Having sent for my notebook, I divided the slaves into
classes, and counted them as follows: -
Concealed in the boat we had discovered, 71 Those on shore guarded by
sentries were 84 - - 155
including 65 girls and women, 80 children, and 10 men. The governor of
Fashoda, whom I thus had caught in the act of kidnapping slaves, was the
person who, a few weeks before, had assured me that the slave trade was
suppressed, as the traders dared not pass his station of Fashoda. The
real fact was, that this excellent example of the Soudan made a
considerable fortune by levying a toll upon every slave which the
traders' boats brought down the river; this he put into his own pocket.
"I immediately informed him that I should report him to the Khedive, at
the same time I insisted upon the liberation of every slave.
"At first he questioned my authority, saying that he held the rank of
bey, and was governor of the district. I simply told him that `if he
refused to liberate the slaves, he must give me that refusal in
writing.' This was an awkward fix, and he altered his tone by attempting
to explain that they were not slaves, but only held as hostages until
the people should pay their taxes.
