Poor Samson died on the first
day's march, and I had his body conveyed to Berber, where it was buried
in the Coptic cemetery with every mark of respect.
This was a sad termination after a journey of nearly four years and a
half, when he was on the hopeful road towards home.
We were nearly wrecked during the voyage from Souakim to Suez, as the
engine of the sloop-of-war was out of repair. We then changed to another
steamer, which carried away the cap of her rudder during a heavy sea and
fresh northerly gale. Fortunately our English shipwrights were on board,
and Lieutenant Baker, R.N., knew his work; thus we escaped drowning on a
coral reef, which would assuredly have been our fate had we been left to
the ignorance of the officers and crew.
We reached Cairo on 24th August at 4.30 P.M. On 25th I had the honour
of presenting myself to his Highness the Khedive, to explain the large
chart of his new territory that I had annexed in Central Africa.
I received from his Highness the Imperial order of the Osmanie, 2nd
class, as a token of his approbation of my services. I had already had
the honour to accept from his hands the order of the Medjidie, 2nd
class, before I had started upon my mission. His Highness the Khedive
now conferred upon Lieutenant Baker the order of the Medjidie, 3rd
class.
I handed the botanical collection to his Highness the Khedive, which had
been carefully prepared throughout the journey by Lady Baker.
Unfortunately more than 300 specimens of plants had been destroyed by
the conflagration at Masindi. The botanical specimens, together with
samples of the fibres, skins, and the salt of the new territory, were
ordered to be forwarded to the Vienna Exhibition.
The Khedive expressed his determination to judge Abou Saood by a special
tribunal, composed of Cherif Pacha, Nubar Pacha, and Ismail Pacha, the
Minister of Finance. I handed seventeen documents to Nubar Pacha, with
evidence sworn to upon the Koran before witnesses, and properly sealed
by Wat-el-Mek, Suleiman, the sheiks of the country, Major Abdullah, and
others, against Abou Saood, charging him with various crimes, including
treason in having given the orders that his Fatiko company should fire
at me and the government troops. I took a receipt for these important
documents.
I had also brought up several of the "Forty Thieves" as viva-voce
witnesses, in addition to Lieutenant Baker, R.N., Lieutenant-Colonel
Abd-el-Kader, Captain Mohammed Deii, and two servants, Suleiman and
Mohammed Haroon. Thus all the evidence was in official order: -
I 26th Jumay Owal, 1289, report of Major Abdullah (commandant of
Fatiko): threatening conduct of Abou Saood's vakeels during my absence.
