The New York herald., 1879-10-09
GORD0N'S EQUATORIAL EMPIRE.
Rise and Fall of the Khedive's
Power in Africa
AMERICANS IN THE SOUDAN.
Suppression of Slavery in the Upper
Nile Modem Myth.

To THE EDrToR OF THE HKrALD:-
Recent advices and cable dispatches from Cairo to
Tho HERALD have notified the world that the newly
established and much vaunted equatorial empire
established under the joint patronage of England
and the Khedive five years ago. with Gordon Pacha
IS its absolute ruler. is in terrible straits and
crumbling to pieces. As these kilograms throw but
little light tho subject to persons unacquaintsd
with the secret history of the origin, growth and
real objects of this English protectorate. brief
statement of tho facts may prove instructive well
~ interesting to the public at large. which has
heard so much about Egyptian annexations in Gen.
tral Africa and their beneneent results.
It was once said Of Austria that it was not an EN-
pire. but geographical expression!" With fur
greater truth may this appellaon be given to that
almost imaginary kingdom. composed OF discovered.
diseordant and beigerent African tribes. eternally
1t with. and occasionally eating each other. into
whose territory stranger Of any could safely
venture. annexed by proclamation to Egypt. and
placed under the governorship Of English soldier
Of fortune, with the sanction of his government.
but whose authority has never been acknowledged
beyond sound Of his drum beat range of his re-
peating riAes.
MEHEMEr ALI's WORK.
Tho boundaries Of Egypt proper are the Mediter-
Tanean the north. and the Cataract OF Assonan
on the SOUTH but Mehemet ALL half q century ago.
annexed several provinces IN Central Africa and
bordering the Nile. with indehnite bound
aries. under tho general of The Sou
dan. Pursuing his defeated foes. the Name
lukes into Dongoa. and driving the Arab
sheiks out Of Nubia he seized that province and
pushed his explorations into Kordofan and sennaat
and the countries extending from the White and Blue
Niles far down into Central Africa. Thither he sent
expcditionary corps. which Brought back many
slaves and reduced the inhabitants nominally TO
Egyptian sway. In 1880 Mehemet Ali visited his new
acquisitions in person. going as Ear as Fazoug now
and ever since converted into African Cayenne.
from whence State prisoners never return deadly
IL its climate. At the time he established
Khartoum the capital of the Soudan declared the
navigation Of the White Nile free established mill
tary posts on the White and Blue Niles and encour
aged men of science and Of adventure explore the
country. He also did his best to Introduce
cial ideas into the minds of the ssvsges of Con-
trial Africa. and sought to turn the current Of
trade in ivory. dates. grains. spices. gums.
ostrich feathers and cattle toward Egypt
It's natural outlet. But this great worked with
inferior tools, and his plans and purposes frus
trated by the greed and perhdy Of his agents. who
organized q small inferno thcre and made Khartoum
The headquarters of the native slave hunters and
lave traders. The native population rebeiled and it
required the presence Of armed Egyptian force
SOLICIT taxes in any part of the SoudAn while the
cost Of suppressng insurrcction made the province
burden. In 1857 when Said. the of Mehemet,
was Viceroy, he. in imitation of his father. made
visit to the Soudan to examine into rectify the
abuses under which the people groaned and the
province was made almost valueless. His predeces-
sor. Abbxs. had wrung money out of the natives
there by establishing reign of terror and using
ternately. the bayonet aud tho kourbash. or hippo
potamus hide whip. the most terrible Of scourges,
and the trade In ivory and human flesh went brskly
under tho auspices Of the ruthless agents invested
with his authority.
sAIp's TOUR INSPECTION.
Following in the footsteps of his father, Said
sought TO remedy these wrongs and perfect that
fathers ssRacious plans and purposes In the spring
OF 1857 accompanied by an army Of 5000 men and
several foreign men OF science lone of whom DR..
Abbate an Italian physician, wrote al account of
the trp the Vceroy left Cairo to make tour of in
spcction OF the provinces of the Soudan then Ave in
number. From the size of hts army it was sup
posed that he medtated further snnexations. but
with the caprice which natural to his character
he suddenly altered his intentions and his plan,
left his army with its warlike equipments and long
train Of baggage wagons behind. when not half the
Journey accomplished. and with u small retinue
pushed fesressly without them and lett HIS army
to return to Egypt. Arriving at Berber he
toum aud announced the abolition of slavery,
withdrew his garrison from the town and
Goyernos Re .hen proceeded oVer the desaas
by Korosko to Khartoum. summoned all the notables
Of the neighborhood. named new governors oyer
the five provinces and in their instructions laid
down charter of rights and explanation of their
duties toward the Egyptian government by which.
to use his own language. he sought "to insure the
prosperity OF the people. improve their condition
release them from unjust burdens and abuses OF
those In authority and point out their duties to
them" He also commanded the establishment of
modes Of speedy and regular communication between
the soudsn and his capital through postal service
OF feet dromedaries through the desert. and
sternly announced his intention to punish
any governor or agent OF his who should
i've account of this expedition, published by
Plon. Of Paris In lB5S. IL full of information to
she country. Said Pachs also conceived the idea Of
connecting tho Soudsn with Egypt by railway or
eanal and sent the famous French engineer. Hougcl
Bey, TO examine the possibility of doing so but
was deterrcd by the expense OF these undertakings
The late Khodive for the reasons had to aDan-
don simlar project after building about two hun
drcd and fifty miles of railway above Cairo-the
hrst link only of the chain. Great ravines called
wsdys tho rsins the floods the dritt sands of tbc
desert and the terrible white ON ts which destroy ali
wooden work. tho sleepcrs of railways lasting but
.tew woeks under their attacks-ali these present
immense difficulties to railway construction there.
SLAVERY STILL THRIvIEo.
The good intentions of Said pscha wcre but par
tally carried out, owing to the character of his
subordnstes Slavery and the slave trade continued
to flourish. but confidence being partially restored,
CATO and taxes were paid rendering tHe sondan
. regular source of income to Egypt, credited
In her budgets under Ismsil at about half million
annually for taxes, while the proceeds of the trade
must have been very considerable. When Ismail
succosdcd to the throne tho idea of annexing
Equatorial African territory and absorbing Of
its trade inspired him with the idea of enlsting
foreign aid and energy therein. Ho secured Sir Sam
ucl baker for this task. engaging his services for
four years annual salary of 500. coo; supplied
him with q magnificent outht, including small
steamers built expressly for the navigation OF the
Upper Nile trfbutaries. arms. ammunition. tents.
supplies-all the most liberal scale. He gave him
power to raise Az large army as he nccdcd. sup
plying him with force of disciplined Egyptian
troops "a . nucleus. and assigned him the absolute
aovernorship Of all Equatorial Africa outside of tho
Soudsn which he might annex. How Sir Samuel
Bskcr employed all those rosonrces for that term;
how he explored. colonized (by encampments).
hunted and slew the larger and smaller game. in
cudng tho natives of whom he occasionally made
baNues. hrs own bulky volumes OF personal nara
tive details most circums tantzlly. To his credit
" must be said. there Is no cant or humbug about
6ir Samual; but he made the country too
hot to hold him. by provoking tho hostility of the
native tribes and. he alleged because of tho hos
nly OF the slave traders. who mao the beie
nY all tho EnQlah adYanturars h.a la Iailnd 10