InthispositionofaffairsColonelGordonsucceededtothecommandinthespringof1874。AlthoughtheBaritribe，whichhadbeensubdued，wasnominallyatpeace，itwashardlysafetotravelthroughthecountrywithoutanarmedescort。

ColonelGordon’sfirsteffortwasinfavourofconciliation，withthehopeofinspiringafriendlyspiritamongthechiefs。Atthesametimeheresolvedtoofferachanceforreformtotheslave-hunterAbouSaood，whoheconsideredmightamendhisways，andfromhisknowledgeofthepeoplebecomeausefulofficertothegovernment。Unfortunately，theleopardcouldnotchangehisspots，andtheman，towhomeveryopportunityhadbeengiven，wasdismissedandpunished。ItwasimpossibletohavediscoveredanofficermorethoroughlyqualifiedforthecommandthanColonelGordon。Byprofessionamilitaryengineer，hecombinedtheknowledgeespeciallyrequiredforcarryingontheenterprise。Hehadextendedthehandoffriendshiptothenatives，butwhenrejectedwithcontemptandopposedbyhostility，hewaspromptinchastisement。Thewetseasonsandattendanthighfloodoftwoyearswereemployedindraggingthe108-tonsteelsteamerupthevariouscataractswhichintervenedbetweenGondokoroandDuflli(N。lat。3degrees34

minutes)。Thisportionoftheriverformedaseriesofstepscausedbyasuccessionofcataractsatintervalsofabout25miles；betweentheobstaclesthestreamwasnavigable。ThenativesofMoogitreacherouslyattackedandkilledthewholeofadetachment，includingtheFrenchofficerincommand，duringtheabsenceofColonelGordon，whowasengagedintheoperationoftowingthesteamerthroughtherapidsonlyafewmilesdistant。Thisopenhostilitynecessitatedthesubjugationofthetribe，andtheestablishmentofalineofmilitarypostsalongthecourseoftheriver。

Aftermuchtrouble，attheexpirationoftwoyearsthesteamerwasdraggedtoanutterlyimpassableseriesofcataractssouthofLobore。

Thislineofobstructionextendedfortheshortdistanceofabouttwelvemiles，beyondwhichtheriverwasnavigableintotheAlbertN’yanza。

SeveralvesselshadbeentoweduptogetherwiththesteamerfromGondokoro，andthe38-tonsteelsteamerandtwolife-boatswhichhadbeenthusconveyed，werenowcarriedinsectionstothespotabovethelastcataractsatDuffli，wheretheycouldbepermanentlyreconstructed。

SignorGessiwasentrustedwiththecommandofthetwolife-boatsupontheircompletion，andhadthehonouroffirstenteringtheAlbertN’yanzafromthenorthbytheriverNile。

The38-tonsteamerwasputtogether，andthe108-ton(Khedive)，whichhadbeenleftafewmilesdistantfromDuffli，belowthecataracts，wastakentopiecesandreconstructedonthenavigableportionoftheNileinN。lat。3degrees34minutes。

TheplanofconnectingtheequatorialLakeAlbertwithKhartoumbysteamcommunicationwhichIhadoriginated，wasnowcompletedbytheuntiringenergyandpatienceofmysuccessor。Thelargesteamerof251tonswasputtogetheratKhartoum，toaddtotheriverflotilla，thusincreasingthesteampowerfromfourvessels，whenIhadarrivedin1870，toTHIRTEEN，whichin1877wereplyingbetweenthecapitaloftheSoudanandtheequator。ThenamesofMessrs。SamudaBrothersandMessrs。PennandCo。uponthethreesteelsteamersandengineswhichtheyhadconstructedfortheexpeditionarenowevidencesofthecivilizingpowerofthenavalandmechanicalengineersofGreatBritain，whichhaslinkedwiththegreatworldcountriesthatwerehithertoexcludedfromallintercourse。

ThereisstillsomemysteryattachedtotheAlbertN’yanza。IthasbeencircumnavigatedbySignorGessi，inthesteellife-boats，andsubsequentlybyColonelMasonoftheAmericanarmy，whowasemployedunderColonelGordon。Bothoftheseofficersagreethatthesouthernendofthelakeisclosedbyamassof”ambatch，”andthatalargeriverreportedas400yardsinwidthflowsINTOtheAlbertN’yanza。Ontheotherhand，thewell-knownAfricanexplorerMr。StanleyvisitedthelakeSOUTHoftheambatchlimit，towhichhewasguidedbyordersoftheKingM’tese；。Atthatspotitwascalledthe”M’wootaN’zige；，”thesamenamewhichthelakebearsthroughoutUnyoro，thereforetherecanbenoreasonabledoubtthatitisthesamewater。Thedescriptionoftheambatchblockandtheriverflowingintothelakeexplainstheinformationthatwasgiventomebynativetraders，whodeclaredtheyhadcomebycanoefromKaragwe；，viatheAlbertN’yanza，butthatitwouldbedifficultwithoutaguidetodiscoverthepassagewherethelakewasextremelynarrowandthechanneltortuousintothenextbroadwater。

ColonelGordonhascontinuedtheamicablerelationsestablishedbymyselfwiththeUnyorochiefRionga，andwithM’tese；，KingofUganda。

Thecommercialaspectoftheequatorialprovincesisimproving，butourrecentexperienceinSouthAfricamustteachthemostsanguinethatverymanyyearsmustelapsebeforethenegrotribesbecomeamenabletothecustomsandimprovementsofcivilizedcommunities。

Theexpeditionof1869whichHisHighnesstheKhediveentrustedtomycommandlaidthefoundationforreformswhichatthattimewouldhaveappearedincredibleinEgypt。Theslave-tradehasbeensuppressedthroughtheagencyofBritishinfluence，persistentlysupportedbytheKhedive；Darfur，thehot-bedofslave-hunting，hasbeenconqueredandannexed；ColonelGordonhasthesupremecommandoftheentireSoudan；

MalcolmPachaiscommissionedtosweeptheslavetrafficfromtheRedSea。

WiththisdeterminationtoadopttheideasofEurope，theKhedivehaspassedthroughthetryingordealofunpopularityinhisowncountry，but，byacooldisregardforthehostilityoftheignorant，hehasadheredtoapolicywhichhasgainedhimtheesteemofallcivilizedcommunities。HehaswitnessedthebloodystrugglebetweenRussiaandTurkey，andthoughcompelledasavassalstatetorendermilitaryassistancetotheSultan，hehasprofitedbythelesson，andhasdeterminedbyawisereformtoavoidtheerrorswhichhaveresultedinanarchyanddesolationthroughouttheOttomanEmpire。

Intheyear1870theslave-huntingofCentralAfricawascondemned。

SincethattimeEnglishmenhavebeenhonouredwiththespecialattentionoftheKhedive，andhavebeenappointedtopostsofthehighestconfidence。Europeantribunalswereestablishedintheplaceofconsularjurisdiction，Britishgovernmentofficialshavebeeninvitedtoreformthefinancialadministration，andMr。RiversWilsonhasbeeninducedtoaccepttheresponsibleofficeofMinisterofFinance。NubarPachahasbeenrecalledtooffice，andhemustregardwithpridethegeneralconfidenceoccasionedthroughoutEuropebyhisreappointment。TheabsolutedespotismhithertoinseparablefromOrientalideasofgovernmenthasbeenspontaneouslyabrogatedbytheKhedive，whohaspubliclyannouncedhisdeterminationthatthefutureadministrationshallbeconductedbyacouncilofresponsibleministers。

EnglandhasbecomethegreatshareholderintheSuezCanal，whichistheimportantlinkwithourIndianEmpire。Atthealarmofwarwehavealreadyseenthefleetofsteamtransportshurryingthroughtheisthmus，andcarryingnativetroopstojointheBritishforcesintheMediterranean。Wehavelearnttoknow，andtheKhedivehaswisdomtounderstand，thatthebondsbetweenEgyptandGreatBritainareinseparable。AtthesametimewehavebeenaidedbythecordialallianceofFranceinpromotingtheadvanceoffreeinstitutionsandthegrowthofEuropeaninfluenceintheadministrationofthecountry。EnglandandFrance，whostruggledinhostilerivalryuponthesandsandseasofEgypt，arenowjoinedinthefirmdeterminationtoupholdtheintegrityofthegreatcanalofSuez，andthesepowersandleadersofcivilizationwillbecometheguidesandguardiansofEgyptianinterests。ThereformsalreadysanctionedwithaneweraofjusticeandeconomywillinsuretheconfidenceofBritishcapitalists；theresourcesofEgyptwillbedevelopedbyengineeringskillthatwillcontroltheimpetuosityoftheNileandprotecttheDeltaalikefromthescarcityofdrought，andfromtheriskofinundation。TheNilesources，whichfromtheearliesttimeshadremainedamystery，havebeendiscoveredbythepatienceandindustryofEnglishmen；theNilewillatnodistantperiodberenderednavigablethroughoutitscourse，andEgypt，whichforactualexistencedependsaloneuponthatmightyriver，willberestoredbyBritishenterprise，supportedbytheintelligenceandgood-willofitsruler，tothepositionwhichitheldinthepagesofEasternhistory。

1878。

S。W。B。

ISMAILIA。

CHAPTERI。

INTRODUCTORY。

InthepresentworkIshalldescribethehistoryoftheKhediveofEgypt’sexpedition，whichIhavehadthehonourtocommand，asthefirstpracticalstepthathasbeentakentosuppresstheslavetradeofCentralAfrica。

Ishallnotrepeat，beyondwhatmaybeabsolutelynecessary，thatwhichhasalreadybeenpublishedinmyformerworksonAfrica，”TheAlbertN’yanza”and”TheNileTributariesofAbyssinia，”butIshalladheretothesimplepathtakenbytheexpedition。Thisenterprisewasthenaturalresultofmyoriginalexplorations，inwhichIhadbeenaneye-witnesstothehorrorsoftheslavetrade，whichIdetermined，ifpossible，tosuppress。

InmyformerjourneyIhadtraversedcountriesofextremefertilityinCentralAfrica，withahealthyclimatefavourableforthesettlementofEuropeans，atameanaltitudeof4，000feetabovethesealevel。Thislargeandalmostboundlessextentofcountrywaswellpeopledbyaracewhoonlyrequiredtheprotectionofastrongbutpaternalgovernmenttobecomeofconsiderableimportance，andtoeventuallydevelopthegreatresourcesofthesoil。

Ifoundlandsvaryinginnaturalcapabilitiesaccordingtotheirpositionandaltitudes——wheresugar，cotton，coffee，rice，spices，andalltropicalproducemightbesuccessfullycultivated；butthoselandswerewithoutanycivilizedformofgovernment，and”everymandidwhatseemedrightinhisowneyes。”

Inthisdislocatedstateofsociety，theslavetradeprosperedtothedetrimentofallimprovement。Richandwell-populatedcountrieswererendereddesolate；thewomenandchildrenwerecarriedintocaptivity；

villageswereburnt，andcropsweredestroyedorpillaged；thepopulationwasdrivenout；aterrestrialparadisewasconvertedintoaninfernalregion；thenativeswhowereoriginallyfriendlywererenderedhostiletoallstrangers，andthegeneralresultoftheslavetradecouldonlybeexpressedinoneword——”ruin。”

TheslavehuntersandtraderswhohadcausedthisdesolationwereforthemostpartArabs，subjectsoftheEgyptiangovernment。

ThesepeoplehaddesertedtheiragriculturaloccupationsintheSoudanandhadformedcompaniesofbrigandsinthepayofvariousmerchantsofKhartoum。Thelargesttraderhadabout2，500Arabsinhispay，employedaspiratesorbrigands，inCentralAfrica。Thesemenwereorganizedafterarudemilitaryfashion，andarmedwithmuskets；theyweredividedintocompanies，andwereofficeredinmanycasesbysoldierswhohaddesertedfromtheirregimentsinEgyptortheSoudan。

Itissupposedthatabout15，000oftheKhedive’ssubjectswhoshouldhavebeenindustriouslyworkingandpayingtheirtaxesinEgyptwereengagedintheso-calledivorytradeandslave-huntingoftheWhiteNile。

Eachtraderoccupiedaspecialdistrict，where，byadivisionofhisforcesinachainofstations，eachofwhichrepresentedabout300men，hecouldexercisearightofpossessionoveracertainamountofassumedterritory。

InthismannerenormoustractsofcountrywereoccupiedbythearmedbandsfromKhartoum，whocouldmakeallianceswiththenativetribestoattackanddestroytheirneighbours，andtocarryofftheirwomenandchildren，togetherwithvastherdsofsheepandcattle。

【推荐阅读】幽幽深宫，醒来一梦似千年，重生于下堂妃身躯中的她，将如何手刃仇人? 点击阅读