Programme--Start from Cairo--Arrive at Berber--Plan of Exploration-- The River Atbara--Abyssinian Affluents--Character of Rivers--Causes of Nile Inundations--Violence of the Rains--Arrival at Khartoum-- Description of Khartoum--Egyptian Authorities--Taxes--The Soudan-- Slave-Trade of the Soudan--Slave-Trade of the White Nile--System of Operations--Inhuman Proceedings--Negro Allies--Revelations of Slave-Trade--Distant Slave Markets--Prospects of the Expedition-- Difficulties at the Outset--Opposition of the Egyptian Authorities-- Preparations for Sailing--Johann Schmidt--Demand for Poll-Tax-- Collision before starting--Amiable Boy!--The Departure--The Boy Osman --Banks of White Nile--Change in Disposition of Men--Character of the River--Misery of Scene--River Vegetation--Ambatch Wood--Johann's Sickness--Uses of Fish-skin--Johann Dying--Johann's Death--New Year --Shillook Villages--The Sobat River--Its Character--Bahr Giraffe-- Bahr el Gazal--Observations--Corporal Richarn--Character of Bahr el Gazal--Peculiarity of River Sobat--Tediousness of Voyage--Bull Buffalo--Sali Achmet killed--His Burial--Ferocity of the Buffalo-- "The Clumsy" on the Styx--Current of White Nile--First View of Natives --Joctian and his Wife--Charming Husband--Natron--Catch a Hippopotamus--"Perhaps it was his Uncle"--Real Turtle is Mock Hippopotamus--Richarn reduced to the Ranks--Arrival at the Zareeba-- Fish Spearing--The Kytch Tribe--White Ant Towers--Starvation in the Kytch Country--Destitution of the Natives--The Bull of the Herd--Men and Beasts in a bad Temper--Aboukooka--Austrian Mission Station--Sale of the Mission-House--Melancholy Fate of Baron Harnier--The Aliab Tribes--Tulmuli of Ashes--The Shir Tribe--The Lotus Harvest--Arrival at Gondokoro--Discharge Cargo CHAPTER II. BAD RECEPTION AT GONDOKORO. Reports of Speke and Grant--The Bari Tribe--Description of the Natives --Effects of poisoned Arrows--Hostility of the Bari Tribe--Atrocities of the Trading Parties--Lawlessness at Gondokoro-A Boy shot--The first Mutiny--Decision of my Wife--The Khartoum Escort--Arrival of Speke and Grant--Gladness at meeting them--Their Appearance--Speke and Grant's Discoveries--Another Lake reported to exist--Speke's Instructions--Arrange to explore the Luta N'zige--Scarcity at Gondokoro--Speke and Grant depart to Khartoum CHAPTER III. GUN ACCIDENT.