I ordered the bugler to sound the retreat: and having joined forces, we
marched without further opposition.
We reached the diahbeeah and my little camp about half an hour after
dark.
CHAPTER XII.
VESSELS RETURN TO KHARTOUM.
ON 6th November, 1871, Lieutenant Baker returned from Gondokoro with
four noggurs, and the entire detachment of Lieutenant-Colonel Achmet.
The news was as follows:-
After the departure of Major Abdullah, the natives had attacked the camp
of Colonel Achmet, and had wounded him in the back with a barbed arrow,
which had to be cut out. Another arrow had passed through the heart of
his servant, killing him on the spot. Several soldiers had been wounded,
but not seriously. The corn had been delivered from his station to the
magazines at Gondokoro.
On 3rd November, thirty vessels had left Gondokoro for Khartoum, taking
about 1,100 people, including children, women, sailors, soldiers, and
invalids.
In spite of my positive orders, that none but the really sick should be
sent to Khartoum, Raouf Bey had in my absence sent away great numbers of
troops who were in sound health, thus reducing the entire force of the
expedition to 502 officers and men, including buglers, drummers, clerks,
&c., exclusive of fifty-two sailors.
Thus an expedition that should have comprised 1,645 men was reduced to
so insignificant a force, that it appeared impossible to proceed into
the interior. The Baris were at war with us; the slave-hunters'
companies were treacherous; and yet I was to suppress the slave trade,
and annex the equatorial districts with less than one-third of the force
required.
Abou Saood had apparently gained his point, and the expedition was
paralyzed. It was considered that with so small a force I could not
travel far from headquarters: thus as my term of service would expire on
1st April 1873, I had only one year and four months remaining, and in
this short time it would be impossible to accomplish my object.
In the dreadful state of the river we could not speculate upon the
arrival of reinforcements from Khartoum. Our cuttings and canals in the
Dalir Giraffe might have closed up; or they might have improved: of this
we were ignorant.
I had sent off my letters to England, also those to the Khedive,
complaining of the conspiracy of the officers, and inclosing the
documents. At the same time I had impressed upon his Highness the
imperative necessity of opening the channel of the great White Nile
without delay.[*]
[*Footnote: His Highness lost no time in sending the necessary orders
for the clearing of the main channel of the White Nile to the governor
of the Soudan. This energetic officer, Ismail Ayoob Pacha, worked with a
large force during two consecutive years and restored the river to its
original character - completing the work after I had returned to England,
but before the arrival of my successor.
