ON THE NILE ABOVE KHARTOUM. © 13
‘*Khartoum, March 14.—We left Berber on March 9, and arrived here on the 13th, at daybreak. The Governor-General met your brother in full uniform, and he landed amid a salute of artillery, and a battalion of troops with a band.
It was a fine sight (the day before your brother had his trousers off, and was pulling the boat in the Nile, in spite of crocodiles, who never touch you when moving). He cannot move now without guards turning out. I have got a good house here, and am very happy and comfortable.
‘*T had a review the day after my arrival, and visited the hospitals and the schools. They are well cared for, and the little blacks were glad to see me. (I wish that flies would not dine in the corners of their eyes!) Khartoum is a fine place as far as position goes. The houses are made of mud, and flat-roofed. I leave on the 20th for Gondokoro, and hope to be there on April 18th. The caravan comes after me, and will be there intwo months. I am quite well, and have quiet times in spite of all the work. Tell (as he said), ‘Self is the best officer to do anything for you.’”
For the information of those who may not have a map of these regions, it may be useful to state in general terms that Cairo is situated nearly on the parallel of 30° N. Lat., Khartoum 15° N. Lat.,
and Gondokoro 5° N. Lat. Thus it is more than 1,000 miles, as the crow flies, from Cairo to Khartoum, and an additional 700 to Gondokoro. The distance by river is probably twice as great. It is several hundred miles further still from Gondokoro to the Albert Nyanza. |
On THE NILE ABOVE KHARTOUM.
General Gordon stayed at the wretched station of Saubat not only in order to transform it from a Slave depot to a military post, but also because the soldiers had an idea that it was an unhealthy spot, and he wished to show them that it was not more so than others.
When he speaks of himself as “ your brother,” it must be remem- bered that he is writing to his sister, to whom very many of his
letters were addressed.
‘‘Tt has been a great work, but I have changed the station. I say J—but in reality it has been the Slave-hunters whom I have taken into my employ. They are such active, hardy fellows, mostly Berberans ; not natives of Berber necessarily, but a people inhabiting Dongola, or thereabouts—the remnant of an ancient race. . . I would sooner, I think, have the Saubat Government than the whole government. To do anything, there is nothing like starting on ‘a small scale, and directing your energy, like a squirt, on one particular thing.
I have made such a pair of trousers for one of the blacks, and the housewives are so useful !”
ILLNESS OF HIS EUROPEAN FOLLOWERS.
‘6 Gondokoro, Sept. 11, 1874.—Such an amount of work with my sick, and no chance of getting them off for a long while, I fear. My place is a complete hospital. Now, I will tell you how we started, and what has become of them all. Your brother, well, but a shadow; Kemp, engineer, well; Gessi, well, has had a severe fever; his Greek servant, ill, more or less; result: no work ;