I Should At Once Have Placed Abou Saood In Irons, And
Have Sent Him To Khartoum, Instead Of Leaving Him At Large To Carry On
His Intrigues Against The Government.
I intended on the first opportunity to send notice to the Shir tribe of
the safety of their cattle, but an incident shortly occurred that
altered my determination.
(These cattle were kept in a separate pen or
zareeba, and were guarded when at pasturage by special soldiers for some
weeks, in order that they should be returned to the Shir tribe upon the
first opportunity.)
At the same time that Abou Saood was in disgrace, he was a bosom friend
of the colonel, Raouf Bey, who commanded my troops. They dined together
constantly in the house of the latter officer, and their friendship had
originally commenced in Khartoum during the long interval that the
regiments were awaiting my arrival from Cairo. It was during that
interval that the officers of the expedition had fraternized with the
White Nile traders who resided at Khartoum.
The result of such intimacy might be imagined.
The object of the expedition had always been distasteful to both
officers and men. The traders had already seen by the, examples made at
Tewfikeeyah that I should actually destroy their cherished slave-trade.
It was therefore natural that Abou Saood should exert himself to ruin
the expedition. Having friend in Raouf Bey, he was in a position to
create division of opinion. He constantly associated with this officer,
in order that it should be generally known that he was supported by an
influential person in the government service.
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