Gordon Appointed. 149 Gondokoro the 15fch of the following month, where he was cordially received by the Commandant, Baouf Bey. He found that the provinces in question were merely nominally under Egyptian control, there being but two garrisons, one at Gondokoro consisting of 450 men, 150 of whom were Egyptian soldiers, and a second at Fatiko of 200 Sudan soldiers. His first steps were to occupy Bohr, an important position north of Gondokoro, and to send Colonel Long on an expedition to M'tesa, King of Uganda. He then in June, 1874, proceeded to break up Slave three large slave-trading stations on the Bahr el Zeraf, brokeauiv and established a strong post at Sobat, so situated as to 1874. be able to arrest all illegal traffic on the river. The liberated slaves he, in accordance with their own option, planted at Sobat, and encouraged them to turn their attention to agriculture, it being one of his ideas that most of the wars between tribes were caused by the great deficiency of food.

During the summer of 1874, Baouf Bey returned to Cairo, and was given the command of the Harrar country. Gordon sent Gessi about the same time to make an inspection along the Bahr el Ghazal.

Abu Saud, notorious in Baker's time, had accompanied Gordon from Cairo. The latter, though aware of his character, knew him to be a man of great influence among the slave-dealing communities, and determined to turn him to account. On first taking over the government at Gondokoro, he made Abu Saud his lieutenant, and employed many of the other slave dealers under him.

This, however, was of short duration ; Abu soon got beyond himself, and, showing his true character, was speedily dismissed by Gordon; while, towards the end of the year, a clean sweep was made of all the other slavedealing Dongolese, whose intrigues had seriously hampered Long's expedition. On 11th September, 1874, 25 chiefs of the tribes round September, Gondokoro came in to pay homage to Gordon, a remark-J'ssion'of " able proof of the success of his rule, as up to this they chie,s round i j/ , ., ••**, Lt r J Gondokoro. had been at open enmity with the garrisons.

In October Yusuf Bey, Governor of Fashoda, intercepted a convoy of 1,600 slaves and 190 head of cattle from the stations of Ratatz and Kutchuk Ali on the Bahr Zeraf.