa Pasha enriches himself at the expense of the Government and the subjects. Jaffer Pasha, the Great, was governor for only four months fortunatel}^ or his administrators would have been flayed alive. To him succeeded his brother, an honest man enough, but of limited intelligence. Then came Muntag Pasha, who is now^ awaiting his trial. To this latter are attributed deeds that surpass those of Rosa Schandor and the Passatore. He was replaced by Ismail Pasha. A province, hoAvever rich, that enjoys a succession of such governors, must infallibly be ruined. All these officials were Turks, and Turks were also those appointed to the more central provinces, such as Kurshid Aga, Ahmet Aga, Antrusc, Suleiman Aga, Ibrahim Muscli, and Kutshuk Ali. The latter had or- ganized the bands of Gondokoro, which I have spoken of in my report, who plundered, burnt, and assass- inated the natives, stealing the ivory and destroying whole families, who were sold as slaves at Khartoum. The sale was made in public and the governors ' When R. Gessi wrote tlicse notes. 6o Seven Years in the Soudan. could not certainly assert that they were ignorant of it. At Khartoum they hired nugars, enrolled volun- teers, and prepared provisions for the expedition, Avhich started publicly with great pomp. They returned with abundant cargoes of ivory and human merchandise. The slaves, crowded into the vessels like herrings in casks, could hardly stand on their stiffened limbs when released, and were led in long files across the city, followed by hundreds of ])urchasers. The slaves were seen all the world except the governor, who naturally must see and know nothing, so that the authorities at Cairo may be deceived, and the odious traffic continued. Where can a man be found who could persuade the public that governor and people were not in league with these brigands ? The Soudan might be the richest countr}' in the woi'ld ; its climate and soil are adapted for every kind of cultivation. The products are very plentiful. Sesame, the india-rubber tree, and every kind of corn and vegetables grow there freely, often yielding two crops a year. If the indigo-plant Avere subject to the cultivation introduced by the English, it would compete with the Indian jilant. Ivory, ebony and ostrich-feathers are abundant. And to think that such a country suffers famine and misery, and yields the Government only the miserable sum of 60,000/. a year ! On what this depends no one could tell ; but the people of the country have explained to me the enigma. The Arab knows that if he cultivated the land better, much heavier taxes would be demanded, and that if he were so fortunate as to enrich himself, he would run the risk of being kept in prison till he had disembursed his very last farthing ; pre- texts are never wanting to the governors to justify such acts. I know several of these poor Avretches who were imprisoned on false charges and paid dearly for their liberation. The Arab has, however, WealtJi of the Soiidan. 6i become distrustful, and instead of employing his money in trade, lie hides it underground where it often remains unknown after his death. The only rich people are the owners of seribe residing at Khartoum, who lend money on interest at thirty-six and forty-eight per cent, yearly, while several indus- tries, which would be most advantageous for the country and the finances of government, lie neglected. Ox hides are held in no sort of value in the Soudan. They are thrown away or used at most to make angareps. On my journey I saw thousands of them, devoured ^y white ants, while at Alexandria they are worth a guinea each. The wild buffalo is very common in the Soudan ; I saw herds which numbered thou- sands. When the buffaloes descend to some stream to drinkjthey form processions sometimes two miles long, but no one thinks of making any use of their hides, so much esteemed and highly paid for in Europe. America exported last year more than two hundred thousand hides, of the total value of four hundred thousand pounds sterling. Ebony, that precious article, which in Europe is sold at 50Z. the ton, is very abundant. Some people pretend that by reason of the great distance the expenses are enormous ; but the real truth is otherwise. At Khartoum nugars may be hired for fifty or at most eighty dollars for the Bahr-el-Grhazal or neighbouring provinces ; the people of the country would be very glad to carry the wood to the place of shipment for a few strings of beads or a piece of cotton cloth. For a nugar which could carry fifty tons the expenses would be : — Dollars. Transport from Bahr-el-Ghazal or Gabe-Shambe to "Khartoum of 50 tons = 80 Transport from Khartoum to Berber ... . = 30 120 camels at 5 dollars = GOO Transport from Suakim to Suez . . . . = 300 Transport from Suez to Alexandria . . . . = 300 Total expenses . . = 1310 62 Seven Yea7's in the Soudan. Dollars. 50 tons of ebony sold at Alexandria for 30/., although in England and Germany it is paid at the rate of 40/. to 46/. — moo/ = 7500 Deducted expen.se.s, as over . ...... 1310 Net profits . . . = 0190 It would not be difficult to obtain fifty cargoes a year, and supposing tliat the Government limited itself to 15/. a ton, tlie gain would alwa3's be con- siderable. The ebony coming from South America being brought from the interior, and the expenses of transit much greater, could not compete with this from Africa. This precious article, so much neglected hitherto, has been recently introduced to commerce by Colonel Gordon. The Egyptian Government ])0ssesses various steamers on the Nile, seven of which are at the service of Gordon's expedition. They undertake periodical journeys betAveen Gondokoro and Khartoum ; the necessary expenses are few, as they use for fuel the Avood of the immense forests which extend alongf the river. They tow the nugars up the river, Avhile it is necessary to descend the stream for only twenty- two days to reach Berber. The steamers of the Khedivate which make the journey between Massvah, Suakim and Jeddali have difficulty in finding return cargoes for Suez, and ebony would furnish the means of covering a part of the expenses of this service. The camel-drivers would not lack employment, and a new era of prosperity would succeed to the present misery of the Bedouins. Ostrich-hunting is pursued on a small scale in Africa ; their feathers, which are so much in request among us, would be very cheap if the natives under- stood hoAv to take care of them. The greater part of the feathers now exported are furnished by the ostriches which the Shilluks and Bagaras take young, SPECIilEN OF A BA&ASA OSTRICH. Page 63. Wealth of tJie Soudan. 63 and bring up. These ostriches become as tame as chickens with us ; in the morning they go to the fields with the oxen, and return home in the evening. But when it is a question of hunting, for the native who is without a gun and armed only with a lance, the affair changes its aspect. The ostrich is very swift for the first half -hour, then slackens its pace, and the Bagara succeeds in killing it by pursuing it on horseback. Its strength being exhausted, the ostrich opens its beautiful wings, and, assuming the attitude of one brooding, it awaits resignedly its end. But woe to the unskilful hunter who, believing it to be dead, approaches it, since, rising all at once, and raising its leg to the height of a man's head, it deals such a blow as to rip open any animal on which it may fall. Its body is generally very thin excepting the thighs, the flesh of which much resembles veal. The Shilluks, however, do not venture to eat it, as a superstition is current among them which forbids them to do so. An ostrich killed either in August or September, whose feathers have not been spoiled by a fly which attacks them frequently, fetches 20/., and even some- times 2-5/. I saw one day a flock of ostriches all together, but the place being without trees, or any shelter, prevented me from approaching them. The safest way of hunting them is to follow the road they take towards four o'clock in the evening, when they go to drink, and await them on the spot. The foot of the ostrich, strong enough to rip open a horse, is apt to break as if it were of glass if the bird makes a false step on a rock. The ammunition most suitable for firing at the ostrich is No. l,but a sportsman will aim at the head so as not to stain the white feathers with blood. But we must turn from the chase, the administra- tion of Khartoum and the resources of the Soudan, to follow the story of our expedition. All these par- ticulars seemed, however, necessary to explain how a 64 Seven Years in the Soudan. country so ricli in resources can have been reduced to such complete misery. Gordon, having put his affairs in order, moved from Khartoum, and established first the station of Sobat, a point admirably adapted to watch the river and the slave trade. The country suffered from famine, and more than sixty families of agricul- turists hastened to settle at that station. For a handful of doora, a father \^'ould sell his own son, and it was necessary to buy them to prevent their falling into the hands of the slavers. The Colonel in this Avay bought two boys for four pounds of doora. He has them with him, and says he is satis- fied with them. A governor having been installed at the station, the natives devoted themselves to the cultivation of the surrounding country. 65 CHAPTER VIII. DEATH OF ANSON. In the shadow of the tamarinds — Two lions in flight — lUiffaloes and rhinoceroses — Wild oxen — Fever — Anson's death — Arrival of Gordon. On July lOtli I left the neighbourliood of Meslira ; the Sapliia had hardly fuel enough to reach a large forest. The next day the vessel stopped, and the men were divided into two companies, one of which had to work under Anson's supervision and the other under mine. I ordered breakfast to be served in the forest, and although even there the heat was excessive, we were better under the large tamarind trees than beneath the awning of the Sa'pliia. At noon, having allowed the men two hours of repose, while I was sharing my frugal lunch with Anson, we suddenly heard a rustling noise, as of a number of large monkeys leaping from one bough to another. I had not paid much attention to it when Anson touched me and pointed to a spot in the wood. A lion with a splendid mane, followed by a lioness, was not more than sixty steps distant from us, and was stealing quietly along ; but when the animals saw they were noticed they quickened their pace and rushed away just like cats. The temptation was indeed too strong and I set off in pursuit of them. Anson insisted on coming with me, and I consented unwillingly after much entreaty. r 66 Seven Years in the Soudan. Taking with us a soldier, who carried a reserve rifle, Ave proceeded with all possible precautions. The ground was damp, and the lions had taken a path which bore the print of their footsteps. We had followed them thus for about twenty minutes when we saw that the path was abruptly lost in grass and bushes, and we were just consulting which direc- tion to take when we heard a noise at a little dis- tance. I imagined that we were already face to face with the lions, but instead of this I had roused a buffalo-bull who, being startled, took a leap of fifteen paces. Only a few bushes separated us from the animal and we were therefore plainly visible. Anson wanted to fire, but I prevented him ; his small rifle and his little skill in aiming were sufficient motives for my interference. The buffalo halted for an instant, looking us full in the face, but the game was soon to be at an end. I took aim at him with the greatest calmness, and fired, when the buffalo fell, struck down as if by lightning. The explosive pro- jectile had penetrated the brain, a part of Avhich was liquefied b}' the force of it, and issued from the ear. The gun had hardly been fired when the soldier saw the lion and lioness take to flight at eighty paces' distance. Buffaloes are so abundant that one is almost cer- tain to meet with some every time one goes to hunt. Since then I have killed four, and have taken a de- cided aversion to the buffalo, and in consequence have more than once abandoned a path marked with his traces. All animals flee before man, except the buffalo and the rhinoceros ; these two have the same instinct, and if the wind brings to their nostrils the scent of a man, they turn to meet him. With the buffalo there is this advantage, that, when he means to attack, he halts at exactly fifteen paces' distance, gently lowers his head, and rushes forward at a gallop ; one must seize the moment when he stands with his head lowered, otherwise it is too late. The native, when Death of Anson, 6; followed by a buffalo, throws liimself to the ground pretending to be dead. The buffalo comes up and sniffs at him for ten minutes, then, seeing him immovable, goes away. This I myself saw in the Bahr-el-Grhazal. A herd of buffaloes had caught sight of five natives, who instantly threw themselves on the ground. The buffaloes sniffed at them a good while, and then went away. It is worthy of note, and surprised me much to see, that the total, arjel, and gazelles, allow the negroes to approach within twenty paces, while, when they see a European at even two hundred paces, they fly precipitately. Can it be the smell of the powder, or the difference of complexion that inspires them with so much terror ? On July 12th I set out with Haggi to hunt, and we killed three wild oxen. I sent on board for a stove, for butter, salt, bread and two plates, Avhile we quenched our thirst with the milk of a cow which probably had its young one not far off. A thunder- storm broke out unexpectedly, and such heavy rain fell that the drops seemed like bullets falling from the sky. In a few moments, notwithstanding that we had taken shelter under trees, we were as soaked through as if we had fallen into the river. When the torrents had ceased I directed my steps to the Saphia, followed by the soldiers laden with pieces of the ox. But on returning we mistook the road, and after having lost two good hours wandering about, we finally found ourselves on board at seven o'clock in the evening, tired and exhausted. We had left at five in the morning, Anson had not yet returned, I immediately sent some soldiers with orders to go inland for twenty minutes and fire shots that might serve him as a guide for finding his way. At last a distant shot replied to those of the soldiers, and shortly afterwards I saw him coming, quite delighted at having killed an antelope, but when the soldiers brought me the victim's skin I perceived that it was that of a young ox. F 2 68 Seven Years in the Sojidan. At midniglit I Avas attacked "with violent head- ache, and by morning I had a violent fever. I took a dose of quinine, but my stomach, though it was then of iron, could not digest it, and the fever continued for four consecutive days, during which time T lost all consciousness. I onh' remember that I aAvoke on the fifth day as weak as if I had been in bed several months. I continued nevertheless the treatment with the ([uinine, taking eighteen grains a day. On the 18th J began to improve, but was still verj'- weak. Anson had nursed me as Avell as he could, but he liad always been in great apprehension, fearing tliat I should not recover. The captain of the steamer had even spoken to him about how he was to bury me. On the 18th Anson was also seized with violent headache, and immediately adopted my treatment. Three da^'s before, we had left that unhealthy spot, and had arrived at the mouth of the AVhite Xile, where we had to take in tow a dahabia which had on board the new governor of Gabe-Shambe, and towed three nugars laden with doora. Poor Anson could not digest the medicine, and rejected it as soon as swallowed, as well as the lightest nourishment. Xotwithstandiug the state in which I was, I had myself carried near his bed, but his prostration increased, and he could not even SAvallow a fcAV spoonfuls of tea. The malady grew worse with such rapidity on the night of the 27th of July that the next day at three in the after- noon Anson expired in ni}-^ arms. One can imagine my sorrow in the state in which I was ; I wept over his remains as if I had lost a brother. Poor Anson I he was hardl}^ twenty-one, of a gentle and affection- ate character. He always listened respectfully to my advice, though he was in a certain way inde- pendent of me. Since our departure from Cairo we had taken a strong liking to each other, and at Khartoum he had begged the Colonel to appoint him Death of Anson. 69 to my company. At four o'clock in the evening of July 28tli I had my comrade buried in a grave dug in a forsaken ant-hill ; I set up a cross and we parted for ever. On leaving the place I had myself carried on deck to take a last farewell of the grave of my friend, the purest soul I ever knew. On the 20th I met three nugars laden with ivory ; 1 gave them letters to the Colonel, informing him of the sad event. Juhj dOfh. — I met the steamer Imhabi with three nugars coming from Gondokoro. The captain in- formed me that the steamer TaJaJiauin was then at Gabe-Shambe to take in fuel. Meantime the Sajjhia was nearly at the end of her supply, and it was with great difficulty that we obtained the required pressure ; it was necessary to adopt some instant expedient. Detaching the three nugars and continuing Avith two dahabias, I sent twelve soldiers Avell-armed on to the nugars, gave twenty rifles to the crews, and was just going to give the orders for departure when a nugar laden with wood arrived, sent us by the Talahauin, whose people knew that we were in a critical position. But it was not sufficient to reach Gabe-Shambe. I was grieved at the sight of my poor soldiers and sailors continually in the water, exposed naked to the persecutions of the mos- quitoes, but there was no other Ava}?- of collecting the fuel necessary. Several soldiers and sailors were ill ; the Arab scribe of Hassan Ibrahim had died of fever ; the captain and engine-driver were also ill. The steamer was changed into a hospital, but none the less was it necessary to go on. All the surrounding country, as far as eye could reach, was covered with reeds and tall rushes, or with water, and only enough fuel remained to us to last four more hours. I therefore caused all the tables and wooden furniture that was to be found on board, and was not absolutely neces- sary, to be collected. I called the captain, Hassan 70 Seven Years in tJic Soudan, Ibrahim, and communicated to him my decision to abandon his dahabia and the nugars, and go in search of fuel. Ibrahim had his family on board, and it did not suit him to remain with them in a place any- thing but secure. I soothed him by giving him some soldiers for escort and rifles for the creAV. We had been on our way for about two hours Avhen I perceived smoke in the distance. It was a steamer coming -towards us, which Ave soon re- cognized to be the yacht Khedive belonging to the Commander-in-chief. A more fortunate meet- ing could not have been, since I Avas able to learn at Avhat distance the forest lay. The Khedive had left Gondokoro eight days before ; the captain explained to me that Ave AA'ere now three hours from the mouth of the Bahr-el-Zeraf, and that from thence to Gabe- Shambe there were only two hours more, and that finally the forest Avas about an hour from the place of our meeting. Precisely an hour after, AA'ithout need of orders, the engine stopped for want of fuel, just as we touched the forest. All that day was employed in cutting wood, and the day after Ave arrived at Gabe- Shambc, the journey haA'ing taken exactly a month betAveen that place and Bahr-el-Ghazal. It had been a very sad journey ! 71 CHAPTER IX. HAVOC AMONG THE EUROPEANS. Gaba-Shambe — Lar^'e monkeys — Haggi pulled down by a leopard — He kills it — Old lions — The traveller Miani — New station — • Aground — Tlic botanist Witt dies — IJnhealtliiness of Gondokoro — Death of Linant de Bellefonds — The Sultan jNItesa — Colonel Long. Gajja-Shambe was then composed or some fifteen lints, temporary buildings, the work of the crews of the nugars awaiting their cargo, but afterwards aban- doned as subject to inundations. I found three nugars there, but the site being too low I continued to ascend the river, till, having found a more elevated position, I stopped in the midst of an immense forest. Shortly afterwards we were rejoined by the nugars and the dahabia left on the way, and we set to work with all the men to cut down trees. For a few handfuls of doora we were assisted by the natives, who had flocked from the country round, in cutting and trans- porting the wood destined to build the granaries in the station that was to be planted there. In the brief space or a fortnight a large tract of land was planted with doora, and an orchard was cultivated, speedily transforming the place into the site of possible habitation. The station rose in the middle of a park-like enclosure, filled with every kind of game. Some large monkeys came in hundreds very near to the station, making such a terrible noise at night that it was impossible to close our eyes. In 72 Seven Years in the Soudan. order to get rid of these disagreeable visitors I killed three of them, and Haggi two ; but I might have used up all my powder without attaining my end. The more doora we sowed the more the numlDer of monkeys increased, and the animals in full daylight dug it up and devoured it. It was necessary to put some men on guard there. The monkeys never descend from the trees, except- ing by day ; in the night they are afraid of the lions and leopards. These last are found here in great number, and every night we hear them roar and fight. The natives never venture alone into these woods, for fear the lions should devour them. T was still too weak to go hunting, or carry my heav}^ rifle, but Haggi brought us every day guinea- fowl, bustards, and other game. The forest was almost entirely in the water, above which rose here and there some dryland. Haggi one day very nearly paid dearly for his favourite pastime. In the company of a soldier he was resting under a tree, when he heard a roar at a little distance ; he took his rifle without waking the soldier, who was asleep, and fired at a wild-boar, which fell into a tliicket. Bat while he was stooping to pick it up he saw a magnificent leopard opposite him. For- tunately he had the other barrel still loaded, for the leopard was in the act of taking the fatal leap when the shot fell. The bullet wounded the leopard seriously, but did not kill him on the spot, and he liad still strength enough to spring upon Haggi, put- ting his paws on his shoulder. Haggi made a desperate effort, and, hurling the leopard into a thicket, withdrew softly, calling the soldier, who, half-dead with fatigue, heard neither shots nor cries. At last Haggi succeeded in awaking him, reloaded his gun, and, followed by the soldier, went very cautiously in search of the leopard. The animal lay dead on the very spot where he had sprung upon Haggi. The ball had broken the left leg, traversed the Havoc amojtg the Europeans. 73 heart, and issued at the other side. They took the skin, and a part of the fat, which is considered an ex- cellent remedy for wounds. The leopard was not more than two feet high, but it measured some six feet in length without the tail. Its paws were short, but thick, and the head very large and round, and, by its splendid skin, must have been a female. Poor Haggi had been so frightened that for several days he did not hunt. In two years and a half he had killed fourteen lions and an enormous number of buffaloes, but he had never felt so much alarm as with this leopard. The reason for this does not seem to me difficult to discover. He had been attacked unexpectedly, when he had but one barrel loaded, and besides, the leoj)ard is much more dangerous than the lion, being more swift and more bloodthirsty. It ver}^ rarely happens that a wounded lion at- tacks the hunter, especially if the latter does not go towards him after the shot. In the space of four months I had seen seven lions, one of which had passed me at a little distance, but all had pursued their own way, and at a hundred paces ' distance had taken to a headlong galop, an evident sign of their fear. It is generally the old lions that attack men, and the natives thus belicAX that when the lion has tasted human flesh he lives for nothing else, and despises all other meat. At half a day's distance from Gaba-Sliambe there is a village which suffered greatly because of a lion. Every other day he carried off a man. The inhabi- tants believed him to be sent by the Evil Spirit to punish them, and such was their terror that they did not venture to kill the bloodthirsty brute, contenting themselves with remaining in their houses after night- fall. But the lion, not paying much attention to their precaution, entered the village, and the first person he met was always his victim. This continued for several 74 Seven Years in the Soudan. months, and the poor wretches were about to abandon the place, when some people from Dongola passed that way to purchase ivory. Having heard about the lion, six Dongolese lay in wait for him, and when the lion passed quietly along, as usual, he was saluted by a volley of six shots. He gave one leap, and fell dead. This lion had attained an extraordinary size, and his mane was so long as almost to touch the ground ; his skin, they told me, had been sent to the Khedive. I had occasion to speak to a certain man who took a principal part in this adventure. He was an old hunter, considered one of the bravest of his profession, a great slayer of elephants, lions, and buffaloes, and the guide of all the hunters who came into those parts. The various certificates, of which he was the possessor, proved him to be an honest man and intrepid hunter. " For forty years," he said, " I have been hunting between Gabe-Shambc and the Sandeh. Many lions have fallen to my gun, and I have seen many others, but never one so large as this." According to his description and the measurements which he noted, this lion must have been something monstrous. I had never imagined that a lion could attain such a size. The lion soon grows old ; at the age of twelve years his teeth are worn out, and he has no longer the speed and agility necessaiy to seize the young buffaloes and the tetal whom he lies in wait for near the river when they descend to drink. It is then, when the lion is reduced to impotence, that he attacks man. Near Kaka a lion was killed, which for some time was complete master of the road, and many natives had paid a dear tribute to this new kind of marauder. When he was killed glass beads were found in his stomach, such as the people of the place are accus- tomed to wear. Each time that a lion, a man-hunter, was taken, Havoc among the Etiropeans. 75 it was always found that lie was old. An aged lion, who finds himself in a place where he lacks human flesh, becomes very thin, and is attacked by a kind of leprosy, which causes his death. The favourite food of the lion is young buffaloes. When a herd goes to the water the lion lies in wait for them on the road on their return, and throws himself on the first, dragging it by the neck to the forest. Having satiated himself with the meal, he buries the rest, but never returns to eat it, and these remains are the prey of the hyenas, who generally, posted at a little distance, wait till the lion retires to enjoy their share. From this hunter I was able to gain some par- ticulars about the noted traveller Miani, who had died in these parts while he was exploring the country. He told me that Miani was buried near Gaba-Sliambe,^ having died while on his way to the Nile, in the hope of finding a boat which would bring him to Khartoum, where ho intended to take some care of his health, which had been much weakened by fever and every kind of privation. But a strong attack of fever kept him at the village, and there he died in the hut of a Sheikh. A part of his papers and collections, and two pigmies of the Sandeh were consigned to some people who had come to Khartoum for them, but most of his collections were dispersed by the natives. I instantly thought of going to the place where the brave explorer had finished his career so sadly, but I was obliged to suspend every preparation for my departure, and put off my expedition till better weather, because the forest was all one lake, through persistent rains. Meanwhile, the station we were building assumed each day a better appearance. It already possessed ' This was a mistake ; it will be seen further on how Gcssi sent to Manibuttu to take away the bones of poor Miani near Taiigasi, the former Mimza, the residence of the homonymous king. The men sent then, liowever, left a part of the remains with the famous pipe, afterwards found by Captain Casati. 76 Seven Years in the Soudan. an abundance of fowls, a cow, and some pigeons. I had a little garden of flower seeds I had brought with me, and was already busy constructing an arbour of creepers against the trunk of a large old tree, when, just as I least expected it, fate decided dif- ferently for me. On August loth I was told that a steamer, directed to Gaba-Shambe, was in sight. I Avent on the daha- bia of Hassan Ibrahim, and ])erceiyed a large flag on the nuist at the jirow ; it was therefore un- doubtedly the Commander-in-chief. As soon as the steamer anchored I Avent on board, where the Com- mander received me with his habitual courtesy. After a multitude of questions about poor Anson's death, I learnt that he was the Commander's nephew. The latter showed himself deeply grieved b}' the event, and asked me about my journey. " Prepare everything," said Gordon to me, " and come with me to Gondokoro. I cannot leave you here alone without any aid. If you fall ill, you are Avithout a doctor or a friend." 1 said a few words to assure him that I Avas con- tented with my position, but knoAving that it was not easy to alter his determination, it only remained for me to obey. With the aid of Haggi 1 collected my things and the proA^isions, and that evening was in- stalled on board. The crew had gone to gather wood, but Avere obliged to suspend their Avork at night be- cause several men had been stung by scorpions. At noon next day the Talaliaiiiii was put in motion for Gondokoro, Avhile 1 gazed, for the last time, at my little station, and the road which was to haA^e led me to the graA^e of poor Miani. The Talahanin was a steamer which made its ten knots an hour. We only employed two days there- fore in reaching Bohr, the station planted by Agat of Khartoum. From the time that Colonel Gordon had assumed the command of the province, he had established the centre of authority here ; the garrison Havoc among the Etiropeans. 77 was composed of soldiers, formerly mercenaries of Agat, who had taken service in the regular army. The governor was a certain man named Walleduille (formerly Vekil of the same Agat) of gigantic size ; he seemed to be made on purpose to hunt down men. I never saw a countenance so manifestly expressive of cruelty and perfidy. Having given the necessary orders, we left this haunt of wolves, and took our way to Gondokoro ; but the pilot, not knowing the river well, steered the vessel into a branch of it,' so narrow and winding that the prow touched the ground at least forty times. The water was deep, but the banks so near together that the poor captain did not know how to extricate himself, and every moment the crew had to get on land ; it was a real martyrdom. Next day, thank God, Ave got out of this, and were once more in the principal stream. The water here Avas Ioaa', and the A'essel ran aground once or tAvice, but on September 2nd Ave finally arrived at Gondokoro. All the troops were under arms, and seventeen cannon shots announced the arrival of the Governor- General. A boat put out from land Avith Major Campbell, Mr. Kempt, and Abu-Sud, an interesting personage, Avhose biography the reader will find later on. I found Major Campbell looking A^ery pale and thin, an evident sign of recent illness. We disembarked, and were received on land by the troops draAvn up in double-file, folloAA^ed by Eaouf Bey, Commanding-Colonel of the garrison, and by all the officers under his orders. I shook hands with the botanist, Mr. "Witt, who had risen from bed ex- pressly to welcome us ; he, too, Avas very thin, and bore the traces of recent and long illness. I asked after my friend M. Auguste Linant de Bellefonds, AA'lio, he told me, was dangerously ill, though some- what better the last three_days. 78 Seven Years in the Soudan. " How are you, dear friend ? " be asked, taking my hand. I gave liim a brief account of my journey, and of all its varying fortunes up to my arrival at Gondo- koro, concealing from him, of course, the death of our friend Anson, which, however, he learned almost immediately from imprudent friends. Major Camp- bell and Mr. Witt fell ill again, from having left their bed too soon. Mr. Witt seemed to be suffering from gastric fever, and grew worse and worse. On the morning of September Gth, before going to head-quarters, I wished to pass by the hut where he was lying, and found him stretched on a packing-case, his face downwards. I tried to raise him, but he made no movement ; he was dead. The next day he was buried beside the English engineer, Higginbottom, formerly in the emplo}^ of Sir Samuel Baker. The Colonel read the burial service, and we left in this sad spot the remains of another friend. Gondokoro does not seem very healthy ; the water descending from the mountains from April to the middle of September cannot run into the river, and forms stagnant jdooIs all round the town, which then dry very slowly. The Arab troops suffered much from miasmatic fever, and very many soldiers died from it. The town, composed of three or four hundred huts, is kept in pretty good order. Raouf Beydid everything in his power to ensure the comfort of the garrison. When the Austrian mission was settled there several lemon-trees were planted, which are now very beauti- ful, and most useful and agreeable in the time of the great heat, and in cases of illness. Several bananas were transported thither from the Sandeh, and have flourished excellentl}^, producing fruit of wonderful size. To avoid the inconvenience of too many soldiers assembled in the same place, the Colonel ordered huts to be built at Rejaf, twenty miles to the south of Gondokoro, which latter place he had the intention Havoc among the Europeans. 79 to abandon gradually and completely, if this experi- ment succeeded. M. Linant de Bellefonds was better, and could go out again, wlien, by some imprudence on his part, he had a relapse. The Colonel ordered the doctor not to leave him day or night ; I myself, who was to have left for Dufile, two hundred miles further south, delayed my departure to nurse my friend. But the malady increased every day, producing ex- treme weakness, and poor Linant died at last at three o'clock in the afternoon of September 17tli. The Colonel was then at Rejaf, and could not be present at the funeral. My friend was laid beside Mr. "Witt. Thus, in such a short space of time, I had assisted at the burial of three companions. The health of Major Campbell did not seem to improve, and the patient grew thinner every day ; Mr. Russell was no better ; indeed, at one time we thought we should have lost him. As soon as he had recovered a little the Colonel made him embark on his return home. Menges, the Colonel's servant, a well-instructed young man, who had accepted this humble post to be able to travel, was very near death also, and was sent back to Cairo. My servant, too, was obliged to leave me, on account of illness, and with him I sent away my dragoman, who was too fond of slaves. Of the twelve persons composing the expedition, in- cluding the Commander, there now remained no more than four. We were still without news of Colonel Long, who had been sent to Mtesa, the Sultan of Uganda ; the latter had sent to the Khedive some very beautiful elephant tusks, begging that he would send him in exchange a person who could explain the Koran to him, another who could perform the rite of circum- cision, and a third who could blow the trumpet. Colonel Gordon, when he sent Colonel Long to him, sent also two Fekili (Mussulman priests, who could explain the Koran), and very many presents. The 8o Seven Years in the Soudan. establishment of friendly relations witli this powerful Sultan was, in fact, an excellent step towards fur- thering the development of commerce. Mtesa had already commercial relations with Zanzibar. To traverse the country between the coast and Uganda three months were necessary, while Gondokoro was not more than twenty days' distance from the state of Mtesa. Ivory and coffee are abundant there ; the country fertile, and rich in every kind of product. The inhabitants of Uganda are much more civilized than those between the eleventh degree of latitude and the Equator. None of them go naked, and those Avho are not clothed decently are punished. Their clothing con- sists of a kind of sheet, which they drape gracefully around their persons, so that it seems divided into different parts. The material of this kind of toga is made of the bark of a plant ; it is of a yellowish colour, and is so well prepared as to have all the pliability of a European tissue. I have been told that each dress is made ox a single piece of bark, in which case the trees must be of an extraordinary size. I was able to procure one of them, which was about five yards long, and two wide. The engineer Kempt had, meanwhile, left us for Dufile (situated beyond the last cataract), to put to- 2:ether a little steamboat left at Gondokoro bv Sir Samuel Baker, which, in consequence of the hostility of the natives, he had not been able to have trans- ported. This boat, constructed in England, could be taken to pieces, and, once launched at Dufile, would furnish the means of navigating the Albert Lake, and making the tour of it to ascertain which was the principal tributary of this vast extent of water. Two thousand natives and two hundred soldiers were sent as escort. 8r CHAPTER X. CORDON AT WORK. Abu-Siul — Betrayer of Baker— Gordon deceived — Destitution of Abii- Sud — Internal wars — Trade in ivory and slaves — Tlie Dinkas. Abu-Sui), rendered celebrated by the press, and es])e- cially by the Times which printed the reports of Sir Samuel Baker to the English newspapers and Royal Geographical Society of London, was no other than the brother-in-law of Agat, the principal among the natives of the settlements on the Nile, Bahr-el-Gliazal, Bahr-el-Zeraf, Makaraka, etc. When Sir Samuel Baker had the command of the country and began to impose heavy taxes, Abu, the representative of Agat, and at first, also the friend of Baker, was invited by the latter to aid him in carry- ing out his administration. Abu-Sud presented himself after some delay, but whether meanwhile the Governor-General had re- ceived bad reports or him, or did not any longer consider him necessary, he received him coldly and with not too courteous words. This Abu-Sud him- self related to me, and I will not guarantee the exactness of his narration ; it is however a fact that, from thenceforth, both laboured incessantly to do harm to each other. Abu-Sud, who was considered by the mercenaries of Agat to be the real master, enjoyed great influence, and many Sheikhs associated themselves with him in opposing the views of Sir Samuel Baker. G 82 Seven Years in the Simdan. Tlie natives tlien refused all requests or orders to sell or supply cattle or doora, and Sir Samuel's trooj)s began to suffer from this, and Avere already reduced to rations, when the dilemma presented itself of either dying of hunger or resorting to force. Sir Samuel then began his incursions among the tribes with fire and sword, taking possession of their cattle and their doora. All this is incontestably true, and I learned the facts by serious inquiry among the natives, as well as among the officers and soldiers who took an active part in the affair. Abu-Sud Avitnessed all this with pleasure, foreseeing in the end Sir Samuel's ruin. All the people became hostile to the latter without being able to count much on the aid of the Government, and things came to such an extremity that the soldiers of Baker, and Baker himself, could not venture a step out of Gondokoro, Avithout the risk of receiving a poisoned arrow or a blow from a lance. Undoubtedly this was in great part the work of Abu-Sud, who strove to render the position of Baker always more difficult and critical, as the latter con- fessed it to be in his reports. Abu-Sud, only thirty years old, and endowed with uncommon energy, hastened first to the Dongolese and then to some other tribe, exciting their imagination and promising victory. The enormous distances from one ]ioint to another of the provinces prevented Sir Samuel Baker's troops from being at all the threatened points at once. A few tribes were defeated, but never subjugated; many at the ai)proach of the troops abandoned their villages, taking their cattle with them and seeking refuge among the mountains or in the interior of the country. Nothing remained for Sir Samuel but to set fire to the huts, which were rebuilt twenty-four hours afterwards by the natives, as soon as the soldiers had disappeared. We will follow further on the warlike operations Gordon at Work. 83 of Sir Samuel, and occupy ourselves noTv with Abu- Sud, wlio was called by Colonel Gordon to take an important share in events. After the departure of Sir Samuel, Abu-Sud had remained in confinement at Cairo, where Colonel Gordon made his acquaintance, and learned hoAv he considered himself calumniated by the European press and the reports of Sir Samuel, which he declared to be without foundation. He offered to take part in the Colonel's expedition, for the sole purpose, as he said, of clearing his name, giving a proof of his fidelity to the Khedive, and contributing to the pros- perity of his country. His distinguished manners, his quiet, logical, and refined address, and his grave deportment, would have made any one doubt if this could really be the same person as the one about whom Sir Samuel Baker and the press had been so busy. The Colonel accepted his co-operation, and Abu- Sud promised to rejoin him in the Soudan. He re- quested an audience of the Khedive, to whom he promised to aid Colonel Gordon in the suppression of the slave-trade and organization of the country. According to my opinion it was an imprudent act to ally oneself with a man who had the reputation of having been the principal author of all the havoc and plundering which had occurred in the Soudan ; nor ought too much faith to have been placed in his sud- den change. But in this country the choice of in- dividuals on whom one can rely is so difficult and arduous, that Gordon maybe excused for the mistake he made. Towards June Abu-Sud was at Khartoum, from whence he soon proceeded to Gondokoro, on board the Talahmdn. On his arrival at his destination he received marks of the greatest courtesy, and while traversing the country, formerly the theatre of his depredations, was feasted by the mercenaries and ofiicials of the settlements, formerly his dependents. G 2 84 Seven Years in the Soudan. The Colonel made him governor of the place, and on a visit made to him soon after his arrival at Gondokoro he remarked the extraordinary activity of this man and his good-will in aiding the purposes of the expedition. But finding liimself at the head of such an important administration Abu Sud's arrogance Avas aroused, and he began to lay claim to a power which could not be conceded to him. He believed himself to be indis- pensable, and blinded by ambition, thinking the world was at his feet, he took to treating the natives in a Avay hardly in accordance Avith the Colonel's in- structions. He had besides caused himself to be made the agent of his brother-in-law, Agat of Khartoum, the principal ruler of the seribe. He then tried to deceive the Colonel respecting the A'alidity of the contracts prcA^ously made between Agat and Baker ; his dream being to profit by his high and privileged position to enrich his brother-in-laAv, Avith Avhom he Avas then associated, as A\'as known afterwards. All this had at length become kuoAA"n to the Colonel, Avho could not ])ermit such abuses to the discredit of the Egyptian GoA^ernment, and by a letter dated, I believe, August 18th, he depriA^ed Abu-Sud of his functions, enjoining him to return to Khartoum. Thus ended the career of this man, Avhom fortune had placed higher than he deserA^ed. His dismissal Avas greeted by most Avith indifference, and with joy by the natiA'es. One of tlie greatest calamities of the Soudan are the intestine Avars. The Bagaras fight Avith the Shilluks, these attack the Xuers, the Xuers the Dinkas and the Dinkas the Baris. If a native has so much boldness as to thrust himself among a tribe that are strangers to him, he is immediately killed or made a shwe. Nor do their wars finish here ; one village assaults another of the same tribe Avithout plausible motiA^e, for the mere purpose of plunder. The Gordon at JVor/c. 85 prisoners are sold to other tribes in exchange for cows and goats. Sucli warfare only began when tlie country was invaded by the ivory merchants. Their tactics were as follows. The traders, when they knew that such and such a village possessed much ivory, purchased the silence of the villages through which it was necessary to pass by promising them the cattle, retaining for themselves the ivory and the slaves. Having con- cluded the contract, the band of armed men set out by night, escorted by their native accomplices armed with lances. By this means they fell unexpectedly upon the village, and fired a volley into the huts ; the allies of the merchants took possession meanwhile of the cattle, and occupied the roads by which the poor wretches endeavoured to escape. Whoever could save himself abandoned the w^omen and children. The prisoners were watched over by the mercenaries, and obliged to remain squatting on the ground, under pain of immediate death. The village having been sacked, the unhappy people who had remained there w^ere generally put to the torture that they might reveal the place where the ivory was concealed ; then the slaves, ivory, and cattle, having been collected in a pre-arranged spot, the village was set on fire. The assassins returned with cries of joy and warlike dances to their habita- tions, followed hy the prisoners they had made their slaves, carrying the ivory. On arriving at the seriba, the spoils were divided, the ivory and slaves to the merchants, the cattle to the natives, who were then obliged to transport the ivory to the place of embarkation on the Nile. The ivory was stowed away in the ship's hold ; the slaves fettered so that they could not move, and in this way they had to remain for three weeks, the time necessary to arrive at Khartoum. By a decree of Grordon to the heads of the scribe along the Bahr-el-Zeraf and the White Nile, it 86 Seven Years in the Soudan. was made obligator}^ to evacuate these settlements within eight months, after which interval of time the ivory was confiscated for the benefit of the Govern- ment. These measures of the Colonel, taken with a view of facilitating for the merchants their obedience to the orders of Government, without too much loss to themselves, caused nevertheless the loss of a whole year's taxes to the Government. Besides this, by suppressing the seribe, the natural centres for obtain- ing provisions, the expenses of our expedition, in a country so vast, and distant from any commercial centre, assumed gigantic proportions. Money was useless, not being current there, and it was therefore necessary to import an infinite number of things, which, b}' their weight and size, formed a cargo for several steamers. Besides these objects, it Avas necessary to provide also food, clothing, and military materials. All this quantity of things was easily spoiled in a short period, and it was necessary to renew it from time to time, especialh' because of the want of proper magazines, the torrents of rain, and the damages done by the white ants. In the Bahr-el-Zeraf existed two settlements of Kushuk Ali and Gatasc. These latter did not pay any attention to the orders of Government, that they were to evacuate them and abandon the coun- try, so that the Colonel was obliged to go there in person. These establishments were fortified by solid pali- sades and entrenchments, and Gordon threatened to set fire to the village, if at the expiration of eight months they had not left. The merchants were then warned not to carry away slaves, because the authori- ties of Fashoda already knew of their intention to do so, and if they were discovered in the act, it would cause their complete ruin. Kushuk Ali and his partner protested they had no slaves, while the Colonel knew from certain sources of information Gordon at Work. 87 that these two merchants mtended to elude his vigihince and transport elsewhere a large number. The Governor finally left Fashoda at the end of August to return to Gondokoro. The Vekils of Kushuk Ali and Gatasc profited by his departure, and transported, that same day, to the territories of the Dinkas on the opposite shore, sixteen hundred slaves and one hundred and ninety oxen under the escort of thirty mercenaries. The Dinkas, authorized to prevent any passage of slaves through their territory, raised every kind of obstacle along the roads of this convoy to give time to the soldiers of Fashoda to arrive at the place. Yussuf Bey sent in fact two hundred soldiers, render- ing it impossible for the merchants to retire as they had intended. To the right they had the Nile, in front the vice-regal troops, and behind them the tribe of the Dinkas. So the merchants surrendered, and twenty-four hours after the troops re-entered the town with the prisoners. Vekils, slaves, and mer- cenaries were all sent under a good escort to Khartoum, where a very hard lesson was prepared for the rebels. This fortunate capture paralyzed every other at- tempt at infraction of the Colonel's orders, and the Vekils were convinced that when the power is not in the hands of corrupt persons, it can, in spite of the immense distance, make its severity felt, and prevent the trafiic in slaves. 88 Seven Years in the Soudan. CHAPTER XT. AT LAlt('». Lado, headquarters — Elephant in the camp — Long returns from Uganda — The sheikh of Lado — 12,000 oxen — Crocodiles — Ernest Linant de Bellefonds — Chippendale and Watson — The Khedive — Marno and Hansal — Death of niy son — Banquet of Yussuf Bey — Kaka in danger — Deatli of Yussuf Bey — Assault of Kaka by the Shilluks — Eeturn to F;ishoda. GoNiiQKORO, by its topographical position, was unsuit- able for liead-quarters and the centre of operations. Durinof the summer the water is low and the nusrars and steamers can with difficulty approach the land if fully laden, while the wood for domestic uses and naval works must be taken from a forest two hours distant. The climate is unhealthy on account of the stagnant water, and the soil sandy and unfit for cultivation. A station had been built at Rejaf , not because this place afforded all the conditions desired, but only for its strategical position. Ladu presented fewer inconveniences ; there the waters of the Nile are deep, a neighbouring forest covers an immense extent of land, the soil is fertile, and the climate better than at Gondokoro. The Com- mander having resolved to fix his head-quarters there, I had orders, on October 12th, to repair to Lado for the necessary materials. On October 14th T embarked on this account on the steamer Bordeen with fifty soldiers, and the same day arrived at my destina- tion without meeting hostility of any kind on the part of the natives. The point chosen by me for the station At Ladb. 89 being covered with trees, I instantly set to work Avith the soldiers to cut them down, and to cultivate the land ; the first condition of safety being not to be surprised by ambuscades. The next day I saw the natives and their chief appear, attracted by the sound of our trumpets, stupefied by the sight of the camp, the sentinels and the tents, surrounded by a thick hedge of thorns and palings. Behind the first group ap])eared others in a company led by their chief, and staring open-mouthed, not comprehending any- thing of our work. Then becoming more sociable they aided in loading the fuel for the steamer, and the timber for the station. I rewarded them with glass beads, and this rendered them still more friendly to us. On the night of the 16th we had a visit which put all the little garrison in a fright. An elephant had entered the camp, passing through a gap which had remained in the hedge, and not finding the way out, began to run about among the tents with uplifted trunk uttering terrific screams. It was impossible to fire at him without the risk of shooting some one, but at last he got out, and so the uncomfortable visit ended. On observing the tracks next morning we could see that he had formed one of a numerous herd, which were going to their usual watering-place on the Nile. On October 20th the Commander of tlie garrison of Rejaf sent word that some armed men had been seen on the opposite bank, and that it might be Colonel Long on his return. I have already said that this officer had gone to the Sultan Mtesa, in the name of the Egyptian Grovernment. Two words here on this Sultan Mtesa. ^ As the ruler of Uganda he is the most powerful sovereign of central Africa. This country is better administered and cul- tivated than any other. The population, who are all ' Mtesa died a few years ago, and now Mwanga, his son, is king of Uganda. go Seven Years in the Soiida7i. clothed, practise various industries. They prepare furs so well, as to surpass all that is done in that "way in Europe. They dress skins admirably, and make a stuff of the bark of trees with such skill that it seems at first sight to be chamois leather. Colonel Long- had employed fifty-six days in tra- velling from Gondokoro to the capital of Mtesa, but the days of march were only thirty-one, while the rest of the time had been lost on account of the rains, and the difficulty of finding porters. The sesame, indiarubber, the sugar-cane, doora and maize, are very abundant and of good quality. Colonel Long was so kind as to lend me the diary of his journey, and with his permission I have extracted from it these brief notices. But Avhat gave great importance to this journey was the discovery of a large new lake, which dis- charges its waters into the Nile. On October 20tli the principal chief in Lado decided at last to make me a visit. He was accompanied by about sixty natives, and seemed sad and dispirited. I thought at first that he was saddened bv our occu- pation of his country, but then he related to me the heavy trials undergone by him in a short space of time. One of his sons had been killed a few months before in an incursion on some neighbours to steal their cattle ; two of his finest cows were dead, and, to complete his misery, he lamented the recent death of his daughter, whom he said he would not have parted with for twenty milch-cows. Their daughters are indeed a source of wealth for these people, and the grief visible on the countenance of this man had no other cause than that of material loss. For several weeks he had suffered from sleep- lessness, only by day could he find a few brief moments of repose, but the thirty milch-cows filing before his disturbed mind wakened him with a start. He had gone to a fakir to be liberated from this nightmare, and though this visit was in vain, it had cost him At Lado. 9^ auotlier cow, he therefore appealed to me whether I could find a medicine that would cure him. I was about to administer a good purgative, when the Major Suat Eifendi dissuaded me, for fear that the unhappy man might go mad. The inhabitants of Lado had much to suffer at the time of Sir Samuel Baker. Sir Samuel landed one day with three hundred soldiers, surprising the natives, who were far from expecting such a visit. He seized twelve thousand oxen and coavs, and at the same time carried away all their doora. From this time the country grew poorer and poorer, and many years were necessary for it to regain as many cattle as at first, its only source of wealth. Among the officers of Baker's expedition, Ismail Aga had distinguished himself, the same who was now with me at Ladu. He and the soldiers narrated facts of such cruelty, committed at that time by the Governor- General, that the pen refuses to describe them. The population belongs to the race of the Bari ; they are tall of stature, but of unexampled laziness. They came every day to our camp to beg for a little doora to satisfy their hunger. I tried employing them to carry wood or cultivate the ground, but they rebelled at the least fatigue. They go absolutely naked, and this made us wish to clothe the lazy fellows. I presented their sheikh with some clothing, but they came back again naked as at first ; it seemed to be too troublesome to them. The carnivorous birds, such as vultures and hawks, were so numerous and so tame, that they ran about the camp all day like domestic fowls. In spite of the great numbers that we killed, they did not desist, and I was obliged to cease shooting, being persuaded that all the powder in the arsenal of Khartoum would not have sufficed to destroy them. In the river there are also many hippopotami and crocodiles ; the former come out at night and prowl around the tent. 92 Seven Years in the Soudan. Oil October 21st Ismail Aga showed me on a lieap of sand several crocodiles of enormous size ; tliey looked like great beams of wood. NotwitL- standing tlie three hundred yards of distance, I sent an explosive bullet at them. Of the seven crocodiles, six escaped, but one after an hour of convulsions at last died. For Avant of boats I was obliged to leave it where it was. The natives eat the flesh of the crocodile and find it exquisite. I tried it also when I was in the Bahr-el- Ghazal but could not swallow it ; imagine a piece of meat boiled in fish-water and you have an idea of the I'avourite dish of these iDeople. Every day our communication with Khartoum be- came more seldom and more difficult, and we sometimes even remained for three months without news from Europe ; we found great difficulty also in procuring fuel, not the least of the causes being the indolence of the captains of the steamers. To remedy this, the Commander-in-chief summoned me to him at the head- quarters of Gondokoro, and on my arrival there made known the absolute necessity there was that I should go directly to Khartoum and from thence arrange affairs in his name. Having returned to Lado, i was making my pre- parations to depart, when the TaJahuin arrived from Khartoum, having on board M. Ernest de Linant, brother of the deceased, who was travelling for pleasure, but with the idea of finding an emplopnent. At Berber he heard of his brother's death ; but not discouraged at this, he wished to make himself a name by penetrating into Central Africa. He was formerh* a pupil of the Ecole des Arts et Metiers, and was possessed of the most varied knowledge, and had left a very good position at Cairo. His father, Linant Pasha, member of the Khedive's Privy Council, had visited Sennaar formerly, and published some works of merit. In company with M. Linant there were also on At Ladb. 93 board tlie steamer just arrived two officers of tlie Royal Engineers of the Englisli army, . Messrs. Chippendale andWatson, whom Gordon had requested from England, by mediation of the Khedive, to aid in the construction of plans and geographical maps. I returned to Lado with the new arrivals, and re- mained there for five days to transport materials and demolish the huts of Gondokoro, of which place only the name was to exist any more. M. Linant de Bellefonds Avas received with great courtesy by the Colonel, who offered him an escort to take him to Mtesa, while Watson and Chippendale were to explore the lakes. The Talaliauin being finally ready for departure, I took leave of the Colonel and quitted Lado on November 2-Jth, 1874. The voyage was sufficiently brief and fortunate, because the Talah(iuin,^n excellent vessel, had the wind in its favour, and the necessary pressure from the boilers never failed, I myself super- intending attentively the work of the engine-drivers. At Jebeliu, November 31st, I met the Khcdke re- ascending the river ; this steamer, constructed at Gondokoro in the time of Baker, of small dimensions and only twenty-horse poAver, resisted Avith great difficulty the current and the contrary winds, haAnng also to tow tAvo nugars. Having made the Khedice stop, I at length had letters from Europe ; for seven months I had been Avithout news, because Colonel Gordon's agent in Cairo AA'as ignorant that there existed a government postal service, and ahvays awaited some opportunity of sending them. But the joy I promised myself was soon turned into sorroAv by the announcement of the death of one of my sons. Among the passengers in the Khedive, I found the naturalist, Mr. Marno, of Vienna, Avhom the Geo- graphical Society had sent to Gordon. There AA'as also on board Mr. Han sal, the Austrian Consul at 94 Seven Vears in the Sondan. Khartoum. Of Mr. Marno and the sudden failure of his mission I sliall speak further on. On December 4th I arrived at Khartoum after only- eleven days' journey, including the three lost at Bohr, Gaba Sliambe and Khava in shipping wood ; while generally it takes sixteen or seventeen days. On passing through Faslioda, I had an interview with Yussuf Bey, the governor of the city, and com- manding officer of the place. My proposals concern- ing sites for three stations and for leave to cut wood, encountered serious obstacles in the too great pretensions of Yussuf.. I was about to retire when, at his pressing request, and in the hope of coming to some agreement, I accepted an invitation to dinner for that day. At five o'clock I went there, and soon found myself surrounded by a crowd of fellow-guests. Yussuf Bey, while we were waiting for dinner, dis- appeared every now and then ; and being curious to know the reason, I learned that it was to moisten his throat with a few sips of mastic. These disappear- ances became more and more frequent, so that an hour after my arrival our host was completely tips}'. At last four men entered, bearing the heavy weight of the table, measuring no less than five feet in diameter. At the outer edge Avere arranged the loaves of doora, some spoons and only one knife and fork. In the centre there were viands of every kind, and the guests, having taken their places, did great honour to their host and his cook. I did not care to take note of the dishes, but there were certainly twenty at least, and at last appeared the famous pilaf which concluded the banquet. Yussuf Bey was unable to speak, but from time to time, i)lunging his right hand into the maccaroni or other dishes, he carried some to the level of his mouth, into which he never succeeded in introducing more than a third part, bestowing the rest on his clothes or the table-cloth. I was soon Avearied of this festival, but feared nevertheless by withdrawing to offend my host, and At Lado. 95 so remained till the end. After we liad washed our hands coffee was served to us, while a flourish of trumpets gave us a most inharmonious concert. It consisted of forty trumpeters and made a terrible noise. After having tortured our ears for an hour they were dismissed with some baksheesh. This was act the first. The second was more comic. The prefect of the police appeared armed with a kind of mandoline, and the music began again ; seven secretaries sang a song composed by the military chemist, all in praise of Yussuf Bey, which ran nearly as follows : " The Governor of file White River is the greatest of all governors. There is not his equal for courage and wisdom. .Even his enemies hioiv hoio generous he is. (Jod preserve our Mudir Yussuf Bey ! " The good man was so pleased that he went about gesticulating and clapping his hands, and made them repeat the song three times. I thought the longed-for moment of leave-taking had arrived, when all of a sudden appeared a group of Congolese. Ten of these, seated on a mat, began to sing to the sound of a drum, while the youngest of the group danced, holding a little stick in his hand and twisting his body in every direction, in the most indecorous attitudes . It was now ten o'clock, and as we must leave in a few hours I asked permission to Avithdraw, not with- out thanking my host for the feast held in my honour. On arriving on board I found several lambs and bundles of sugar-cane, the gift of the governor. I had been sent to Khartoum with the powers necessary for organizing the service of the steam- boats. On October 7th I received from His Excellency, Gordon Pasha, orders to come to him as quickly as 96 Seven Years tn the Soudan. possible, and on October 11th, 1875, I set out with an escort of Europeans and Arabs Avhom I had enlisted to put together the steamer at Dufile. Two days before starting Halet Pasha wrote a letter to me, giving me some instructions to protect the loassage of an official bearing important letters for the governor of Central Africa, who on his part had also orders to go to Gordon Pasha. I therefore set out on my way on October 11th, taking with me the official bearing the dispatches. 1 arrived at midnight of October 16th with the steamer Ismailia at Fashoda, and Yussuf Bey, who was preparing to go to Gordon, asked forty-eight hours' time for this ])urpose. While I was waiting for him, he informed me that the garrison of Khaka was in danger of being massacred by five or six thousand Shilluks, who were besieging them. Yussuf proposed to me to descend as far as Khaka with a reinforcement of troops, and 1 consented. In an hour the hmailla was ready for departure with fifty soldiers, eleven special guards, and Yussuf Bey. We arrived at Khaka in six hours. Yussuf Bey landed and took at Khaka a reinforcement of another eighty men and two Yusbashi. To protect the lauding and tactics of Yussuf Bey, which did not seem to me too safe, I made the Ismailia advance as much as possible, and having some cases of guns and ammunition which I had taken on board at Khartoum for Central Africa, I caused some to be opened, and armed all the crew, so that they might attack the flank of the Shilluks who were at three hundred metres distance from the boat. Yussuf Bey divided his column into two parts. The first band of fifty men led the way, whilst the rest, commanded by Yussuf Bey himself, followed. The Shilluks, whom, as we have already said, were in number from five to six thousand, were divided into some thirty groups, and hidden among the grass and doora. They had remarked from a distance At Ladb. 97 Yussuf Bey, wlio towered on horseback above his men, and they let the first squadron pass, to attack the second commanded by him. According to the fugitive soldiers who witnessed the catastrophe, the first to fall was Yussuf Bey, his horse being run through by a lance. Yussuf had not time to rise, and died from the blow\s of the Shilluks' weapons. After his death the men of his squadron were massacred, and simultaneously those also of the first column, despite their defence being better directed than that of the second, w^hich Yussuf Bey had commanded. Of one hundred and forty-one soldiers only seven w^ere able to save them- selves, and, flying to the banks of the Nile, w^ere received by us on the Ismallia together Avith seven of the wounded, whom we were able to rescue from the ferocity of the Shilluks, who pursued them and would perhaps have reached them, since, weary and wounded, they were only upheld by the instinct of self-preservation. But the brisk fire from the Ismailia obliged the Shilluks to retire, taking with them, however, their dead and wounded. They were also armed with good guns, but their balls did no mischief since they aimed either too high or too low. I then went up and down the river several times in the Ismailia to see if it were possible to rescue others of the wounded, but in vain ; and while lying off Khaka I saw the savages approach again, but this time they were out of the reach of our guns. I then collected a patrol of volunteers to send to the village to encourage the garrison to hold out till the next day. I provided them with good guns and ammunition, and thus they w^ere able to reach their destination. The entire garrison was composed of twenty-four men, among whom nine were sick. Khaka Avas also defended by a single cannon placed in a somewhat elevated position, but Avhich certainly could not com- mand all the countr}'. Besides the garrison there H 98 Seven Years in the Soudan. were from two hundred to two hundred and fift}' women and children. Meanwhile, the Shilluks, to the number of four or five thousand, advanced menacingly around the village. Under protection of the continued fire of the Ismailia the twenty-four soldiei'S Avere able to come out of the town, dragging with them their cannon towards the boat, but having arrived at a spot where the water was too deep, they could not carry it any further and so left it. The Shilluks then rushed in pursuit of them, giving vent to their ferocity on the women and children, who threw themselves into the river in their terror. Tavo poor children who remained behind fell a prey to the Shilluks. We saw them carried aloft on the point of their lances. I ordered that the Shilluks should be permitted to advance without firing, and when they Avere at five hundred and fifty feet Ave opened a vigorous fire upon them by Avliich Ave succeeded in routing them. I carried Avith me to Fashoda the families, and the tAventy-four soldiers of the garrison, to consign them to competent authorities. Arriving on the night of the 17th, I immediately reported all to the Bimbashi. We had burnt all our fuel and found it imi)0ssible to continue. In the town there Avas no fuel to be had, because the population did not venture to come out. The Shilluks always remained hidden in the jungle. The defeat of the garrison of Khaka and death of Yussuf Bey had thrown cA'erybody into consternation. All Avished to leave, abandoning their property. The Commander himself did not feel too safe. I therefore caused some houses to be pulled down, to procure fuel so as to be able to proceed to Sobat. The Com- mander, haAnng heard of the attack, wrote me a letter, in which, seeing the danger we were in, he sent me to Khartoum to take some troops for re'nforcement. 99 CHAPTER XIT. THE EXPLOBATlOiV OP THE ALBERT NYANZA. The Albeit Xyanza— Shari or Congo? — Failure of Watson's and Chippendale's expeditions — Departure for the Albert Nyanza — The DujiU and the Magungo — Arrival at Dufile — Prepara- tions for departure — Carlo Piaggia and Lake Kapeki — Seriba Bohit — Contrary winds — Thunderstorm — A Piringi killed — Seriba Bare — Water-plants — Inhabited shore — Difficult navi- gation— The Ardus tribe — The Nile flows from the Albert Lake. While I was on tlie Bahr-el-Grhazal, Colonel Gordon attempted to solve the geographical problem of the Albert Lake. He wished to ascertain if this were the ultimate reservoir of the Nile, or whether it belonged to the hydrographical system of the Shari or the Congo. As is already known, Sir Samuel Baker had, some time before, discovered the communication be- tween the Victoria Nyanza and the Albert, that is, the Victoria Nile, and had maintained that to the north of this latter lake-basin there was an outflow which could be no other than the Nile between Dufile and Gondokoro. But eminent geographers had doubted the existence of this northern channel, which Baker could not con- iBrm, moreover, with his own eyes. They maintained that the Victoria Nile, issuing from the Victoria Nyanza, passed to the north-eastern side of the Albert Lake, without mixing its waters with the latter. In fact, in many maps drawn at this time, the course H 2 lOO Seven Years in the Soudan. of the Victoria Nile was marked to tte right of the Albert Lake. It was thus of especial importance to Gordon to solve the question on account of its scientific interest, but more especially because of the economical and political interests of the Egyptian Government. If it were found that the Xile issued from the Albert Lake, the Egyptian Soudan could, by means of this great fluvial artery, extend its influence and territory into the proximity of the equator, as far as the States of Kaba Rega on the east, and up to Monbettu, Akka, and unexplored countries on the west. With this intention Colonel Gordon sent out two eminent English ofiicers, Messrs. AVatson and Chip- pendale; who were to ascend the Nile and solve the problem. Watson, after a few fruitless marches, returned to Dufile, whence he had set out. Chippendale con- tinued his explorations as far as Wadelai ; but having heard here that in the upper course of the river he was exploring the small-pox was raging, being destitute of all instruments for inoculation, and fearing for liis escort, he also returned to Dufile without haAnng been able to fulfil his mission. It was then tliat Gordon thought of giving me this charge ; and I accepted the arduous undertaking. Being then at Khartoum, I was summoned in October, 1875, to Gondokoroby Gordon, and there I immediately set to work to organize the expedition. For this purpose they gave me a steamer and two iron boats named BiijiJe and the ^Ligungo, of about four tons and a half burden together, which had been lying in Gondokoro for a year or so, having beeu brought there by Baker, and taken to pieces. Their transport to Dufile, the ])lace designated for my embarkation, was a matter of no little difficulty. For this purpose T was obliged to take into pay for some months seven hundred men from ]\raki"aka, Avhom I had caused to Tlie Exploration of the Albert Nyanza. loi come from their country expressly, and three hundred natives of the place as porters. The entire way was diflficult, as we had to cross high mountains and pathless forests, ford rivers, and surmount a thousand other obstacles. At last we arrived at Dufile, where I immediately set to work to 2)ut together the steamer and the two boats, so that His Excellency Gordon, when he came to visit us a month af terAvards, found the two boats finished, and the work with the steamer well advanced. These are my memoranda pencilled day by day during this adventurous journey : — March 7th, 1876. — I set out to-day from Dufile with the two iron boats called Dufile and M