f is the best officer," and his visit to Berber
hastened the arrival of the supplies which were necessary for his
subsequent operations. His staff consisted of Colonel Long, of the
United States Army, who had accompanied him to Gondokoro and been left
there; Major Campbell, Egyptian Staff; Mr Kemp, an engineer; M.
Linant, a Frenchman; Mr Anson, Mr Russell, and the Italian Romulus
Gessi. Two Royal Engineer officers, Lieutenants Chippendall and
Charles Watson, joined him before the end of the year. He worked very
hard himself, and he expected those under him to do the same. The
astonished Egyptian officials looked on in amazement at one in high
rank, who examined into every detail himself, and who took his turn of
the hard work. One of Gordon's forms of recreation was to get out and
help to pull his _dahabeah_. Tucking up his trousers, he would wade
through the river fearlessly, having learnt from the natives that
crocodiles never attack a person moving.

At first Ismail Yakoob and his colleagues were filled with curiosity
and amusement at this phenomenal Englishman--so different, not merely
from themselves, but from other Europeans--then apprehension seized
them as to what he would do next in the way of exposing their neglect
of duty, and finally only the capacity for one sentiment was
left--relief whenever he turned his back on Khartoum.

Having collected his staff and supplies, he started up the Nile once
more, to begin the establishment of the line of fortified posts, which
he had resolved on as the best means of maintaining and extending his
own authority, and at the same time of curtailing the raids of the
slave-dealers. The first of these forts or stations he established at
the entrance of the Saubat river, and while there he made a discovery
which showed how the slave-trade flourished with such impunity. He
seized some letters from a slave-dealer to the Egyptian commander at
Fashoda, stating that he was bringing him the slaves he wanted for
himself and many others, besides 2000 cows. By several skilful
manoeuvres Gordon succeeded in rescuing all of them, restoring the
cows to their owners, and compelling the soldiers of the slavehunters
to return to their homes, generally in or near Khartoum. Nor was this
his only success during the first two months of his government, for he
detected one of his lieutenants in the act of letting a slave convoy
pass in return for a bribe of L70. On this occasion he had the
satisfa