SEVEN YEAES IN THE

SOUDAN.

CHAPTER T.

(JOT^DOX IN THE ROUDAX.

Egypt in Central Africa — Irregular administrative proceedings —

The Slave Trade— 400,000 Slaves— Eaids— The Anti-Slavery Society of London — The Khedive Ismail Paslia — Infamous Governors — Sii Samuel Baker — Unsuccessful expedition —

Appointment of Colonel Gordon — "War in the Crimea — Grand i\Iandarin — The Emperor of China — Gordon in the Soudan — The

Start' — Departure from Cairo — Arrival at Suez.

It was in the year 1837 that the Egyptian Govern-

ment first despatched expeditions into Africa to open up new roads for the commerce of the continent. Various stations were then established at Bahr-el- Ghazal, Bahr-el- Jeraf and the White iVile, for the barter of cotton stuffs and other articles which the natives

were eager to exchange for indiarnbber, grain and ivor3^ This trade was carried on directly by the Government, and was, in fact, a monopoly, but about the year 1848, in consequence of the irregularity of its administration, and perhaps also because the expense exceeded the profits, it was left to private enterprise.

Various merchants of Khartoum then took np their residence in these settlements ; they paid yearly to the Gov^ernment, as tax, as much ivory as they had