In the morning after this conversation Emin held a council in the divan at which all the officers and officials were present. The decision was left to them whether they should go north or south. “To the south,” was the universal answer. Possibly they had the feeling that Emin favored that direction. Casati was very indignant, but Emin was right. Going to the north through a country subject to the Mahdi, with distant Egypt as their terminus, while Khartoum lay in ashes, was going to certain death. Certainly if the governor had acted without the consent of his people, they would have believed the senseless report that he would sell them as slaves in Unjoro and there make his escape to the coast alone. Emin’s black soldiers were not accustomed to yield absolute obedience. From time to time their opposition had to be overcome by the lash, and who can say that they might not finally have made a successful resistance when they found themselves leaving their homes and wandering about in unknown regions? In the meantime Emin went south with his whole force, officials, wives, and children, and piles of baggage to establish himself at his residence in Madelai. No Mahdist disturbed the expedition nor did they hear of pursuit or any attempt to cut them off. Casati had taken too gloomy a view of the situation. In Madelai they heard nothing of the fearful hordes of Kerem Allah. The people gladly turned to farm labor and the looms were at work again. Emin resumed his scientific pursuits and had it not been for his utter seclusion from the world and his lack of ammunition which had been nearly exhausted in subduing the savages in his vicinity, he and his people, who were absolutely loyal to him, might have been glad to remain to the end of their lives in this lost nook of the world. It was imperative, however, to secure the possibility of return, and on this account Casati was sent to King Kabrega at Unjoro, whom Emin had previously known and who had given him many proofs of his friendship. Chapter VI Casati’s Adventure