— lOl — But for such tacit connivance and open assistance Zubeir could never have carried on the campaigns he undertook in the Bahr el Ghazal, or risen to such a position there that he bestrode the country like a Colossus whose overthrow the Government thought it futile to attempt.

At length, however, these slave traders became so powerful that they were able to defy the Government against which they were thus finally brought into conflict. Billali was sent and defeated as has been seen, (i) but Zubeir being still powerful the Government attempted to conciliate him, until the day came when at length they managed to induce him to go to Cairo. Then, the leader out of the way, they felt themselves strong enough to tackle the rest of the gang. Gessi was despatched against Suliman, thanks largely to the efforts of Sir Samuel Baker and General Gordon, and succeeded in defeating and killing him.

At the zenith of his power Zubeir ruled a (i) For the Billali episode see Slatin ch. i.

It is difficult not to sympathise with Zubeir's attitude in this matter. He had won, by his own efforts, a vast country of which Billali attempted to deprive him by means of false representations that he made in Khartoum. Billali had no right whatsoever to this land, which he bribed the Government into giving him by offering to pay a large tribute etc. Zubeir acted with extraordinary selfrestraint throughout the whole transaction, if the word of imy informants, Mohammed Adam and Mohammed Kiran, is to be believed, as I think myself it is.