June 10, Abou Saood presented himself to me this morning. His vessels,
being without cargoes, benefited much by our work in the sudd. He found
all our cuttings open, therefore he had no difficulty until he arrived
at the dam, through which his people cut a passage. The great rush of
water scoured a deep channel, and his squadron of light vessels came on
without difficulty. I ordered Abou Saood's people to camp on the west
bank of the river, as I did not wish them to be in constant
communication with my troops, who would quickly become contaminated by
their morals.
The news brought by Abou Saood from Khartoum informed me of the death of
Agad; therefore the representation of the firm of Agad & Co. had now
devolved upon Abou Saood, his son-in-law.
I now heard that the people of Abou Saood, who numbered about 500 men,
had brought with them a large herd of cattle which they had driven along
the west bank of the river; thus in direct defiance of the government
authority, he had made a razzia upon some tribe during his voyage, and
he had not scrupled to present himself to me with the herd of stolen
cattle staring me in the face on the other side of the water.
