468 LETTERS TO DR. SCHWEINFURTH. 



absolutely necessary stations, and have completely evacuated 

 the Fauvera, Fadibek, and Latiika districts. Some of the 

 soldiers thus set free have been employed to strengthen the 

 garrisons of stations situated on the river, but the greater part 

 have been ordered to Makraka and Amadi. The stations ot 

 Bumbek, Ayak, and Bufi are also to be evacuated, for they 

 are quite useless, and monopolise three hundred men, who 

 are therefore not available for our help. If ever a steamer 

 comes, and brings arms and ammunition, I shall be in a 

 position to reoccupy every post which may seem necessary. 

 These repeated evacuations do not tend, of course, to raise the 

 prestige of the Government among the Negroes. If the proper 

 course had been taken from the first, we should not be where 

 we are now. The mischievous prohibitive system, the half- 

 measures, the trifling with the slave-question, the hollow phrases 

 about the equal rights of the Sudanese — all these are bearing 

 fruit now, and my prophecies have been proved only too true. 

 I should long ago have sent an expedition through B5r to 

 the Sobat, in consequence of the strange absence of all news 

 from Khartum, just as I did twice during the time the river 

 was closed in the years 1878—80. But Lupton's information 

 that Fashoda had been given up (Sobat has long been deserted) 

 makes me anxious about my men, for they would have to cut 

 their way through Dinka and Arabs along the whole route 

 between Sobat and Khartum. So this plan is impracticable, 

 and the only thing to do is to exercise patience. A few 

 days ago news reached me that Keremallah, while on the 

 march with his men (perhaps on his way hither !), had suffered 

 a severe defeat from the people of Sabi, and been completely 

 driven back ; he himself had fled. Another version confirms 

 the facts of the battle and defeat, but says that Keremallah was 

 not present at all, but had gone some days before to Kordofan 

 in answer to a summons from the Mahdi. Supposing these 

 reports are true, there still remains the difficulty of under- 

 standing what can have induced the people of Sabi to fight 

 against their countrymen. Abdullahi Wod Abd-es-Samat, chief 

 of this district and nephew of Mohammed Abd-es-Samat, is a 

 true Kenusi and not a Dongolaui, but there are probably genuine 

 Danagla among his men. However that may be, it would be 



