As a mark of respect to Djiaffer Pacha, who had
originally entered into the contract, I requested him to arrange the
terms of the new agreement together with myself in the public divan. It
was argued by Sheik Achmet Agad that the fact of the government being
established in countries where he had been independent would cause a
great loss to his trade, as it would upset the confidence of the
natives, and they would cease to bring ivory for sale. In reality, this
argument should be interpreted: "If the government is established, there
will be an end to our razzias, and we shall have neither slaves nor
cattle to offer in exchange for ivory."
He also justly argued that "it would be unfair should the government
purchase ivory from countries already leased for trading purposes to the
merchant."
I therefore arranged that, until the expiration of his original
contract, no ivory should be purchased by the government.
Also, that instead of the money payment now annually made to the
government, the rent should be paid in ivory, at the rate of two-fifths
of the amount collected. The ivory was to be delivered and weighed in
Gondokoro, at which place the rent was to be paid to the government in
tusks.
The original contract would expire on April 9, 1872.
My hands were to a certain extent tied by these engagements, but I
resolved that at the expiration of the term I should assume a monopoly
of the ivory trade for the government, on the principle of the fur trade
of the Hudson's Bay Company; as it would be impossible to permit the
acts of the Khartoum traders, who, I was convinced, would never deal
honestly with the natives.
The working representative of Achmet Sheik Agad was his son-in-law - a
man named Abou Saood: I had seen this person when at Tewfikeeyah; he had
arrived in charge of several vessels from Gondokoro during the rainy
season, when the flooded river and strong south wind had allowed the
passage of his boats. At that time he had no slaves on board, but I
subsequently discovered that upon hearing that I had formed a station
near the Soba, he had discharged a large cargo of slaves at the station
of Kutchuk Ali on the Bahr Giraffe, so as to pass Tewfikeeyah in a state
of innocence and purity, and thus save the confiscation of his ivory.
This man was present at the divan when the final agreement was signed by
myself and his principal. He vowed fidelity in so forcible a manner that
I entertained serious doubts of his sincerity. An arrangement was
entered into, that he was to supply the government troops with beef,
mutton, butter, &c., together with the native carriers for the transport
of baggage, stores, &c., at an established rate then agreed upon; the
provisions were to be delivered from the resources at his command at his
various stations.
