_January 21st._--Dispatch Mr. Bonny by rail to Plymouth to overtake a steamer bound for India and instruct him to debark at Suez with boy and await me.
Left London at 8.5 P.M. for Egypt. Quite a crowd collected to take a final shake of the hands and to bid me a kindly "God speed."
----- [A] No. 2 clashes with No. 3 somewhat. Khartoum and the Soudan are not synonymous terms. To withdraw the garrison of Khartoum is an easy task, to evacuate the Soudan is an impossibility for a single person.
[B] This is the only clearly worded despatch that I have been able to find in the Blue Book of the period.
[C] This route would be through Masai Land.
[D] See Appendix for full statement of Receipts and Expenditure.
Surgeon T. H. Parke--Views of Sir Evelyn Baring, Nubar Pasha, Professor Schweinfurth and Dr. Junker on the Emin Relief Expedition--Details relating to Emin Pasha and his Province--General Grenfell and the ammunition--Breakfast with Khedive Tewfik: message to Emin Pasha--Departure for Zanzibar--Description of Mombasa town--Visit to the Sultan of Zanzibar--Letter to Emin Pasha sent by messenger through Uganda--Arrangements with Tippu-Tib--Emin Pasha's Ivory--Mr. Mackenzie, Sir John Pender and Sir James Anderson's assistance to the Relief Expedition.
_January 27th, 1887._--Arrived at Alexandria 6 A.M. Surgeon T. H. Parke of the A.M.D. came to my hotel and applied for the position of surgeon to the Expedition. It was the one vacancy not yet filled to my satisfaction. I considered it a Godsend, though I appeared distant, as I had had two most unpleasant experiences with medical men, both of whom were crotchetty, and inconsistent in England. An extremely handsome young gentleman--diffident somewhat--but very prepossessing. To try if he were in earnest I said, "If you care to follow me to Cairo, I will talk further with you. I have not the time to argue with you here."
Left Alexandria at 10 A.M. for Cairo. At the station I met Sir Evelyn Baring, whom I had read of in Gordon's journals. We drove to Sir Evelyn's house and was told in his straightforward and clearest manner that there was a hitch somewhere. The Khedive and Nubar Pasha, the Prime Minister, were doubtful as to the wisdom of the Congo route. Professor Schweinfurth and Dr. Junker had both been struck with consternation, and by their manner had expressed that the idea was absurd.