It was his duty to
deliver himself up as a prisoner upon parole.
On 3rd October Wat-el-Mek arrived at Fatiko accompanied by Suleiman, who
came to surrender.
The prisoner was dressed in a filthy brown woollen cloak, and his head
was covered with a greasy and almost black tarboosh he had the
appearance of having slept on a dust-heap. This beggarly outside was a
token of repentance and humiliation.
Suleiman was brought before me, and he immediately rushed forward and
knelt to kiss my feet, exhibiting at the same time considerable emotion;
which surprised me, as he was notorious as a stern, hard-hearted Kurd.
I said a few words to him, explaining that he must not think me
impenetrable if I doubted his sincerity, as I had been already deceived,
after having shown him much kindness; yet the same time I did not wish
to exert severity, if I could win him to obedience by good advice.
(Suleiman always remained faithful from that moment, and became a
dependable officer.) I offered him a free pardon if he would swear upon
the Koran fidelity to the Khedive. Should he deceive me, and become a
rebel after this, he knew the consequences.
Suleiman now declared, and swore upon the Koran, that he had acted only
upon orders he had received from Abou Saood. It was he who, in spite of
my written command that the sheik Werdella should be spared, had ordered
two of his slaves to take him from the Fabbo zareeba, and to cut his
throat.
Both Wat-el-Mek and Suleiman, as late vakeels of Abou Saood, swore to
their written evidence, to which they attached their seals in the
presence of witnesses, that Abou Saood had given orders to his vakeels
to harry the country and to capture slaves and cattle; that none of the
people employed by him received wages in money, but that they were
invariably paid in slaves, valued at a certain sum.
"All the opposition that I had met with had been caused by Abou Saood."
Suleiman, having received a written pardon, made his salaam and retired.
An hour later he was washed beautifully clean, and was gorgeously
dressed in a Turkish costume of light blue woollen cloth, trimmed with
gold and black braid, with a new tarboosh, a handsome silk shawl in
thick folds around his waist, and his sabre dangling by his side. This
sudden metamorphosis from dirt and ashes to dazzling attire was
symbolical of disgrace and humiliation succeeded by pardon and
restoration to office.
Suleiman was to continue as vakeel of the Fabbo station, under the
command of Wat-el-Mek.
