ANTI-SLAVE TRADE WAR IN AFRICA.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1176, 6 May 1872, Page 2

ANTI-SLAVE TRADE WAR IN AFRICA.

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales has forwarded for publication copies of letters received from Sir Samuel Baker, with the dates of August 26, and October 19, 1871. The first is written from Ismailia(Gondokoro), Africa, N. lat. 4.55 deg. Sir Samuel, having crossed the desert with 400 camels, arrived at Khartoum, January 7, 1870. All that he could personally arrange had been rapidly carried out, but the Egyptian authorities had got nothing ready at Khartoum, "and all people, high and low, were averse to the expedition to suppress.the slave'trade of the Nile." There had been premeditated delays in Egypt,and instead of finding six steamers and thirty vessels from Egypt, together with twenty-five at Khartoum, there was absolutely nothing except a house at Khartoum that had been purchased by the . Governor for Sir Samuel's residence. " Nothing can better explain the determination of the, authorities to thwart the Viceroy's; expedition by a passive resistance, for which plausible excuses would be forthcoming. The. 500 men, as the advance division, had hot been dispatched ; in fact, nothing had been done." Sir Samuel's first capture was from the Egyptian Governor of Fashoda— the latter station was established ostensibly to dominate the river and suppress the slave trade in Said Pasha's time, but Sir Samuel nowcaught the Governor in. . the act of kidnapping women and children. . He released the slaves and reported the Governor to the Viceroy. During his stay of seven months at Tewfikeezah he stopped all vessels, released the- slaves, aha 'pat the principal traders in irons. Thus not a slave passed down the river in 1870. In a subsequent part of his letter Sir Samuel Baker writes :— .. Thank God we are all here with all v the material of the expedition. I have 1000 troops all in good condition, together with ten mountain guns. Lady Baker and I have through all difficulties ! and climates been in excellent health. Lieutenant J. A. Baker, R.N., and Mr Higgin botham form the European party, exclusive of six English mechanics. I took formal possession of Go idokoro in t";e name of Egypt, hoisted the flatf »nd saluted with 21 guns, giving the name of Ismailia to the new station. Upon my arrival in the Bari country I met the quasi-hostile reception that I had always expected from these Bavages. The Bans

were always the worst tribe of the White Nile, but they have been rendered hopelessly bad by their long alliance with the slave traders. Gondokoro has been depot for slaves and cattle plundered from the tribes of the interior, and the Bans have fattened on the spoil— thns robbers employed by robbers will not welcome a Government that enforces law and order. I summoned a meeting of the chiefs. There is no head to the tribe, but each Tillage has its little head man or chief, none of whom have any real authority. The Boris quickly declared against annexv tion to Egypt, and refused to acknowledge the "Viceroy's authority. They also refused to provide the troops with provisions, by sale or exchange. They attacked my people, and wounded two men with arrows. lat once declared war, and I have already given them several lessons, which must snow them that the troops are very different from the irregular bands of the traders. My black troops are excellent. I wbh I could say as much for the Egyptians, many of whom are convicts transported to the Soudan for felonies. I have them all tight in hand. In his latest letter, written from fourteen miles south of Gondokoro, Sir Samuel speaks of disaffection on the part of both

officers and men, owing to their reluctance (0 put down tlie slave trade The officers on tho 12th inst. declared in writing their intention to abandon the expedition and to return with tho troops to Khartoum. Tho declaration was also signed by tho Colonel (Rnonf Bey) in command, on tho pica of tho scai'city of corn. I think I have checkmated them by at onco leading them to this land of abundanco on the main rivor, which is tho granary of the country, and I have forwarded to the Viceroy tho written declaration of tho officers, with a request that ho will express his opinion in the most severe terms upon so gross a breach of discipline. I send by this opportunity 30 vessels to Khartoum, with all the sick and refractory, together with their women and all useless mouths. I shall thus be reduced in numerical strength, but, in fact, I shall be stronger, as the number being lessened by about 700, the provisions will last the longer. Although the Bans have always been considered dangerous, I have nothing to fear from them now that they have been well beaten ; and I trust that in a few months the country will be in peace,