”Itwouldbeadisgracetotoleratethesethieves，asGondokoroisrenderedaperfecthell，andthenativeswillnaturallyabhoranylawfulgovernmentsolongastheycanconsortandsharespoilswithsuchbrigandsastheseso-calledtradersofKhartoum。”UponmyreturnhomeIwroteanofficiallettertoAbouSaoodofwhichthefollowingisacopy：——”ISMAILIA，orGONDOKORO，June12，1871。”ToAbouSaood，vakeelofthefirmofAgad&Co。”Sir，”Youarrivedhereonthe10thinst。withalargenumberofcattlestolenbyyouandyourpeople。”You，knowingthattheBariswereatwarwiththegovernment，haveneverthelessbeenindailyandfriendlycommunicationwiththem。”TheBarisofthiscountryarerenderedhostiletoallhonestgovernmentbytheconductofyourpeople，who，bystealingslavesandcattlefromtheinterior，anddeliveringthemhere，haveutterlydestroyedallhopeofimprovementinapeoplenaturallysavage，butnowrenderedbyyouractsthievesoftheworstdescription。”ItisimpossiblethatIcanpermitthecontinuanceofsuchacts。”Ithereforegiveyouduenoticethatattheexpirationofyourcontractyouwillwithdrawallyourpeoplefromthedistrictundermycommand。AtthesametimeIdeclaretheforfeituretothegovernmentofthecattleyouhaveforciblycapturedundertheeyesofmyauthority。”SAMUELW。BAKER。”
TheonlyerrorthatIcanacknowledgethroughouttheexpeditionwasmypresentleniency。IshouldatoncehaveplacedAbouSaoodinirons，andhavesenthimtoKhartoum，insteadofleavinghimatlargetocarryonhisintriguesagainstthegovernment。
IintendedonthefirstopportunitytosendnoticetotheShirtribeofthesafetyoftheircattle，butanincidentshortlyoccurredthatalteredmydetermination。Thesecattlewerekeptinaseparatepenorzareeba，andwereguardedwhenatpasturagebyspecialsoldiersforsomeweeks，inorderthattheyshouldbereturnedtotheShirtribeuponthefirstopportunity。
AtthesametimethatAbouSaoodwasindisgrace，hewasabosomfriendofthecolonel，RaoufBey，whocommandedmytroops。Theydinedtogetherconstantlyinthehouseofthelatterofficer，andtheirfriendshiphadoriginallycommencedinKhartoumduringthelongintervalthattheregimentswereawaitingmyarrivalfromCairo。ItwasduringthatintervalthattheofficersoftheexpeditionhadfraternizedwiththeWhiteNiletraderswhoresidedatKhartoum。
Theresultofsuchintimacymightbeimagined。