Seven Years in the Soudan.

CHAPTER XXVIIT.

THE MOVEMENTS OF SL'LEIMAX.

Arrival of the; post — Enonuovis difficulties — Emin believes victory iinpossilile — Suleiman advances — Treachery — A fatiguing march — Waters up to the arm-pits — The El-Tangi river — Nothing from fakraka — Another betrayal — A little help — Suleiman at J)em Idris — Spies.

At last the post arrived to-day. It was a sack which a negro carried with difficulty, and contained the letters which had accumulated in the post-office at Khartoum, and which had not been able to reach me in spite of the good-will of the authorities. At Eumbek the inundations had converted the whole country into a great lake. All the roads were im])racticable, and I could not get together a force sufficient to oppose Suleiman. Vith great trouble I managed to get four companies of regular troops, and a thousand men of the irregulars. I could not count on these last, neither as to their fidelity nor courage. The greater part of these soldiers had their brothers, fathers, or other relations in the rebel ranks.

None, except the regular troops, had any interest in fighting Suleiman, because his fall would have damaged their interests, and with it would cease the profitable commerce in human flesh.

My condition was far from enviable either at Khartoum or in Central Africa. Everybody said that my expedition was nonsense ; and even Emin Bey considered me lost, because, according to him, it