I made no remark, but simply expressed a wish
to walk round his encampment.
"Having passed through the place of bivouac, where the foulest smells
attacked us from all sides, I thoroughly examined the spot, accompanied
by Lieutenant Baker and a few officers of my staff. There was no
military order, but the place was occupied by a crowd of soldiers,
mingled with many native allies, under the command of an extremely
blackguard-looking savage, dressed in a long scarlet cloak made of
woollen cloth. This was belted round his waist, to which was suspended a
crooked Turkish sabre; he wore a large brass medal upon his breast,
which somewhat resembled those ornaments that undertakers use for giving
a lively appearance to coffins. This fellow was introduced to me by the
Koordi as the `king of the Shillooks.'
"In the rear of the party, to which spot I had penetrated while the
Koordi was engaged in giving orders to certain officers, I came suddenly
upon a mass of slaves, who were squatted upon the ground, and surrounded
by dirty clothes, arranged like a fence, by the support of lances,
pieces of stick, camel saddles, &c. These people were guarded by a
number of soldiers, who at first seemed to think that my visit was one
of simple curiosity.
"Many of the women were secured to each other by ropes passed from neck
to neck. A crowd of children, including very young infants, squatted
among the mass, and all kept a profound silence, and regarded me with
great curiosity. 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.
