r body of
slave-dealers--157 in number--and having chained them, sent them under
a guard as prisoners to his own camp. Then he seized Suleiman and ten
of his chief supporters, and shot them on the spot. Thus perished
Suleiman, the son of Zebehr, in whose name and for whose safety he had
gone into revolt, in the very way that Gordon had predicted two years
before in the midst of his brigand power at Shaka; and thus, with a
remarkable combination of skill and courage, did Gessi bring his
arduous campaign of twelve months' duration to a victorious
conclusion.

Although the credit of these successful operations was entirely due to
Gessi, it must not be supposed that General Gordon took no part in
controlling them; but, for the sake of clearness, it seemed advisable
to narrate the history of the campaign against Suleiman without a
break. Early in 1879, when Gessi, after obtaining some successes, had
been reduced to inaction from the want of ammunition, Gordon's anxiety
became so great on his account that he determined to assume the
command in person. His main object was to afford relief to Gessi by
taking the field in Darfour, and putting down the rebels in that
province, who were on the point of throwing in their lot with
Suleiman. Gordon determined therefore to march on Shaka, the old
headquarters of Zebehr and his son. On his march he rescued several
slave caravans, but he saw that the suppression of the slave trade was
not popular, and the contradictory character of the law and his
instructions placed him in much embarrassment. Still, he saw clearly
that Darfour was the true heart of the slave trade, as the supply from
Inner Africa had to pass through it to Egypt, and he thought that a
solution might be found for the difficulty by requiring every one of
the inhabitants to have a permission of residence, and every traveller
a passport for himself and his followers. But neither time nor the
conditions of his post allowed of his carrying out this suggestion. It
remains, however, a simple practical measure to be borne in mind when
the solution of the slave difficulty is taken finally in hand by a
Government in earnest on the subject, and powerful enough to see its
orders enforced.

General Gordon reached Shaka on 7th April, and at once issued a notice
to the slave-dealers to quit that advantageous station. He also sent
forward reinforcements of men and stores to Gessi, but in a few days
they returned, with a message from