DESPOTISM AND COMMEECE. 
21 
grain and stores of every description ; as she is the swiftest boat on 
the river^ in ail probability will arrive at her destination in twenty- 
seven days. I fear that Mr. Baker and Captain Speke^ by their 
expressed doubts as to Petherick keeping his promise with regard 
to sending a boak &c._, have inflicted needless pain upon the family 
of the former. 
There was a great difficulty getting the Kathleen ^ off ; she 
was ready a week before she sailed. Upon the Pasha^s return 
from Alexandria the end of last November^ the first step he took 
was to lay an impost of two months^ pay on all the soldiers^ sailors,, 
&c.^ who were going up the White Biver^ deducting this from 
their wages; last year he put on one mouthy it now amounts to 
three^ and as the sailors have work only for about half the year^ it 
is impossible that they can pay^ thus it falls upon their employers. 
All Khartoum is in an uproar^ and the men of the boats have been 
scattering themselves over the country. Mr. Baker, when he left 
last year, refused to pay the one montlPs impost ; it remains to be 
seen how that question will be settled. 
Petherick asserts that the Pasha should have given timely 
notice ere a new tax was levied, as all the traders^ boats were on 
the point of starting when the order so unexpected was issued. 
Petherick wrote to the Pasha to that effect, and requested 
that, at least, travellers might be exempt from the tax ; but no — 
he refused, so Petherick paid for Baker, but under protest. 
^^The most iniquitous act has been in the case of the Dutch 
ladies. Three of their boats had sailed ere the arrival of the 
Pasha, their dahabyeli remaining, as it was hoped that the steamer 
might be hired to tow her through the lake, as the ladies are in 
some trouble; but the Pasha would not let her go; moreover, he 
insisted upon the tax being paid on the boats wBich had previously 
