xvi INTRODUCTION.

it. This was a difficult and dangerous undertaking, for they had rooted themselves very firmly in the soil, and most of the

officials in Emin’s employ were in full sympathy with them. Emin was entirely alone; no friend or helper was near.

Indeed, with the exception of a few months when Lupton Bey

was his second in command, he has been alone from the day of

his appointment in March 1878 until the present time. When

at Lado, he had also other duties to perform ; the chief hospital

of the province was there, and every morning he might be seen

at 6 AM. going round its wards or engaged in prescribing for

the numerous patients.

By the end of 1882, Emin Bey (for he received that title at

the end of 1879) had the satisfaction of being able to report

that not only was his province in a state of peace and content- ment, but that he had entirely banished the slave-dealers from

his borders. He had also got rid of nearly all the Egyptian

soldiers, replacing them by natives whom he had trained to

arms.** He had added large districts to his province, not by the

use of the sword, but by personal negotiation with native chiefs. To all this must be added the cultivation of cotton, of indigo,

of coffee and rice, the establishment of a regular weekly post through his dominions, the rebuilding of nearly all his stations,

the construction of better and more permanent roads, the in-

troduction of camels, and the transport of goods by oxen; and

last, but not least, he was able in that year to show a net

profit of £8000, whereas on his taking up the reins of govern-

ment, there was a deficit of £32,000 per annum. ‘The com-

mercial value of the province may be estimated by this successful

state of affairs, which was brought about notwithstanding the

fact that during the six years, 1878-84, only nine steamers

* Although not a soldier by profession, Emin was obliged to act as Commander- in-Chief as well as civil Governor of the Equatorial Province. Referring to this, he remarks in one of his letters :—‘*‘ What will they expect next from an M.D.? I have been made a Governor, and now I am expected to try and qualify as a ‘General in strategy’ !”