BIB_ID
192915
Accession number
MA 4211
Creator
Baker, Samuel White, Sir, 1821-1893.
Display Date
1873 May 20.
Credit line
Purchased on the Fellows Fund, with the special assistance of Richard D. O'Connor and Virginia S. Warner, 1985.
Description
1 item (4 pages) ; 21.5 x 13.6 cm + envelope
Notes
This letter was written at the end of Baker's term as governor-general of the equatorial Nile basin, to which he had been appointed by Ismail Pasha, Khedive of Egypt and Sudan. Baker was tasked with "annexing the equatorial Nile basin, establishing Egyptian authority over the region south of Gondokoro, suppressing the slave trade, introducing cotton cultivation, organizing a network of trading stations throughout the annexed territories, and opening the great lakes near the equator to navigation" (from Baker's DNB biography).
Addressed to "His Grace / The Duke of St. Albans / Bestwood / Nottingham / Angleterre".
Note at the end of the letter reads "Khartoum 1 July 1873 arrived here all well."
On stationery with a letterhead consisting of a fly and the initials "S" and "W".
Additional information available in the Collection File.
Addressed to "His Grace / The Duke of St. Albans / Bestwood / Nottingham / Angleterre".
Note at the end of the letter reads "Khartoum 1 July 1873 arrived here all well."
On stationery with a letterhead consisting of a fly and the initials "S" and "W".
Additional information available in the Collection File.
Provenance
Purchased from Sotheby's, 22 May 1985, lot 300.
Summary
Offering his and his wife Florence Baker's sympathy on the death of the duke's wife Sybil Beauclerk; summarizing his achievements as governor-general: "After many difficulties my work is accomplished -- the slave trade of the White Nile is suppressed -- and the country is annexed, including Unyoro -- ; thus Egypt extends to the equator"; writing "I only regret that I have not been working for England who would have built upon the foundations that I have laid -- Should the european element be withdrawn, all the good work that I have done will quickly be destroyed -- No Egyptian that I have seen will work honestly"; describing the "intrigues" that "mar[red] the progress of the expedition": "The slavers incited all tribes against the Govt. and at length had the audacity to attack my small detachment by force -- This ended in the total destruction of their plans, and in great loss of life to the slavers.. Affairs had arrived at a crisis that excused a resort to force upon my part, which at once crushed all opposition"; giving details about the size and deployment of the military force he had with him; describing battles in Unyoro (another name used for the Bantu kingdom of Bunyoro): "I was thus 318 miles from headquarters (Ismailia) -- and had to fight the whole organised forces of Unyoro -- with a mere handful of troops -- and immediately after -- to fight the slavers -- However, the Snider rifles carried all before them"; concluding "Having conquered -- I established the Government -- The natives paid taxes regularly -- and I returned -- thank God successful"; sending news of Lady Baker.
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