the slave-trade. "I will do it," he said, "for I value my life as
naught, and should only leave much weariness for perfect peace."

How hard he found his task to ameliorate the condition of the wretched
inhabitants, we perceive from such an outburst as this, amongst many
similar: "What a mystery, is it not? Why are they created? A life of
fear and misery, night and day! One does not wonder at their not fearing
death. No one can conceive the utter misery of these lands--heat and
mosquitoes day and night all the year round. But I like the work, for I
believe I can do a great deal to ameliorate the lot of the people."

This spirit of unselfishness and of a sublime charity runs through all
his work. Every man, black or white, was "neighbor" to him, and he ever
fulfilled the command of his Lord, to "love his neighbor as himself."
Against oppression he could, however, be stern and severe. Not a few
ruffians whom he caught red-handed in flagrant acts of cruelty were
executed without mercy. So that the same man who, by the down-trodden
people, was called the "Good Pasha," was to the robber and murderer a
terror and avenger.

When at Khartoum he was on one occasion installed with a royal salute,
and an address was presented, and in return he was expected to make a
speech. His speech was as follows: "With the help of God, I will hold
the balance level." The people were delighted, for a level balance was
to them an unknown boon. And he held it level all through his long and
glorious reign, which lasted, with small break, from February, 1874,
until August, 1879.

During those five years and a half he had traveled over every portion of
the huge territory which was placed under him--provinces extending all
the way to the Equatorial Lakes. Besides riding through the deserts on
camels and mules 8,490 miles in three years, he made long journeys by
river. He conveyed a large steamer up the Nile as far as Lake Albert
Nyanza, and succeeded in floating her safely on the waters of that
inland sea. He had established posts all the way from Khartoum to
Gondokora, and reduced that enormous journey from fifteen months to only
a few weeks. He writes respecting these posts in January, 1879: "I am
putting in all the frontier posts European Vakeels, to see that no slave
caravans come through the frontier. I do not think that any now try to
pass; but the least neglect of vigilance would bring it on again in no
time."

This is only one out of hun