ismailia-第3章

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it　would　be　difficult　without　a　guide　to　discover　the　passage　where　the
lake　was　extremely　narrow　and　the　channel　tortuous　into　the　next　broad
water。

Colonel　Gordon　has　continued　the　amicable　relations　established　by
myself　with　the　Unyoro　chief　Rionga；　and　with　M'tese；；　King　of　Uganda。

The　commercial　aspect　of　the　equatorial　provinces　is　improving；　but　our
recent　experience　in　South　Africa　must　teach　the　most　sanguine　that　very
many　years　must　elapse　before　the　negro　tribes　become　amenable　to　the
customs　and　improvements　of　civilized　communities。

The　expedition　of　1869　which　His　Highness　the　Khedive　entrusted　to　my
command　laid　the　foundation　for　reforms　which　at　that　time　would　have
appeared　incredible　in　Egypt。　The　slave…trade　has　been　suppressed
through　the　agency　of　British　influence；　persistently　supported　by　the
Khedive；　Darfur；　the　hot…bed　of　slave…hunting；　has　been　conquered　and
annexed；　Colonel　Gordon　has　the　supreme　command　of　the　entire　Soudan；
Malcolm　Pacha　is　commissioned　to　sweep　the　slave　traffic　from　the　Red
Sea。

With　this　determination　to　adopt　the　ideas　of　Europe；　the　Khedive　has
passed　through　the　trying　ordeal　of　unpopularity　in　his　own　country；
but；　by　a　cool　disregard　for　the　hostility　of　the　ignorant；　he　has
adhered　to　a　policy　which　has　gained　him　the　esteem　of　all　civilized
communities。　He　has　witnessed　the　bloody　struggle　between　Russia　and
Turkey；　and　though　compelled　as　a　vassal　state　to　render　military
assistance　to　the　Sultan；　he　has　profited　by　the　lesson；　and　has
determined　by　a　wise　reform　to　avoid　the　errors　which　have　resulted　in
anarchy　and　desolation　throughout　the　Ottoman　Empire。

In　the　year　1870　the　slave…hunting　of　Central　Africa　was　condemned。
Since　that　time　Englishmen　have　been　honoured　with　the　special　attention
of　the　Khedive；　and　have　been　appointed　to　posts　of　the　highest
confidence。　European　tribunals　were　established　in　the　place　of　consular
jurisdiction；　British　government　officials　have　been　invited　to　reform
the　financial　administration；　and　Mr。　Rivers　Wilson　has　been　induced　to
accept　the　responsible　office　of　Minister　of　Finance。　Nubar　Pacha　has
been　recalled　to　office；　and　he　must　regard　with　pride　the　general
confidence　occasioned　throughout　Europe　by　his　reappointment。　The
absolute　despotism　hitherto　inseparable　from　Oriental　ideas　of
government　has　been　spontaneously　abrogated　by　the　Khedive；　who　has
publicly　announced　his　determination　that　the　future　administration
shall　be　conducted　by　a　council　of　responsible　ministers。

England　has　become　the　great　shareholder　in　the　Suez　Canal；　which　is　the
important　link　with　our　Indian　Empire。　At　the　alarm　of　war　we　have
already　seen　the　fleet　of　steam　transports　hurrying　through　the　isthmus；
and　carrying　native　troops　to　join　the　British　forces　in　the
Mediterranean。　We　have　learnt　to　know；　and　the　Khedive　has　wisdom　to
understand；　that　the　bonds　between　Egypt　and　Great　Britain　are
inseparable。　At　the　same　time　we　have　been　aided　by　the　cordial　alliance
of　France　in　promoting　the　advance　of　free　institutions　and　the　growth
of　European　influence　in　the　administration　of　the　country。　England　and
France；　who　struggled　in　hostile　rivalry　upon　the　sands　and　seas　of
Egypt；　are　now　joined　in　the　firm　determination　to　uphold　the　integrity
of　the　great　canal　of　Suez；　and　these　powers　and　leaders　of　civilization
will　become　the　guides　and　guardians　of　Egyptian　interests。　The　reforms
already　sanctioned　with　a　new　era　of　justice　and　economy　will　insure　the
confidence　of　British　capitalists；　the　resources　of　Egypt　will　be
developed　by　engineering　skill　that　will　control　the　impetuosity　of　the
Nile　and　protect　the　Delta　alike　from　the　scarcity　of　drought；　and　from
the　risk　of　inundation。　The　Nile　sources；　which　from　the　earliest　times
had　remained　a　mystery；　have　been　discovered　by　the　patience　and
industry　of　Englishmen；　the　Nile　will　at　no　distant　period　be　rendered
navigable　throughout　its　course；　and　Egypt；　which　for　actual　existence
depends　alone　upon　that　mighty　river；　will　be　restored　by　British
enterprise；　supported　by　the　intelligence　and　good…will　of　its　ruler；　to
the　position　which　it　held　in　the　pages　of　Eastern　history。

1878。

S。　W。　B。






ISMAILIA。

CHAPTER　I。

INTRODUCTORY。

In　the　present　work　I　shall　describe　the　history　of　the　Khedive　of
Egypt's　expedition；　which　I　have　had　the　honour　to　command；　as　the　first
practical　step　that　has　been　taken　to　suppress　the　slave　trade　of
Central　Africa。

I　shall　not　repeat；　beyond　what　may　be　absolutely　necessary；　that　which
has　already　been　published　in　my　former　works　on　Africa；　〃The　Albert
N'yanza〃　and　〃The　Nile　Tributaries　of　Abyssinia；〃　but　I　shall　adhere　to
the　simple　path　taken　by　the　expedition。　This　enterprise　was　the　natural
result　of　my　original　explorations；　in　which　I　had　been　an　eye…witness
to　the　horrors　of　the　slave　trade；　which　I　determined；　if　possible；　to
suppress。

In　my　former　journey　I　had　traversed　countries　of　extreme　fertility　in
Central　Africa；　with　a　healthy　climate　favourable　for　the　settlement　of
Europeans；　at　a　mean　altitude　of　4；000　feet　above　the　sea　level。　This
large　and　almost　boundless　extent　of　country　was　well　peopled　by　a　race
who　only　required　the　protection　of　a　strong　but　paternal　government　to
become　of　considerable　importance；　and　to　eventually　develop　the　great
resources　of　the　soil。

I　found　lands　varying　in　natural　capabilities　according　to　their
position　and　altitudeswhere　sugar；　cotton；　coffee；　rice；　spices；　and
all　tropical　produce　might　be　successfully　cultivated；　but　those　lands
were　without　any　civilized　form　of　government；　and　〃every　man　did　what
seemed　right　in　his　own　eyes。〃

In　this　dislocated　state　of　society；　the　slave　trade　prospered　to　the
detriment　of　all　improvement。　Rich　and　well…populated　countries　were
rendered　desolate；　the　women　and　children　were　carried　into　captivity；
villages　were　burnt；　and　crops　were　destroyed　or　pillaged；　the
population　was　driven　out；　a　terrestrial　paradise　was　converted　into　an
infernal　region；　the　natives　who　were　originally　friendly　were　rendered
hostile　to　all　strangers；　and　the　general　result　of　the　slave　trade
could　only　be　expressed　in　one　word〃ruin。〃

The　slave　hunters　and　traders　who　had　caused　this　desolation　were　for
the　most　part　Arabs；　subjects　of　the　Egyptian　government。

These　people　had　deserted　their　agricultural　occupations　in　the　Soudan
and　had　formed　companies　of　brigands　in　the　pay　of　various　merchants　of
Khartoum。　The　largest　trader　had　about　2；500　Arabs　in　his　pay；　employed
as　pirates　or　brigands；　in　Central　Africa。　These　men　were　organized
after　a　rude　military　fashion；　and　armed　with　muskets；　they　were　divided
into　companies；　and　were　officered　in　many　cases　by　soldiers　who　had
deserted　from　their　regiments　in　Egypt　or　the　Soudan。

It　is　supposed　that　about　15；000　of　the　Khedive's　subjects　who　should
have　been　industriously　working　and　paying　their　taxes　in　Egypt　were
engaged　in　the　so…called　ivory　trade　and　slave…hunting　of　the　White
Nile。

Each　trader　occupied　a　special　district；　where；　by　a　division　of　his
forces　in　a　chain　of　stations；　each　of　which　represented　about　300　men；
he　could　exercise　a　right　of　possession　over　a　certain　amount　of　assumed
territory。

In　this　manner　enormous　tracts　of　country　were　occupied　by　the　armed
bands　from　Khartoum；　who　could　make　alliances　with　the　native　tribes　to
attack　and　destroy　their　neighbours；　and　to　carry　off　their　women　and
children；　together　with　vast　herds　of　sheep　and　cattle。

I　have　already　fully　described　this　system　in　〃The　Albert　N'yanza；〃
therefore　it　will　be　unnecessary　to　enter　into　minute　details　in　the
present　work。　It　will　be　sufficient；　to　convey　an　idea　of　the　extended
scale　of　the　slave…hunting　operations；　to　explain　that　an　individual
trader　named　Agad　assumed　the　right　over　nearly　NINETY　THOUSAND　SQUARE
MILES　of　territory。　Thus　his　companies　of　brigands　could　pillage　at
discretion；　massacre；　take；　burn；　or　destroy　throughout　this　enormous
area；　or　even　beyond　this　broad　limit；　if　they　had　the　power。

It　is　impossible　to　know　the　actual　number　of　slaves　take