100 
TRAVELS IN CENTRAL AFRICA. 
slave trade on the White Nile than^ to my knowledge, had ever 
heretofore been engaged in any trade on the river. 
The affrays that took place between the negro aborigines and the 
Arabs were described as fearful, and more than one boaks crew of 
the latter had been assailed and totally destroyed by the exasperated 
natives. To make matters, if possible, still worse, the ivory traders 
had resorted to stealing the cattle of the negroes, and turn them 
to good account. Entire herds were seized by bands of marauding 
traders, and, taken to adjoining districts, were readily bartered for 
elephants^ tusks, having become infinitely more valuable than the 
formerly much-coveted glass or copper wares. To the exclusion of 
everything else, a cow became the sole staple for barter of ivory 
or food, and was the only medium that could command porters for 
transport to or from the interior. 
To traverse the interior had consequently become considerably 
more dangerous and difficult, requiring a much larger escort than 
I had been led to anticipate for the navigation of the Nile, not to 
mention the additional protection required for travelling inland. 
In lieu of negro porters, who, according to the new state of things, 
I was no longer able to remunerate, the obligation of taking with 
me beasts of burden was of necessity involved, and to prepay, 
support, and transport additional men and cattle in boats to 
Gondokoro, and thence into the interior, would evidently entail a 
much larger and more costly expedition than I had been provided 
for or had ever anticipated in England. 
The difficulties Speke would have to encounter in working his 
way northwards towards Gondokoro, as soon as he came within the 
scope of the Khartoum traders’ operations, would naturally be pro- 
portionate to my own, and I firmly believed that, unless relieved, 
he would never be able to push his way through such serious and 
