Of these she
appeared to take no notice, and keeping well in the middle of the river,
she would have passed the station, and continued on her voyage. This
looked very suspicious, and I at once sent a boat to order her to halt.
When she was brought alongside, I sent my trusty aide-de-camp, Colonel
Abd-el-Kader, on board to make the necessary inquiries. She was quite
innocent. The captain and the vakeel (agent and commander of station)
were amazed at my thinking it necessary to search their vessel. She had
a quantity of corn on board, stowed in bulk. There was not a person
beside the crew and a few soldiers from Kutchuk Ali's station.
The vakeel was the same whom I had seen at the station at the Bahr
Giraffe, to whom I had given advice that he should not attempt to send
slaves down the river again. All was in order. The vessel belonged to
Kutchuk Ali, who now commanded the government expedition sent by
Djiaffer Pacha to the Bahr Gazal. She was laden with ivory beneath the
corn, which was for the supply of the crew and soldiers.
Colonel Abd-el-Kader was an excellent officer; he was one of the
exceptions who took a great interest in the expedition, and he always
served me faithfully.
