TheofficershadalwayslookedforwardtothegloriousopportunityofprocuringafewslavesinCentralAfrica，althoughtheycouldnotexactlydefinethemannerofobtainingthem：thusmysevereordersuponthissubjectcausedaseriousheart-burning，andadesiretogiveupsobarrenanexpedition。
Thestationwasnowcomplete，andwellfortifiedbyaditchandearthwork。Myownlittlestationwasthepictureofneatness。IhadtwoacresofthefinestEgyptiancottongalleen。Everyinchoftheknollwashighlycultivated，thelawnwascloselycut，andthediahbeeah，whichwasourhome，laysnuglyalongsidethebank，closetowhichwasalittlesummer-house，surroundedbyaprolificgarden。ThiswasalittlegemofcivilizationsetinthemiddleofsavageAfrica。My”FortyThieves”wereperfectgentlemenincomparisonwiththelineregiments。
Thesanitaryarrangementsofthestationweregood；therewasverylittlesickness，atthesametimethatupwardsof400mensufferedfromulceratedlegsathead-quarters。
Ourdomesticsweremuchimproved。Thosewhohadbeenslavesliberatedbymefromthetraders’vesselsatTewfikeeyah，hadlearnttheirduties，andhadbecomeveryuseful。Mywifehadtrainedsomenicegirlsofseventeenoreighteentohouseholdduties，inadditiontohalfadozenexcellentboys，whowereallneatlyclothed，andkeptinadmirablediscipline。AmongthesewastheAbyssinianboy，”Amam，”whohadlatelyreceivedhisfreedom。Hewasaprettylittlelad，andhisbrowncomplexionlookedquitelightincomparisonwithhiscoal-blackcomrades。TheAbyssinianbloodshowedinstrongcontrasttothenegrotypearoundhim，andhewasfarsuperiorinintelligencetoanyoftheCentralAfricans。
ThegirlswereunderoldKarka，whohadbeenwithusthroughoutourformerjourney。ThisoldwomanwasveryproudbecauseIhadgiven12topurchaseherfreedominKhartoum。Shewasagoodoldsoul，butwonderfullyfondoffineclothes；andongreatoccasionsshealwaysturnedoutincloudsofsnowymuslinwithrededgesandfringe，likeayoungAbyssinianbeauty。Itwasamusingtoseeheremergefromherhutinfullcostume，herbroad，flatfacebeamingwithsmilesinhappyconsciousnessofuniversaladmiration。