My servants had discovered by chance, when in communication with Wat
Hojoly, that Salim-Wat-Howah, who had been one of the principal
ringleaders in the attack upon the troops at Fatiko, and had
subsequently knocked down Suleiman and possessed himself forcibly of the
ammunition from the magazine, with which he and his party had absconded,
was now actually concealed on one of the three slave vessels. I had
taken care not to mention his name to Wat Hojoly, lest he should be left
at some station upon the route, and thus escape me.
I now gave a written order to Jusef Effendi to arrest him upon the
arrival of the slave vessels, and to send him to Khartoum in irons.
The news of Abou Saood's personal appeal to the government at Cairo was
confirmed by the best authorities at Fashoda.
On 21st June I took leave of Jusef Effendi, and upon the 28th, at 11
A.M., we arrived at the large tree which is within five miles of
Khartoum, by the short cut across the neck of land to the Blue Nile.
I stopped at this tree, and immediately wrote to Ismail Ayoub Pacha, the
new governor of Khartoum, to telegraph INSTANTLY to Cairo to arrest Abou
Saood.
I sent this note by a faithful officer, Ferritch Agha, with positive
orders that he was to deliver it into the hands of Ismail Pacha.
This order was immediately carried out before any people in Khartoum had
an idea of my return. Had I at once steamed round the point, some friend
would have telegraphed my arrival to Abou Saood in Cairo, and he might
have gone into concealment.
In the afternoon we observed a steamer rounding the distant headland at
the point of junction of the two Niles. She rapidly approached, and in
about half an hour my old friend, Ismail Ayoub Pacha, stepped on board
my diahbeeah, and gave us a hearty welcome.
There was no letter either from the Khedive or Cherif Pacha, in reply to
the important communications that I had written more than two years ago.
Ismail Ayoub Pacha was a friend of eight years' date. I had known him
during my first expedition to the Nile sources as Ismail Bey, president
of the council at Khartoum. He had lately been appointed governor, and I
could only regret that my excellent friend had not been in that capacity
from the commencement of the expedition, as I should have derived much
assistance from his great energy and intelligence.
Ismail Ayoub Pacha is a Circassian. I have observed that all those
officers who are superior to the average in intellect and general
capacity belong to this race. The Circassians are admirably represented
in Cherif Pacha, who is well known and respected by all Europeans in
Egypt for his probity and high intelligence; and Riaz Pacha, who was
lately the Minister for Public Instruction, is a Circassian much beloved
and respected.
