146 The British Campaign in the Soudan.

than once Isaw gangs of slaves just released from the traders, being marched down to the barracks by an Egyptian sergeant to be enrolled as recruits. They were great, tall fellows, emaciated by fatigue and starvation, and all just as perfectly naked as they were born. They walked in single file, each one fastened to the next by a piece of wood about five feet long, reaching from the back of the neck of the first man to the throat of the next behind him. , Thus they had marched hundreds of miles, never released for an instant except when one would drop dead and be left for the vultures and hyenas. Perhaps half of them had perished by the way, and it was impossible to send back the rest to their country. So the government made soldiers of them and gave them the women slaves for wives. This had at least the effect of discouraging the slave-trade by the confiscation of the merchandise. These fellows as soon as enrolled were clothed in a good white cotton uniform, fed on fair rations of bread and meat, better than they ever had before in their lives. They were taught Arabic and the Mohammedan religion of which they soon became zealous proselytes. They learned military drill and discipline very promptly and perfectly. These Soudanese regiments formed of men who had been warriors in their own country, not only looked very soldier-like, but they were greatly superior as fighters to the troops recruited from the meek and peace-loving fellaheen of Lower Egypt.

But the current was too strong to be entirely stopped, and it sought secret channels out of reach of governors and garrisons. I was at Khartoum in 1876, during Gordon’s governorship—but at that particular time he