506 LETTERS TO DR. FELKIN. 



accomplished — but who will help us ? Will your merchants, 

 indeed, wait until it is too late ? The cardinal question at 

 the present time is, in my opinion, not the reoccupation of 

 the Sudan, and money and men sacrificed for deserts and 

 sands, but that we should be supported, and our country pre- 

 vented from relapsing into barbarism and the slave-trade. 

 Into whosoever hands this country falls, the northern Sudan 

 — that is to say, Khartum, &c. — will naturally, after a time, 

 give in its allegiance. But enough of this. You cannot 

 think of the almost childish joy with which my people and I 

 received the caravan from Uganda. At the same time, we 

 are certainly proud of the way in which we have been able to 

 help ourselves whilst cut off from all external supplies. I send 

 you a sample of the beautiful pocket-handkerchiefs we have 

 made from cotton that we planted and spun ourselves. I 

 hope, too, you will like the shoes. Instead of sugar we use 

 honey ; instead of coffee, the seeds of a species of Hibis- 

 cus ; instead of stearine, candles made of wax ; soap has been 

 made from tallow and the ashes of various trees. With meat, 

 a few vegetables and oil procured from the semsem seed have 

 prevented us from starving. The tobacco we are growing now 

 is very good. And then, think of the Temperance Question. 

 If Sir Wilfrid Lawson could only see us, he would take the 

 greatest pleasure in most of us. A hard time, truly, we have 

 had, and yet the hard time has been of some good, for the 

 old proverb, " Necessity is the mother of invention," has 

 proved itself to be true even in our case. I am, notwithstand- 

 ing, very thankful to God that the way to Uganda does seem 

 to be rather more open ; and it is to be hoped that, with 

 plenty of ivory, and with the help of Mr. Mackay's friendly 

 services, I may be able to get enough cloth, &c, to clothe the 

 wives and children of my poor people respectably. They have 

 stuck bravely to me, and deserve, indeed, the best government 

 and help which could possibly be given them. . . . 



And now I must end. All my people send you their hearty 

 greetings. They remember you everywhere, with affection. 



