220 THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 



ISMAILIA. 



SIR SAMUEL BAKER'S SECOND EXPEDITION. 



CHAPTER XTII. 



EFFORTS TO SUPPRESS THE SLAVE TRADE. 



SIR SAMUEL BAKER published the results of his explorations in 

 Central Africa in a work entitled " The Albert N'Yanza." 

 The book had a large sale and gave him an importance which he 

 no doubt well deserved greater than that of any other African 

 explorer at that time. He had paid particular attention to the 

 slave trade, which was productive of ruin and demoralization 

 among the native tribes, and so faithfully and graphically did he 

 describe the horrors attending the nefarious traffic, that England 

 was aroused and threatened to take such severe measures against 

 those who were engaged in it, that the Khedive of Egypt felt 

 called upon to act, as the slave-hunters were nearly all his 

 subjects. It is unfair, perhaps, to doubt the motives of the 

 Khedive, but certain it is that Khartoum was long known to be a 

 slave station, and that thousands of these poor creatures were 

 sent from there to Cairo and Alexandria with the full knowledge 

 of the Egyptian authorities, who never by word or deed 

 attempted even to mitigate the curse. It was estimated that not 

 less than 50,000 'men, women and children were kidnaped from 

 the tribes of Central Africa annually, and brought captive into 

 Khartoum ; here they were confined in limited quarters reeking 

 with pestilence and filth, so that nearly one-half of the whole 

 number died, while the other half was being disposed of as 

 slaves. 



Baker's descriptions fired the English heart against these 

 revolting cruelties, and the Prince of Wales, on a visit to Egypt, 



