274 SAVAGE SUDAN 



through Egypt, following the Nile all the way from Cairo, 

 or alternatively (occupying a few more days) by way of 

 Suez and the Red Sea. 



At present steam-communication stops at Rejaf, but 

 it won't stop there long. So soon as steam-connection 

 shall have been carried on to the Victoria Nyanza, the 

 traveller will be able to complete the round-trip up the 

 Nile from mouth to source, and thence by the Uganda 

 railway to the Indian Ocean at Mombasa. At present 

 there remains a trifling gap of 100 miles. 



But such a tourist will surely not be justified in 

 describing his luxurious progress as: ''Thrilling ex- 

 periences on an adventurous journey of exploration ; 

 Through the big-game country from the Cape to Cairo." 

 Thus, nevertheless, a fellow-passenger whom we met on 

 a Nile steamer (to all appearance quite innocuous) 

 recorded the exploit of a voyage by steam around the 

 Continent, with a short cut across this corner of it! 



As recorded, we met with elephants both to the north 

 of the Sudd and also at one point in the Sudd itself. 

 Such occurrences, however, are exceptional ; but once 

 the traveller has emerged from those hideous wastes 

 the spectacle of elephant - herds may fairly be described 

 as an everyday incident, and a few typical instances 

 may be related. Some day, perchance, these records may 

 have a historic value ; since it is conceivable that sights 

 such as these nowadays witnessed almost daily will, 

 as the years pass by, become hardly credible -on the 

 very banks of the most important navigable waterway of 

 Africa. The recent story of the Sudan and its development 

 since this century opened, are among the romances of my 

 lifetime. For I can recall Baker's days among early 

 memories, and while I write (April, 1913) the British 

 Government have guaranteed a three-million loan for 

 cotton-growing. 1 For the moment the project is con- 



1 This reads like ancient history to-day 1921 ; while correcting these 

 proof-sheets, I note that yet further millions are being guaranteed ! 



