36 Seven \ 'ears in the Soitdan.

koro -witli J\l;ijor Campbell of the Egyptian army on board, and Mr. Witt a German botanist. A fourth vessel carried Mr. Linant de Bellefonds, secretary and private inter j)reter to tlie Colonel. A fifth had started for Berber to embark Abu-Sud, "who had been taken into the (Jolouel's service. I shall afterwards speak of tliis personage, who was rendered famous by the English i)ress.

One of the princi])al objects of this expedition, as we have already said, Avas the suppression of the slavetrade. The Colonel did not therefore think of treaties, but went straight to his end, cutting oft" the evil at the very root and prohibiting the trade in ivory. A proclamation by the Commander-in-chief of the expedition, declared that from that day the article ivory was a (Tovernnient mouoi)oly ; Avhoever possessed ivory must, b}' a certain date, deliver it up and dissolve the company of traders. This was a blow at the very heart of the slave-trade, and the merchants found themselves compelled to dismiss their men and implore the Government to buy up their cattle.

At the same time a station was established on the Sobat, a place where the uugars are com])elled to pass, and here these vessels were subjected to rigorous examination. They must also make a halt at Fashoda to be visited, while seven steamers traverse the river u]) and down and render all smuggling impossible. Gondokoro was temporarily declared the head-quarters ; llejaf, Dufile, ]\tagungo, Fatico, and Makraka were occupied as military posts, and civil governors ])laced there ; a regular communication connected all these jjorts with each other, and the slave-merchants were obliged to bow to the new authority. The abolition of their trade, in consequence of the ivory trade being made a monopoly, the dissolution of the companies, the installation of the new authorities, the pacification of the tribes, the organization of the land and river forces, was the work of four months.