Miss Poles was waiting for us.
"The Baroness," said she, "will receive you whenever you wish, but
she begs you first of all to glance over these papers. She has just
read them, and says that they are addressed to you rather than to
her, since M. de Guéran has no idea that she is in Africa."
I took the papers, and drew de Morin into my tent.
"I feared," said I, "that Madame de Guéran would refuse to receive us
to-day, and I was astonished at her message."
"You were wrong to fear anything of the kind. The Baroness knows very
well that though, as Frenchmen, we may rejoice over the actual and
officially-reported resurrection of M. de Guéran, we are rather sorry
for it from another point of view. She knows also that we shall bring
with us somewhat gloomy countenances, and, with her usual bravery,
she wishes to confront us as soon as possible, and arm herself
against our despair. Moreover, we must not forget that ever since we
left Khartoum, her position towards us has been as open and clearly-defined
as possible; she has not concealed from us her conviction
that she should find her husband again, that she did not believe
herself to be a widow, and that, instead of having to kneel at the
tomb of a dead man, she hoped soon to throw herself into the arms of
a living one. She begged us not to follow her; it was our idea not to
leave her; so that it is not her fault if we have cherished the hope
that M. de Guéran might be dead and buried."
"You are a walking hand-book of logic," I replied, determined not to
be behind de Morin in the matter of forced spirits. "Let us study the
revelations of the _ci-devant_ corpse."
These revelations were written in pencil on some sheets of paper torn
out of the self-same note book which had already on several occasions
been used by the Baron in his communications.
I have copied these notes into the journal of the expedition, and not
into the private memorandum book wherein I jot down, every day, my
own personal impressions.
"From the bottom of my heart I thank the European expedition, which,
after having so courageously set out in search of me, is to-day bent
on rescuing me. But I cannot join it in the Malegga territory, nor
can I permit it to come to my aid in Ulindi.
"Flight is out of the question, for all the inhabitants of the
country are, in a way, my gaolers. They know that the Queen intends
to keep me prisoner, and nobody would dare to oppose her will.
"Three months ago I attempted to escape, and I got as far as five
leagues in the direction of the mountains. On the day after I started
all Walinda's guards were despatched in pursuit of me, and discovered
my hiding-place. I was conducted back to the royal residence with
every mark of respect, but the whole of the villages through which I
had passed, and where I was supposed to have received hospitality,
were burnt by order of the Queen, and all their inhabitants put to
death. More than three hundred beings were massacred. I have no
longer any right to escape.
"Neither do I think that I have any right, for the sake of regaining
my liberty, to expose Europeans to certain death. The expedition,
which so generously offers me its assistance, has already overcome so
many obstacles, and surmounted so many and great dangers, that it
deems itself capable of emerging safe and sound out of a fresh
adventure. It is mistaken; the Walindis do not in any way resemble
the other tribes which inhabit the north. They are stronger and more
dangerous than the most numerous and most warlike tribes on the
African continent. A day, perhaps an hour, will suffice for them to
crush a caravan, notwithstanding the bravery of its soldiers, and the
terror caused by fire-arms.
"Two vices, carried to excess, sensuality and sloth, appear to have
developed the warlike instincts of this tribe. Determined not to
cultivate their ground, more irregular, be it known, than the
neighbouring districts, disinclined to breed cattle, hunters and
fishers without any natural bent in that direction, but gluttons to
excess, and greedy of vegetables, fruits, meat, and fish, the
Walindis have gained a gradual reputation for being able to live at
the expense of their neighbours. Every inhabitant of the country has
turned soldier so as to avoid becoming a husbandman or a shepherd.
"An hereditary and despotic monarchy for a long time presided over
the destinies of this tribe, and transmitted, from reign to reign,
certain traditions and customs, having, for their object, the
maintenance of the warlike spirit of the people. Thus it happened
that a prince, acting on the ideas of his predecessors, formed a
corps of amazons, which later on became a regular army. These women,
enrolled at the age of twelve, are put through a course of training
and exercise, which develops their muscles, renders them wonderfully
active, and fits them to undergo any amount of fatigue and to brave
every danger. One of their exercises consists of hurling themselves,
entirely naked, against a village, defended by fascines of sharp
thorns and surrounded by gigantic cacti, and taking it by assault. It
is a species of petty warfare far more dangerous than ours, where
every combatant leaves strips of flesh behind her, if she does not
sustain, as is frequently the case, severe wounds.
"When they attain the age of fifteen, these young girls, by that time
converted into robust women, with large shoulders and hardy limbs,
active and supple to a degree, are incorporated into the army, which
is composed of five battalions, that is to say, five or six thousand
warriors. Their weapons are terrible; arrows dipped in a deadly
poison, and iron points, like bayonets, which protect their bodies
and render their hugs and embraces mortal.
"It is impossible to give any just idea of the discipline prevailing
amongst them; the most trivial faults are punished in the severest
manner, death being continually decreed. As for rewards, they are
eagerly sought after, and, in the case of the women, consist simply
of the right to marry. This is, in their idea, the supreme recompense
for their fatigue, their sufferings, and their courage. To obtain it,
they must have killed an enemy; the most rigorous celibacy is imposed
on those who have not fulfilled this condition. As soon as their
efforts are crowned with success, they no longer form part of the
active army, but belong to a sort of sedentary militia, constituting
the internal police of the country. Their daughters, unless they are
deformed, in which case the poor little things are pitilessly
massacred, are destined later on to become amazons like their mothers
were.
"Women, therefore, are a formidable element of power amongst the
Walindis, and it followed, very naturally, that one day, having found
out their superiority over the men, they determined to be governed by
a Queen instead of a King. This idea, as far as I can learn, was put
in force about twenty years ago, the reigning Queen, Walinda, having
succeeded, without any masculine interruption, six other sovereigns
of her sex. Her eldest daughter, the heiress to the throne, is being
brought up in the midst of the amazons, whose labours and dangers she
shares. She has no rivals in the shape of brothers to fear, because
all the male children of the Queen are smothered on the day they are
born. This ostracism, applied to our sex amongst the Walindis, is
confined to the throne and the royal dynasty. The government of the
various districts is entrusted to men; the male sex has also its
army, less formidable than that of the amazons, and inferior in
discipline, but far above the armies of other tribes.
"This information, which I beg the European expedition to transmit,
in my name, to our various Geographical Societies, will, I trust,
cause my fellow-countrymen to abandon their designs. I intreat them
to give up all attempt to rescue me. In my soul and my conscience I
feel that they can do nothing for me.
"Let me die in this country, where I have already accomplished some
good, where I hope to do more. Walinda keeps me a prisoner, I admit;
rather than let me leave her dominions, she would put her whole tribe
to death. But when my liberty is not in question, I exercise a
serious influence over her mind. She is gradually getting rid of her
barbarism. I have already succeeded in inducing her to abolish many
bloody customs. I have experienced the joy of saving hundreds of
lives, and I trust to save far more.
"If you had only seen the horrible spectacles at which I had to be
present during the first part of my stay here! Under the pretence of
sacrificing to the Gods, that is to say, to the hideous serpents
elevated by the priests and fetish-mongers, what rivers of blood have
been set flowing under my very eyes! One of these fêtes—heaven save
the mark—lasted a whole week, the Queen, surrounded by her personal
guard, presiding at it. On the first day a hundred prisoners were led
out on to a platform raised in front of the palace. They were seated
in huge baskets, thrown together pell-mell, men and women alike,
their knees forced up to their chins, their arms bound tightly across
their chests, and their mouths stopped with leaves. At a sign from
Walinda, the crowd drew near. I cannot give any idea of the
excitement, the gestures, the contortions, and the ferocity of this
mob. The joy depicted on every face! The voluptuous looks of the
amazons! With craning necks and chests pressed against the platform,
with every nerve in their bodies vibrating with pleasure, they
hungered for their prey, and gloated over the sufferings of their
victims, their nostrils quivering and their sensual mouths half open.
"At a fresh signal the drummers execute a prolonged roll, and a hush
succeeds the former din; the Queen, reclining indolently on her mats,
half rises, and the sacrificing priests, who were awaiting this
signal, commence their office. They drag each prisoner singly from
the baskets, bring him to the front of the platform, show him to the
crowd, and strangle or behead him forthwith. Each execution is
welcomed with cries of joy and frenzied shouts; the spectators leap,
dance, roll themselves on the ground, and become a maddened herd,
whilst the amazons, delirious with delight, drag themselves along
through the dust to kiss the feet of the Queen.
"Well, I hope, nay, I believe that there will be no more such
sacrifices! I have prayed the Queen to allow, to ordain no more. I
have awakened in her breast some feelings of humanity; she has
promised to spare me these hideous sights she even appears to be
conscious of their atrocity.
"Let me be! Let me save fresh victims, and pursue the task imposed on
me by circumstances. Do not interrupt me in my work of regeneration,
my efforts towards gentleness and peace. The good that I can do in
this country will, perhaps, compensate for the wrong I have done in
leaving those who were dear to me, those whom I never ought to have
left.
"Adieu! adieu! my dear friends. Prom the bottom of my heart I thank
you for your efforts to find me, and your plans for my rescue. They
are, alas! beyond realization. It is impossible to save me, nor do I
wish it."