Revolution in the Bahr-el-Ghazal. 183 the capital of tlie Soudan on account of the want of water. The doora which generally cost one and a half dollars the erdeb had risen to twelve dollars.

Gordon knew how little he could count on the capacity and fidelity of his officers ; he had also no leader at hand to whom he could trust, with hopes of success, the command of an expedition against the rebels. On the very day of the gloomy news I had an interview with the Governor-General, during which he said that my departure for the Sobat was now impossible ; at the same time he asked me whether I would assume the command of an expedition against the rebels. T refused this then, giving as reasons that I no longer belonged to the Egyptian army, and that T had no idea of abandoning my plans. Gordon, however, had been sufficiently generous towards me, and I also reflected that in such critical times he could never deprive himself of arms and ammunition, sacrificing the vital interests of the Government for my advantage. As a European also, I thought it my duty to sacrifice my own plans, and a few days later I accepted the command. I was obliged to set out as soon as possible for Central Africa, where I was to collect and organize the forces for the projected campaign.

Yussuf Bey, Governor of Rohl, was then at Khartoum, and received strict orders to obey and aid me by every means in his power.

"While I was making preparations for departure, Xrordon, in order to prevent Suleiman from hearing what occurred at Khartoum, put the house of Ziber Pasha under guard, and arrested four of his relations who were at Khartoum, that is, his brother, a certain Ziber Rahman ; his uncle Hassan Digel ; and his two cousins, Babeker Mansur and Abdel Kava Iman. Their arrest caused the discovery of certain oases that had been sent by Ziber Pasha