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A LIVELY CHASE

foundation for a radical reform in the so called commerce of the White Nile. The government had een estalished

throughout the ne!l" ac#uired territories$ !hich !ere occu%ied " militar" %ositions garrisoned !ith regular t roo%s$ and

all those districts !ere asolutel" %urged from the slave hunters. In this condition I resigned m" command$ as the first

act !as accom%lished. The future !ould de%end u%on the since rit" of the &hedive$ and u%on the ailit" and integrit" of

m" successor. It %leased man" %eo%le and some memers of the %ress in England to diselieve the sincerit" of the &hedive.

He !as accused of anne'ation under the %rete't of su%%ressing the vast o rgani(ation of the White Nile slave t rade. It

!as freel" stated that an Englishman !as %laced in command ecause an Eg"%tian could not e relied u%o n to succeed$

ut that the greed of ne! territor" !as the actual and sloe o)ect of the e'%edition$ and that the slave trade !ould

rea%%ear in st u%endous activit" !hen the English *ersonal influence should e !ithdra!n. Such uns"m%athetic

e'%ressions must have een a %oor re!ard to the &hedive for his efforts to !in the esteem of the civili(ed !orld " thedestruction of the slave t rade in his o!n dominions. +e! %ersons have conside red the %osition of the Eg"%tian ruler

!hen at tac,ing the institution most cherished " his %eo%le. The em%lo"ment of an Euro%ean to overthro! the slave

trade in deference to the o%inion of the civili(ed !orld !as a direct challenge and at tac, u%on the assumed rights and

necessities of his o!n su)ects. The magnitude of the o%eration cannot e understood " the general %ulic in Euro%e.

Ever" household in -%%er Eg"%t and in the elta !as de%endent u%on slave service/ the fields in the Soudan !ere

cultivated " slaves/ the !omen in the harems of oth rich and middle class !ere attended " slaves/ the %oorer Ara

Woman0s amition !as to %ossess a slave/ in fact. Eg"%tian societ" !ithout slaves !ould e li,e a carriage devoid of

!heels it could not %roceed. The slaves !ere generall" !ell treated " their o!ners/ the rutalit" la" in their ca%ture.

With the attendant la!lessness and murders/ ut that !as far a!a"$ and the slave %ro%rietors of Eg"%t had not

!itnessed the miseries of the !ear" marches of the distant caravans. The" %urchased slaves. taught them their duties$ fed

and clothed them the" !ere ha%%"/ !h" should the &hedive of Eg"%t *rohiit the traffic and thus distur ever"

household in his territor" There is no H"de *ar, or Trafalgar S#uare in Eg"%t$ there are no agitators nor o%en air

meetings$ fortunatel" for the modern ruler$ or he !ould have had un%leasant e'%ression of the %o%ular sentiment at

the close of m" administration. The rea, u% of the White Nile slave trade involved the de%ressions of trade in &hartoum$

as the mar,et had su%%lied the large ands of slave hunters. The ivor" of the numerous adventurers still remained in the

White Nile stations$ as the" feared confiscation should their vessels e ca%tured !ith the ever accom%an"ing slave cargo.

Thus little ivor" arrived at &hartoum to meet the dets of the traders to the merchants in Cairo and Ale'andria. These

o!ed 1anchester and Liver%ool for calicoes su%%lied$ !hich had een for!arded to the Soudan. The direct lo! at the

White Nile slave trade !as an indirect attac, u%on the commerce of the countr"$ !hich !as inse%aral" connected !ith

the demand of the Soudan em%lo"ers of rigands. This slight out line of the situation !ill e'hiit the difficulties of the

&hedive in his than,less and Herculean tas, of cleansing the Augean stales. He incurred the !rath of general

discontent/ his o!n officials accused him of deserting the 1ahommedan cause cause for the sa,e of Euro%ean &udos$ and

!hile he sacrificed his %o%ularit" in Eg"%t$ his %olic" !as misconstrued " the %o!ers he had sought to gratif". He !as

accused of civili(ing through the medium of fire and s!ord " the same English )ournals !hich are no! e'tolling the

%ro!ess of the 2ritish arms in Caffraria and the ne!l" anne'ed Transvaal In this e#uivocal %osition it !ould have een

natural either to have aandoned the enter%rise at the termination of m" o!n engagement$ or to have %laced a

1ahommedan officer in charge of the ne! %rovinces. Instead of this$ His Highness adhered most strictl" to his original

determination$ and to %rove his sincerit" he entrusted the command to an English officer of high re%utation$ not onl" for

militar" ca%acit"$ ut for a %eculiar attriute of self sacrifice and devotion. Colonel 3ordon$ 4 E 2 !as a%%ointed

3overnor 3eneral of the Soudan and e#uatorial districts$ !ith su%reme %o!er. This a%%ointment e'tinguished the

delusions !hich had een nourished " the Soudan authorities$ that at the e'%iration of 2a,er *acha0s rule the good old

times of slaver" and la!lessness !ould return. There !as no longer an" ho%e/ the slave trade !as su%%ressed$ and the

foundation !as laid for the introduction of Euro%ean ideas and civili(ation. It !ill no! e interesting to trace an

outline of the advance of Eg"%t during the last five "ears. The main difficult" in m" original enter%rise !as the

ostruction of the White Nile " the accumulation of matted vegetation$ !hich im%eded navigation$ and actuall" closed

the river. -%on arrival at 3ondo,oro$ after the tedious %rocess of cutting through miles of s!am% and vegetale matter$

via the 2ahr 3iraffe. I had re#uested the &hedive to issue an order that the 3overnor of &hartoum should immediatel"

commence the great !or, of re o%ening the White Nile. His Highness !ithout dela" for!arded the necessar"

instructions$ and in t!o "ears the !or, !as com%leted " Ismail A"oo *acha$ !ith the loss of several vessels !hich had

een over!helmed " the sudden ursting of vast masses of floating s!am%s and entangled reeds. It had een necessar"

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