5o2 LETTERS TO DR. SCHWEINFURTH. 



now in Mahagi, that he may return to him. It is clear, 

 then, that all is quiet there, and so the Arab merchants will 

 soon again be passing along the roads between Uganda and 

 Unyoro. I will even try to get some small boxes of specimens 

 conveyed to Sir John Kirk, though most of the rare ones from 

 Monbuttu must remain here for the present. If those I send 

 arrive safely, some light and beautiful things shall follow for 

 you and the Leipzig people. Junker's collections are in Lado ; 

 not a word has been heard of him, and I do not even know if 

 he has arrived safely in Uganda. 



We are just as we were. The men will not move, and the 

 few who are inclined to make the journey dare not speak their 

 minds. Moreover, the disagreement between the Sudanese 

 and Egyptians becomes more marked every day, aud hatred of 

 the latter is openly expressed, only a few of them who enjoy 

 a fairly good reputation being spared. This is certainly not 

 undeserved, for the Egyptian gentlemen have always treated 

 the Sudanese en canaille, in spite of all my warnings, but now 

 the tables are turned. I endeavour to mediate as much as 

 possible ; but can this go on long ? I have made a fresh 

 attempt to bring the men to reason ; if this too fails, I must 

 resign myself to circumstances, and preserve the show of autho- 

 rity which I still possess as long as I can. If the worst comes 

 to the worst, the only thing I can do will be to pat the 

 reins into the hands of the oldest Sudanese officer, withdraw, 

 if possible, to Kabrega's, and wait there until the men have 

 recovered their senses and will follow me — for follow me they 

 will sooner or later. In any case, I will let the Government 

 know by this post all that is going on here. 



I believe, if I may give my candid opinion, that the Govern- 

 ment would act wisely if they paid the men and let them go 

 their own way, or handed them over to Said Bar gash. Every 

 officer and private soldier has his house full of people. You know 

 how they live here, and if this troop actually went to Egypt, 

 or even to Zanzibar, there would be no end to the outcry and 

 scandal about slaves, &c. Besides, as I have already hinted, 

 strict discipline is not to be thought of with such soldiers and 

 officers, and therefore Egypt would gain nothing by them, but 

 would increase its budget to no purpose. The few old rifles 



