250 Seven Years in the Soudan.

" Eemember," lie said, " what the English did in Abyssinia." Thus these ferocious meuAvere witliheld from carrying out their infamous project. Later on several chiefs secretly let Gordon Pasha know that if he would promise to assist them against Suleiman they would go over to his side. Said Bey, Ottaila, Ettman, Mussa Abdul-Gassim, a brother of Said Bey, and others, deserted the rebel camp and made their submission to the Government.

Gordon generously nominated Said Bey Governor of Shakka, and the other chiefs remained in command of their troops with good stipends.

In this way Suleiman's forces were decreased by about three thousand men. Gordon might then have arrested Suleiman, and rendered him for ever inoffensive, but as the latter had promised to go back to his country, our General, on his side, kept his word and let Suleiman go free.

The reader will see later on in what manner Suleiman responded to the noble conduct observed towards him. When the revolt in Darfour was quelled and Suleiman had returned to his country, Gordon undertook a long journey of inspection through all the stations of the Soudan and Equatorial Provinces under his jurisdiction.

I have perliaps strayed too far from my proper subject, but I thought, before continuing, that it would be well to relate the facts previous to the ])resent campaign ; facts that render its causes more clear, and give an idea of the character of Suleiman, who has revolted for the third time, and Avhom I am now fighting on the Bahr-el-Gliazal. We will now return to our narration.

The unexpected victory over Suleiman was soon known throughout the Bahr-el-Ghazal, but everyone thought that in the end he would conquer. A few days after the battle of El-Arbab he had allied himself with Ziber. Old El-Arbab Avas deposed, and his