6 Seven Years in the Soudan.

and at the beginniag of December 1873 quitted tbe Danube for Cairo.

Having arranged what was necessary- with the Viceroy, Gordon repaired to England to provide stores and outfit for the expedition. He returned to Cairo towards the end of February, and liaving organized his staff, set out for Khartoum with only Colonel Long and the adjutant, Hassan Eiiendi. A special train conveyed them to Huez, and there they embarked on a steamer which the Government placed at their dis-

posal. Arrived at Suakim, Gordon started immediately for Berber, whicli he reached in seven days. At

Berber he set sail on a innjitr, but having met with a steamer whicli had been sent for him, he re-embarked on it and so arrived at Khartoum. He set off for Goudokoro, where he arrived in eighteen days, and in eleven more returned to Khartoum.

The rest of his staff had remained meanwhile at

Cairo, expecting the vessels which were to bring the baggage of the expedition to Alexandria. The staff

comprised : —

Lieutenant-Colonel Long, of the Egyptian army ; Major Campbell ; Signor Romolo Gessi, formerly official interpreter in the Crimea ; M. Auguste Linant de Bellefonds, special interpreter to the colonel ; Hassan Effendi, of the Egyptian army ; M. Kempt,

mechanical engineer ; Mr. Russell, son of the Times' correspondent, and Mr. Anson, son of the English admiral and neph.ew to Gordon.

The three ships expected from England arrived between the 20th and 28th of March 1874, and wo received the order to start. I went immediately to Nubar Pasha, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who gave me letters for the director of the railway station, and other letters for the Governors of Suez and

Suakim.

At eight o'clock in tlic morning we were all at the station, and at nine, having taken farewell of our numerous friends, the train started. Kempt was to