Abou Saood had apparently gained his point, and the expedition was
paralyzed. It was considered that with so small a force I could not
travel far from headquarters: thus as my term of service would expire on
1st April 1873, I had only one year and four months remaining, and in
this short time it would be impossible to accomplish my object.
In the dreadful state of the river we could not speculate upon the
arrival of reinforcements from Khartoum. Our cuttings and canals in the
Dalir Giraffe might have closed up; or they might have improved: of this
we were ignorant.
I had sent off my letters to England, also those to the Khedive,
complaining of the conspiracy of the officers, and inclosing the
documents. At the same time I had impressed upon his Highness the
imperative necessity of opening the channel of the great White Nile
without delay.[*]
[*Footnote: His Highness lost no time in sending the necessary orders
for the clearing of the main channel of the White Nile to the governor
of the Soudan. This energetic officer, Ismail Ayoob Pacha, worked with a
large force during two consecutive years and restored the river to its
original character - completing the work after I had returned to England,
but before the arrival of my successor. Colonel Gordon was thus enabled
to make use of the six powerful steamers which I had sent up from Cairo
to Khartoum, and the expedition continued without hindrance.]
I had written to Djiaffer Pacha for reinforcements [*] to be sent
from Khartoum immediately, together with a large supply of dhurra.
[*Footnote: These reinforcements were thirteen months actually on the
river from Khartoum to Gondokoro, and they only arrived at the close
of the expedition.)
I had very little hope of receiving anything from the Soudan. It was
therefore necessary to make my arrangements for the future,
independently of all extraneous assistance. With 502 officers and men,
and fifty-two armed sailors, I had to accomplish the work.
The force at present with me consisted of 251 officers and men; thus I
had exactly half of the troops. Gondokoro was well fortified, and the
Belinian had been thoroughly cowed, therefore I had nothing to fear in
that quarter.
I had more than filled one of the great magazines with corn: therefore,
including the dhurra now on board several vessels, I had about twelve
months' supply for the expedition.
Although my force was terribly reduced in numbers, the men who remained
were strong and healthy. I did not despair; but I determined that this
reduction of military force should NOT paralyze the activity of the
expedition, and that in spite of every intrigue, I would succeed in the
main objects of the enterprise; the slave trade should be suppressed,
and the territory should be annexed to the equator.
On 10th November I took a hundred and fifty men in order to make a
reconnaissance of the country, at the last cataracts of the White Nile,
about six miles south of our position.
We started early, and marched along the high ground parallel with the
river, passing the spot where the natives had attacked us some days
previous. Nothing could exceed the beauty of this country as an
agricultural settlement. The long, sloping undulations were ornamented
with innumerable villages, in all of which were overflowing granaries.
On arrival at the dry bed of a broad stream, we ascended a slope, and to
my astonishment I noticed a considerable body of natives who neither ran
away nor appeared hostile in their demeanour. Leaving my rifle with
Monsoor, I rode up within fifty yards of them, apparently unarmed, but I
had a pair of breech-loading pistols in my holsters.
My Bari interpreter, Morgian, now explained, that I was only on an
exploration, and that I had no intention of disturbing their property; I
only desired to communicate with their sheik.
For the first time I received a civil answer from the Baris. They
explained, that although they were Baris, they had no connection with
the people who had fought us. They were governed by a great sheik named
Bedden, whose territory was bounded by the torrent bed that we had just
crossed. They promised that he should pay me a visit on the morrow: in
the mean tine, if we required any corn, they would supply us. This was a
politeness to which I was quite unaccustomed. I therefore thanked them,
but declined their offer, saying that I wanted nothing from them except
friendship.
I now discovered, that these people had never had any communication with
the slave-traders, who were afraid to molest so powerful a tribe.
At parting, I gave them a white handkerchief as a signal to our
sentries, when they should arrive.
We then returned to our station, the troops sharing the satisfaction
that I felt in having at length discovered friends.
On the following day at about 3 p.m. the sentry on the hill called to
the guard, that a very large body of natives was approaching the
station.
I presumed that these were the followers of Bedden. I therefore ascended
the slope and examined them with the telescope.
My suspicions were aroused from the extraordinary number of people; at
least 700 natives were accompanying their sheik.
I returned to camp, and made arrangements to receive his visit with a
guard of honour. I drew up a hundred men parallel with the river, about
fifty yards from the bank, near the bow of my diahbeeah. Fifty men were
in line at right angles with the river: thus the lines formed two sides
of a square.
