The War against the Slavei'S. 1 95 their own interests, as the greater part of their goods are sold on credit. I made some purchases of one of them, a man named Themistocles, who carried the articles on board himself. He confessed that the two nugars laden with slaves were really intended to be sent off, for the authorities and everyone else at Fashoda had not known of Gordon Pasha's return to Khartoum. The approach of our steamers, moreover, had not been signalled as usual by the clerks of the slavers with rockets. When the slave-boats arrive at Kaka, they feel pretty safe, and if they see 1 A GROUP OF ELEPHANTS.

from afar the mast of a steamer, the slaves are landed in haste and sent into the interior. Themistocles, who was cunning enough, was intimately acquainted with all that happened in the Divan (seat of Grovernment), thanks to his friendship with the officials, who assiduously frequent his shop to intoxicate themselves with mastic.

On July 29th we continued our journey to Gaba-Shambe and the Sobat. I have made a few notes concerning the Shilluks, which will perhaps be interesting if published after my death.

o 2