This was the argument of the military force, to which, had I yielded,
the expedition would have quickly relapsed into the original
slave-hunting of the White Nile, which I was bound to suppress. I have
already described the direct disobedience of the officers in having
purchased 126 slaves secretly from the slave-hunters' station during the
voyage. A slave trade would quickly spring up between the Khedive's
officers and the slave-hunters of Abou Saood, unless I enforced the
strictest discipline. The expedition would represent a government slave
market for the reception of slaves captured by the Khartoum companies.
It may easily be imagined, that my determination to enforce obedience to
the newly-instituted reform caused bitter disappointment and disgust.
The government I had established afforded justice and protection to all,
whether freeman or slave. I had not interfered with the slaves that had
been the property of officers prior to my taking the command of the
expedition; these remained in their original position, with the simple
improvement, that they could not be ill-treated with impunity.
A poor little Abyssinian boy, about eleven years of age, had one day
crawled through the high river grass to escape the observation of the
sentries, and suddenly appeared on the deck of my diahbeeah to claim
protection.
