I asked this plain-spoken agent whether he was quite sure that he could
pass the government station? "Oh yes," he replied, "a little backsheesh
will open the road; there is nothing to fear."
I was then informed by the same authority that Abou Saood had gone to
Cairo to appeal to the Khedive's government against my proceedings, and
to represent his TRADE as ruined by my acts.
This was a remarkable disclosure at the end of the last act; the moral
of the piece was thus explained before the curtain fell. The
slave-hunter par excellence of the White Nile, who had rented or farmed
from the government, for some thousands sterling per annum, the right of
TRADING in countries which did NOT belong to Egypt, was now on the road
to protest against my interference with his TRADE, this innocent
business being represented BY THREE VESSELS WITH SEVEN HUNDRED SLAVES
THAT WERE TO PASS UNCHECKED BEFORE THE GOVERNMENT STATION OF FASHODA.
I told Wat Hojoly that I did not think he would succeed upon this
occasion, but that I should certainly not lay hands upon him.
I had not received replies to my letters addressed to the Khedive,
therefore I was determined not to exert physical force again; at the
same time I made up my mind that the slave vessels should not pass
Fashoda.
After some delay, owing to a shallow portion of the river, we passed
ahead, and the fearful stench from the crowded slave vessels reeking
with small-pox followed us for quite a mile down the wind. (Fortunately
there was a powerful force with Wat Hojoly, whom I called upon for
assistance in heaving the steamer over the bank; otherwise we must have
dug a channel.)
On 19th June, at 3.30 P.M., we reached Fashoda. The governor at once
came on board to receive us.
This officer hall been only recently appointed, and he appeared to be
very energetic and desirous to assist me in the total extinction of the
slave trade. I assured the governor (Jusef Effendi) that I had entirely
suppressed it in my territory, and I had also suppressed the river trade
in 1870; but if the authorities were determined to connive at this
abomination, I had been placed in a disgracefully false position, and
had been simply employed on a fool's errand.
Jusef Effendi assured me that it would be impossible for vessels to pass
Fashoda with slave cargoes now that he represented the government, as
the Khedive had issued the most positive orders within the last six
months against the traffic in slaves; therefore such instructions must
be obeyed.
I did not quite see that obedience to such orders was absolutely
necessary, as the slave trade had been similarly prohibited by
proclamation in the reign of the late Said Pacha, but with no permanent
effect.
There were two fine steamers lying at Fashoda, which had formed a
portion of the fleet of six steamers that I had sent up from Cairo some
years ago to tow my flotilla up the White Nile. This was the first time
that I had ever seen them.
I now told Jusef Effendi that he would be held responsible for the
capture of Abou Saood's three vessels, together with the 700 slaves; at
the same time, it would be advisable to allow them to arrive at Fashoda
before their capture should be attempted; as the fact of such an
audacious contempt of law would at once implicate the former governor as
having been in the habit of connivance.
Jusef Effendi appeared to be in earnest. He was an active and highly
intelligent Circassian who held the rank of lieutenant-colonel.
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.
