260 Bahr El Ghaxal, 1885—1891.

1886.

1887.

Stanley's relief ' expedition.

1888.

Arrival of Derviahes.

Fall of Rejaf.

1889.

Eniiii returns to the coust.

Balir el Ghazal evacuated b_v Dervishe?.

1890. Sbillak war.

1881.

Karamalla shortly afterwards was obliged to fall back, owing to disturbances in the Bahr El Ghazal caused by several Emirs refusing to recognise the Khalifa Abdalla as successor of the Mahdi, and Emin retired to Wadelai to open friendly relations with Kabarega, King of Unyoro. Meanwhile Lado and Rejaf were attacked by negro tribes in the district, but held out.

On the 26th February, 1886, Emin received, through the assistance of Kabarega, letters from Cairo, vid Zanzibar, in which he was informed by Nubar Pasha (dated 2nd November, 1885) that the Sudan was abandoned, and he " might take any steps he liked should he decide to leave the country." Dr. Junker, who had been, off and on, with Emin since January, 188-1, started for Zanzibar, vid Uganda, in January, 1886, and his representations in Europe had the effect of starting the Emin Relief Expedition.

During 1886 and 1887 a mutinous spirit had been brewing amongst Emin's troops, who wished to retire northwards instead of southwards. On the 15th December, 1887, the advanced guard of Stanley's expedition arrived at the Albert Nyanza, but, not hearing any news of Emin, went back for their boat, which had been left at Kilonga Longa's. Kabarega now, to whom Emin had sent Casati* to keep open communications with Zanzibar, on hearing that Stanley had fought and defeated the Mazamboni, his allies, changed his friendly attitude to Emin, thinking that the latter had sent for Stanley to invade his (Kabarega's) country. He therefore treated Casati outrageously, and expelled him with the greatest ignominy.

Stanley and Emin eventually met at Nsabe (Kavalli's) on 29th April, 1888, and thereupon reports of a great invading White Pasha spread to Omdurman, with the result that the Khalifa in July sent up thence three steamers, six barges, and 4,000 troops to annihilate him. Stanley went back again on 24th May to pick up his rear guard, leaving Mounteney Jephson and a small escort with Emin, to escort him round his province, and settle whether he should retire or not.

The Khedive's " orders," which Stanley brought with him, were to the effect that Emin and his men might come back with Stanley, or stay on at their own risk.

The garrisons in the south said they would go with Emin, but the troops at Lahore mutinied, and a general revolt broke out, headed by Fadl el Mula, Governor of Fabbo ; thus, on arriving at Dufile, Emin and Jephson were practically made prisoners (18th August, 1888). On the 15th October news arrived that the above-mentioned Mahdists, in barges, were at hand, and two days afterwards three messengers arrived from Omar Saleh, the Mahdist commander, to summon Emin to surrender. The mutineers now released Emin, and decided to fight, and during November and December continuous fighting went on between Lado and Dufile. Rejaf was taken by the Dervishes on 15th November, and much loot, several prisoners and captured despatches, ammunition, tarbushes, and flags, were sent by Omar to Omdurman, whence a portion was forwarded through Osman Digna to General Grenfell at Suakin. This gave rise to all sorts of surmises in Egjrpt as to the fate of Emin and Stanley.

During December, Emin's mutinous troops kept the Dervishes at bay between Wadelai and Rejaf, and eventually severely defeated them, driving them back to Rejaf. They did not, however, follow up their victory, and, under the leadership of Fadl el Mula Bey, remained in and about Wadelai, whilst the Dervishes strengthened their post at Rejaf.

Meanwhile Emin and Jephson had retired to Tunguru on the Albert Nyanza, and on 18th January, 1889, Stanley arrived at the lake for the third time with the remains of the expedition, and was joined by Emin and Jephson in the beginning of February. Selim Bey, now commander of a portion of Emin's rebel troops at Wadelai, on being summoned by Emin, left Wadelai with 14 Egyptian officers for Tunguru, and on arrival expressed his contrition for the mutiny. A council held on the 18th determined that the evacuation should take place on the 10th April, and although Selim Bey, who had returned to Wadelai, where Fadl el Mula Bey was in command, wrote to say all would return with Emin to Egypt, they did not arrive in time, and although every opportunity was given them of overtaking the expedition, no one appeared. The expedition, numbering about 600 men in all, and 900 women and children, eventually arrived in Zanzibar at the end of the year 1889.

The Emir Karamalla, after retiring from before Lado and Emin in 1885, to quash disaffections amongst his own Emirs against the Khalifa's succession, appears to have become disaffected himself. So the Khalifa, seeing the danger of trying to hold a huge province with insufficient forces, and fearing that Karamalla, being a Dongolawi, might revolt altogether, ordered the latter to evacuate the province and retire to Shakka, and eventually to Omdurman. Thus the land returned to the semi-barbarous state it was in before the Egyptain occupation, and had peace from the Dervishes for some years, for the Mahdist operations were chiefly confined to the neighbourhood of the Nile, and had little effect in the direction of the Bahr El Arab and interior of the Bahr El Ghazal country.

In 1890 a rebellion against the Mahdists sprang up among the Shilluks, in the neighbourhood of Kodok and the Emir of Gallabat, Zeki Tumal, was sent thither to quell it, with a force chiefly consisting of the Gallabat men who had fought so well against the Abyssinians in the spring of 1889. During the whole of 1891 the war continued with varying fortunes, the Dervishes on more than one occasion being heavUy defeated, and the communications between * An Italian officer who bad been sent out to assist Gessi Pasha, and remained on to explore.