ARRIVAL AT GONDOKORO.
After the usual voyage upon the White Nile, during which we passed the
Bohr and the Shir tribes, and had excellent sport in antelope shooting
when the steamer stopped at forests to cut fuel, we arrived opposite the
old mission station at Gondokoro on April 15, 1871.
I found a great change in the river since my last visit. The old
channel, which had been of great depth where it swept beneath the
cliffs, was choked with sand-banks. New islands had formed in many
places, and it was impossible for the vessels to approach the old
landing-place. We therefore dropped down the stream to a spot where high
ground and a few trees invited us to the east bank. At this place the
traders had founded a new settlement that was now without in habitants,
and was represented by half-a-dozen broken-down old huts.
"The country is sadly changed; formerly, pretty native villages in great
numbers were dotted over the landscape, beneath shady clumps of trees,
and the land was thickly populated. Now, all is desolate: not a village
exists on the mainland; they have all been destroyed, and the
inhabitants have been driven for refuge on the numerous low islands of
the river; these are thronged with villages, and the people are busily
cultivating the soil.
"I sent for the chief, Allorron, who, upon arrival with some other
natives, explained that his country had been destroyed by the attacks of
the people of Loquia at the instigation of the traders. I promised him
protection if he and his people would return to the mainland and become
true subjects to the Khedive. At the same time I informed him that, in
return for protection, his people must cultivate corn, and build the
huts required for the troops upon arrival. This he promised to do, and I
arranged that he should summon a general meeting of the headmen and
their people to-morrow, or as soon as possible.
"I at once cleared a small plot of ground and sowed some garden seeds on
the new soil now annexed to Egypt. My soldiers took a great interest in
the operation, and as we covered the seeds with light earth, we
concluded the sowing with the usual ejaculation-'Biamillah!' (in the
name of God).
"I walked up to the old mission station. Not one brick remains upon
another--all is totally destroyed. The few fruit-trees planted by the
pious hands of the Austrian Missionaries remain in a tangled wilderness
by the river's bank. The beautiful avenue of large lemon trees has been
defaced by the destruction of many boughs, while the ground beneath is
literally covered by many thousands of withered lemons that have fallen
neglected from the branches without a hand to gather them. The natives
will not eat them, thus the delicious fruit has been wasted; perhaps
sixty or eighty bushels have rotted on the earth. I trust that the seeds
I have already sown will have a more useful result than the lost labour
of the unfortunate missionaries. It would be heartbreaking to them could
they see the miserable termination of all their good works.
April 16. --The mileage from the junction of the Bahr Giraffe I have
calculated at 364 to this point (Gondokoro); but I deduct 10 per cent.,
as we took several wrong turns of the river. The distance may be about
330 miles.
From Bahr Giraffe, junction to Gondokoro 330 miles
Upper Nile junction to Dubba on Bahr Giraffe 48 miles
Dubba to Lower Nile junction 300 miles
Lower Nile junction to Sobat 38 miles
Sobat to Khartoum 693 miles
1,409 miles to Gondokoro."
The chief Allorron arrived with a number of his people, and asked for
"araki and cognac!" He is a big and savage-looking naked brute of the
lowest description, his natural vices having been increased by constant
associations with the slave-hunters. This man declared that his people
could not prepare materials for the camp, as the neighbouring tribes
were hostile; and he could not venture to collect bamboos.
I told him that if my orders were not obeyed, the troops would be
obliged to be sheltered in his villages upon arrival, as I could not
allow them to be exposed to the rains.
Both Allorron and his people looked extremely sullen, and although I
always knew the Baris to be the worst tribe in the Nile basin, I was not
prepared for such a morose welcome. I explained to him the object of the
expedition. He seemed quite incredulous, and made some remark to his
followers in his own language with a contemptuous smile. He rather
approved of the idea that slave-taking would be suppressed in his own
tribe, but he could not sympathize with the general principle, and he
asked "What will the slave-traders do?" Colonel Abd-el-Kader replied to
the question by explaining to him my exact position, and the relative
position of the traders. At this he burst out laughing in the rudest
manner. He had seen me and my wife on our former voyage, and he well
remembered that in those days we had been not only helpless in
Gondokoro, but that the traders had spoken of all Europeans with
contempt. He had already hoard from Abou [*] Saood's people of my
expected arrival, by whom he had been incited against the expedition. It
had been explained to him, that if baffled, we should soon become
disgusted, and return to Khartoum. He also remembered that many
Europeans had visited Gondokoro like myself, but none had remained. It
was therefore natural that a brutal savage, whose people were allied
with the slave-traders, to attack and pillage outlying countries, should
not regard with favour a new government that would establish law and
order. For many years Allorron's tribe had been associated with the
slavers, and now that the entire country had been leased to one man,
Abou Saood, he had become the vakeel, or representative of this
individual, by whom he had been thoroughly prepared for our arrival. We
had been expected long ago, but, as already described, the delays
attending the opening of the Suez canal had prevented us from starting.
[*Footnote: The agent of the great company of Agad & Co., who
farmed the district from the government.]
I quickly perceived the real state of affairs. A great number of
Allorron's people were absent in the interior, employed by Abou Saood's
companies as mercenary soldiers. The Baris are a most warlike tribe, and
would make excellent troops; thus they were valuable allies of the
slave-hunters, as the geographical position of Gondokoro rendered it the
only spot that was adapted for an important station. The traders now
possessed of the monopoly of the ivory trade, found no necessity for a
permanent station at Gondokoro, as their interests were watched during
their absence in the interior by their ally Allorron; they accordingly
only visited Gondokoro when they returned periodically from the interior
with their ivory and slaves to meet the vessels from Khartoum.
Allorron was in the habit of despatching messengers to their various
camps (seven or eight days' march for a running negro) to give the
vakeels notice of the arrival of the expected vessels. Many hundreds of
his people had been armed with guns by the traders, therefore his tribe
and the companies of Abou Saood were thoroughly incorporated, brigands
allied with brigands, and Gondokoro had become the nucleus to which the
spoil was concentrated.
These were people by whom the blessings of a good government were hardly
to be understood.
Unfortunately for Allorron, he had joined the slave-hunters of Abou
Saood against neighbours that were unpleasantly close to Gondokoro. The
Loquia, a most powerful tribe, only three days' march to the south-east,
had lost slaves and cattle by these depredations; thus, when the
slave-hunters' parties had quitted Gondokoro and returned to their
station in the interior, Loquia had invaded the unprotected Allorron,
and had utterly destroyed his district on the eastern mainland. For many
miles the country now resembled a very lovely park. Every habitation had
disappeared, and this formerly populous position was quite deserted by
the surviving inhabitants, who had taken refuge in the islands, or on
the west side of the river. At this season the entire country was
covered with a tender herbage--that species of fine grass, called by the
Arabs "negheel," which is the best pasturage for cattle. Allorron's
people dared not bring their herds to pasture upon this beautiful land
from whence they had been driven, as they were afraid that the news
would soon reach Loquia, who would pounce unexpectedly upon them from
the neighbouring forest.
I had therefore arrived in a country from which the original possessors
had been banished by superior force: there was not a single
representative of the tribe upon the mainland, neither could their
cattle venture across the river to pasture upon the beautiful herbage,
that was now entirely neglected except by a few herds of antelopes. At
the same time, the pasturage on the islands, being insufficient for the
large herds of cattle, was consumed, and the animals were dependent upon
the rank grass, which they could only reach by wading into the water;
thus many were taken by crocodiles.
It would have been natural to suppose that Allorron and his people would
have welcomed the protection now offered by the new government. I
invited them to return to their old country, from which they had been
expelled, and to rebuild their villages on their old sites, where they
could recommence their cultivation, and form a new settlement under the
wing of our headquarters.
It was easy to perceive by the manner of the chief, Allorron, and his
people that they had been incited by Abou Saood and his companies
against the expedition. My delay in starting from Egypt had been of
immense advantage to the slave-traders, as it had given them time to
organize a resistance to the expedition. The negroes are easily misled;
naturally vicious and treacherous, they are ready to believe any tales
of evil: and as a young child may be frightened by a ghost story, they
also may by a few words be rendered suspicious of their best friend.
Their interests were the same as those of the slave-traders.
My "Forty Thieves" [*] were excellent fellows, and all the men who
were constantly about me were very different from those who formed
the bulk of the military force. I now commenced a small station and
a large garden.
[*Footnote: The bodyguard of picked men, armed with snider rifles.]
I had chosen a pretty spot for my station, as I did not intend to reside
at head-quarters, which would be the site originally occupied by the
Austrian mission, and was well adapted for a large town.
My position was a rising knoll of about six acres upon which grew a few
shady trees. This spot had been the station of a missionary known by the
natives under the name of "Suleiman;" his was the only name remembered
by the Baris, and his body had been buried here, but nothing marked the
spot. He had passed away, like all the rest of these good and
self-sacrificing people, without leaving one trace of good works among
this barbarous tribe except the lemon-trees; theirs was the only seed
that appeared to have fallen on good ground.
In a few days my men had made a large garden, in which I sowed onions,
radishes, beans, spinach, four varieties of water melons, sweet melons,
cucumbers, oranges, custard apples, Indian corn, garlic, barmian,
tobacco, cabbages, tomatoes, chilis, long capsicums, carrots, parsley,
celery. I arranged the daily labour so that the soldiers and sailors
should work at the cultivation from 6 A.M. till 11; after which they
might have the day to themselves, to construct their own huts.
At this season, 20th April 1871, the river was extremely low; I
therefore fixed a pole with marked inches to register the rise of
floods.
By the 23rd April all my men had arranged gardens parallel with the
lines of their camp. I gave them various seeds, with a promise of prizes
for the finest specimens of vegetables that might be produced. I had
always endeavoured to create a taste for agriculture among my people,
and they had now learnt that the commencement of a new settlement was
the signal for cultivation. I believe that no employment engenders such
a love of a particular locality as that of farming, provided always that
the soil and climate are favourable. Thus, in an expedition to a distant
land, it is necessary to induce the feelings of HOME among the people.
The hut by itself is simply shelter, but the same hut surrounded by a
neat and productive garden, the result of industry, becomes a settled
residence. It is pleasant to watch the blossoms of home flowers and
vegetables that you may have yourself introduced and planted. A good
English cabbage or carrot may not be introduced in poetry so generally
as the rose, but in a new settlement in a wild country, the success of a
cabbage or carrot is of more importance to the expedition than bouquets
of flowers.
Even the women and boys that were domestic servants, originally slaves
that I had liberated from the traders, had learnt to take a great
interest in cultivation. Each had a garden, and a day never passed
without permission being asked for a few hours' recreation with the
spade or hoe, the latter being the favourite implement, as the want of
shoes rendered the management of the spade extremely difficult, except
in very light soil.
I believe that a taste for gardening has a most civilizing influence
among savages; and if I were a missionary, I should commence with such
practical teaching, thus proving in your joint labour with the natives
the principle that industry and peace will create prosperity.
A few extracts front my journal will describe the gradual progress of
the settlement:
"Mr. Higginbotham shot a waterbuck during an exploratory ramble that we
took through the forest, in search of large timber for building
purposes. The main forest begins about two miles from this station, in
which is an unlimited supply of wood, including the most magnificent
tamarind-trees. These beautiful specimens are dotted about the country,
like park timber in England. There is a tamarind-tree about a mile from
this station, beneath which about a thousand cattle might find
shade. (It must be remembered that the Bari cattle are very small.)
"There is a native, named Tomby, who speaks excellent Arabic. This
fellow has been twice to Khartoum, and he wears clothes, instead of
walking about in a state of absolute nudity like his countrymen. He has
an excellent rifle that was given to him by his old master, a French
trader, Monsieur Bartholome. Tomby has been employed as interpreter; and
having been born and bred in these parts, he is a perfect chronicler. It
appears that Abou Saood treacherously murdered the sheik of Belinian, a
country about twelve miles distant from this station. He feared the
sheik of Belinian, who was a powerful neighbour: he therefore,
professing friendship, invited him and his family to an entertainment at
Gondokoro. The sheik and his people, not suspecting evil, arrived,
bringing with them the usual presents. Abou Saood received them very
politely, and when they were seated, and had entered into conversation,
he had them seized by his people, and murdered them on the spot in cold
blood. Owing to this treacherous conduct, the entire neighbourhood is
hostile, and anarchy prevails throughout the country; thus I cannot send
a letter to the traders' camp at Latooka, as no one dares to travel.
"April 24. --Thermometer, 6 A.M., 74 degrees F; noon, fell to 72 degrees
F. We had a picnic at the old mission station, where I went accompanied
by Lieutenant Baker, Mr. Higginbotham, and my wife, to measure out the
camp and fort. As usual in England, the picnic brought on heavy rain,
which lasted from 9.30 a.m. till 2 p.m., to the great benefit of the
garden.
"April 25. --Thermometer, 6 A.M., 69 degrees F; noon, 80 degrees F. We
completed the large garden; the soldiers' allotments are also complete.
The camp of the "Forty Thieves" is very neat; a spirit of industry has
seized upon the whole party. The women have made gardens around their
huts, and agriculture appears to be the prevailing fashion. I am
surrounding the cultivation with a live fence of euphorbia. Julian has
been unwell for some time past.
"The natives appear to have gained confidence, as they are bringing
their cattle across the river from the islands to our fine pasturage. It
is curious to see the manner in which the herd follows the man who swims
before them as their guide, while other natives direct them while
swimming by striking them upon the horns with long bamboos.
"Yesterday the river rose about two feet, but it fell almost as
suddenly, showing that the rise was only the effect of the heavy rain
upon the mountain ranges throughout the country.
"One of the boys, Said, caught three fish, weighing about eight, ten,
and twenty pounds each. These were of the Siluras species, and are
excellent eating.
"The white ants are now issuing from the ground in vast numbers in the
winged state, and are taking flight. Myriads of the black and white tern
and the white storks are following them. The lizards are also at work in
the general persecution.
"April 26, 27. --Made new garden beds. All the seeds sown by the troops
are above ground, to the great delight of the men. We cleared and sowed
about an acre with Indian corn to-day."
We thus continued working and improving, until we had in a comparatively
short time produced a great result. About ten acres of corn were above
ground, as a few showers had started the seeds like magic. My men were
comfortably housed in a neat station on the high ground, while my
servants had a pretty little village of their own situated on the knoll,
by the river side, about fifty yards from my diahbeeah. This vessel was
moored alongside the bank, the fine grass of which was kept closely cut,
so as to resemble a lawn, that extended for about thirty yards; this was
bounded by prickly pears and ornamented by a large and showy
butter-nut-tree, which formed our out-door drawing room.
It was all very well to establish a government, and to commence the
civilization of Central Africa, but we were very hungry, and we could
procure nothing from the natives. We had no butchers' meat, neither
would the Sheik Allorron or his people sell us either sheep or cattle.
For several days we lived upon sparrows, which Monsoor shot by
sprinkling corn upon the ground and firing into the assembled flock of
hundreds. The country was swarming with these small birds, which are no
doubt delicacies; but if you have a good appetite they are a little too
light on the stomach. In the mean time, although the natives could now
venture to drive their cattle to the rich pasturage under our
protection, which they could not before enjoy for fear of their enemies
the Loquia, they absolutely refused to sell, or to supply us in any
manner. In spite of my explanations to the sheik by the interpreter
Tomby, he refused to bring either grass or wood for the expected
soldiers' huts, or in fact to do anything to serve us.
Upon one occasion, as my men were sowing and clearing the land for
planting, he employed natives to work at the same kind of cultivation in
front of the troops, in order to claim a right to the soil. On this
occasion he came himself, prepared with a cup formed of a small
gourd-shell slung by a string upon his neck. He explained that this was
his cup for drinking araki, with which he requested to be supplied.
"How long are you going to remain here?" he asked. He continued, "You
had better go back to Khartoum, and I will eat the corn you have planted
when it becomes ripe."
I explained that Gondokoro would be head-quarters, and that troops would
always remain there, and we should cultivate a large extent for corn. He
replied: "Then who does this land belong to?--to you or to me?" I
explained that his people had been driven out by a superior force, and
that we had found it abandoned; at the same time, neither he nor his
people dare remain here without my protection, therefore the land
belonged to the Khedive of Egypt; but if the natives wished to re-settle
I would give them their original property.
He simply replied, "Who does this tree belong to?" (we were standing
beneath its shade). "It belongs to the Khedive of Egypt," I replied,
"who is now protector of the whole country, and I am his representative
to establish his government."
He replied: "Then you had better be off to Khartoum, for we don't want
any government here."
There can be no doubt that in the abstract of people's rights, any
annexation of the territory of another is an infringement. Had this
principle been adhered to throughout the history of the world, there
would have been no progress. Savages of all countries are prone to
strife; and a state of chronic warfare with neighbouring tribes is the
example of African politics. A strong government is a necessity.
I had always expected trouble with the Baris, as I had known them during
my former journey as a tribe of intractable savages. The Austrian
missionaries had abandoned them as hopeless, after many efforts and a
great expenditure of money and energy.
The natives had pulled down the neat mission house, and they had pounded
and ground the bright red bricks into the finest powder, which mixed
with grease formed a paint to smear their naked bodies. Thus the only
results of many years' teaching were the death of many noble men, the
loss of money, the failure of the attempt; and instead of the enterprise
leaving a legacy of inward spiritual grace to these "men and brethren,"
the missionary establishment itself was converted into an external
application for the skin: the house of God was turned into "pomade
divine." This was a result that might have been expected by any person
who had practical experience of the Baris.
The extent of country occupied by this tribe was about ninety miles in
length from north to south, and seventy in width. Although the people
who inhabited this district were all Baris, there was no cohesion among
them. They were divided into numerous small chiefdoms, each governed by
its sheik or head man. Thus Allorron represented Gondokoro, while every
petty district was directed by a similar sheik. The Bari country was
thickly inhabited. The general features of the landscape were rolling
park-like grass lands;--very little actual flat, but a series of
undulations, ornamented with exceedingly fine timber-forests of
considerable extent, and mountains rising to about 2,500 or 3,000 feet
above their base. From these mountains numerous streams drained to the
Nile: these were generally dry in the summer season. The soil was poor
in the neighbourhood of Gondokoro, but at a distance from the river, the
country was fertile; the rocks were throughout granitic; the mountains
yielded the finest iron ore, especially those of Belinian, twelve miles
from Gondokoro, where the natives were expert black smiths. Cultivation
was carried on to a large extent throughout the country; the corn
generally used was the common dhurra (Sorghum vulgare). This was usually
the dark-red variety, which, being rather bitter, has a chance of escape
from the clouds of small birds which ruin the crops. Sesame was common
throughout all portions of Central Africa, and throve well upon the poor
and light soil of Gondokoro.
The Baris were exceedingly neat in their dwellings, and their villages
were innumerable. Each hut was surrounded by a small court composed of
cement made from the clay of the white-ant hills mixed with cow-dung and
smeared with ashes: these courts were always kept scrupulously clean.
The Bari hut differs from that of other tribes, as it contains an inner
circle, which can only be used by creeping on the hands and knees-first
through the entrance, which is only twenty-four inches high, and
secondly from the passage formed by the inner circle. The inner walls
are formed of wattles and clay neatly smeared or plastered with cement.
They are quickly attacked by the white ants, which destroy the wattles,
but the clay is sufficiently tenacious to form a wall when the wood or
reeds may have disappeared.
The granaries are formed of wicker-work supported upon upright pedestals
of either hard wood or of stone, to resist the white ants; the
wicker-work is smeared with clay and cow-dung, and the roof is thatched
in a manner similar to the house.
The Baris are a great pastoral people, and possess immense herds of
cattle. These are generally small active animals with humps; white is
the prevailing colour. The sheep are small and the mutton is good; but
although the fine pasturage of the Bari country is eminently adapted for
sheep and goats, these animals are delicate, and require much attention
during the heavy rains, at which time they are always kept beneath a
roof at night, with fires composed of dry cow-dung to create a smoke
that will drive away flies or mosquitoes.
Like most of the tribes of the White Nile, the Baris have a strong
objection to sell their cattle; thus you may be surrounded by plenty,
but you may starve in the midst of beef.
Their large herds are confined at night within zareebas or kraals. These
are formidable defences. The cattle zareeba is a circular stockade
formed of a hard wood called by the Arabs abou-noos or abdnoos (ebony).
This is an intensely hard black wood somewhat resembling ebony. Piles as
thick as a man's thigh are sunk in the earth, so as to leave a fence or
stockade of about eight feet high above the surface; these piles are
placed as close as possible together, and interlaced by tough hooked
thorns, which when dry and contracted bind the stockade into a very
compact defence. The entrance to this fort is only sufficiently large to
admit one animal at a time; thus the herd can be easily counted. Within
the stockade are several houses, in addition to a few large circular
sheds for the protection of young calves. The sheep and goats are kept
in a separate zareeba.
All the operations of the Baris are conducted by signals given by the
drum, precisely as our military movements are directed by bugle-calls.
The great drum that belongs to the headman or sheik, is suspended
beneath an open shed, so that it is always protected from weather, and
at the same time the sound could travel unchecked. These drums are cut
and scooped with great labour from a peculiar wood, which is exceedingly
tough and will not easily split. The Bari drum is exactly the shape of
an egg with a slice taken off the thicker end. Some of these instruments
are very large, and as much as two men could carry on a pole. Both ends
are hollowed through and secured with hide; but the broad end forms the
actual drum. This is beaten with two short sticks of hard wood. In the
early morning, shortly before sunrise, the hollow sound of the big drum
is always heard giving the signal by a certain number of beat's for the
milking of the cows. The women and young men then commence, and when the
operation is completed, the drum beats again, and the large herds are
driven to pasturage. The signal is repeated in the evening. Should an
enemy attack the country, the sheik's big drum gives the alarm by a
peculiar series of beats, which if once heard can easily be remembered.
In a few seconds this loud alarm will be re-echoed by every drum
throughout the numerous villages, and the news of the attack will thus
spread by signal as fast as sound can travel. A certain beat of the
sheik's big drum is the call for a general assembly, in which case,
should an enemy appear, the whole forces of the district can be
concentrated in one point.
The weapons of the Baris are finely-wrought lances, and bows with
horribly barbed arrows. They seldom carry shields, as they are difficult
to manage together with the bow, and they impede the rapid movements'
which are the chief feature in Bari tactics.
The men are generally tall and powerful, always naked and smeared with
ashes, or on great occasions with red ochre and grease. The women are
not absolutely bad-looking, but real beauties are extremely rare. They
wear an apron before and behind of tanned leather, extending nearly to
the knees, which is only the outer garment, beneath which they wear a
neatly-made fringe of innumerable strings, formed of finely-spin cotton
thread, suspended from a leather belt. Some of the wealthy possess
fringe composed of iron rings, neatly worked, so as to form a kind of
shirt of mail.
Every man is a warrior from his childhood, as the Baris are always at
war. They are extremely clever in the use of the lance, which they can
throw with great accuracy for a distance of thirty yards, and they can
pitch it into a body of men at upwards of fifty yards. From early
childhood the boys are in constant practice, both with the lance and the
bow and arrow; thus, although their weapons are inferior to fire-arms
properly used, they are dangerous in the hands of proficients against
men who, like my troops, were utterly ignorant of the art of shooting.
Fortunately for my expedition, the warlike Baris were not united
throughout their territory. Nevertheless, I discovered that the Baris of
Gondokoro had made an alliance with those of Belinian, twelve miles from
head-quarters. I observed that women were constantly passing to and fro
with baskets on their heads, carrying salt from Gondokoro, and each
returning with a goat, led by a string. Excellent salt is found at
Gondokoro, real chloride of sodium; and this article enables the natives
of that district to trade with the interior, where salt is extremely
rare and of great value. I had remarked that women, and sometimes men,
were met in my rambles through the forest, on their way to Belinian by
this concealed route, instead of taking the open path; this aroused my
suspicion, as the chief, Allorron, and his people declared that they
were enemies of the Belinian natives.
The position had become intolerable. The fact could no longer be
concealed that the Baris were hostile. No positive outbreak had
occurred, but the natives were sullen in their demeanour, and generally
avoided the new settlement. Butchers' meat was exceedingly scarce, as we
had only a few cows that had been given during the voyage by the vakeel
of the Bohr station. The troops were without rations of meat. At the
same time there were thousands of cattle on the islands before their
eyes, not one of which could be purchased from the natives. Although the
natives refused to assist us in any way, or to supply us with cattle at
any price, they drove their herds across from the island to the mainland
to fatten on the fine pasturage under the government protection. This
pasturage, having been abandoned by them and occupied by the government
troops, had naturally become the property of the Khedive. The natives
had no more right to the soil from which they had been driven, than the
French would have to Alsace and Lorraine, should those provinces be
occupied by a foreign Power which had driven out the Germans.
The last vessels having arrived, terminated the voyage from Tewfikeeyah,
which had occupied five months and twenty-two days. The troops, who had
suffered much by fatigue in cutting through the marshes, had not been
absolutely relieved by their arrival in the clear White Nile. The north
wind changed suddenly to the south, in which unfavourable quarter it
continued steadily for a month; thus my unfortunate men had to tow the
vessels along the banks against wind and stream for about 300 miles from
Wat-el-Shambi to Gondokoro. Upon arrival at that station, which I had
described to them as the "Promised Land," they found a lovely park, but
without a single dwelling. Instead of being received as deliverers by a
friendly and grateful population, they met with neglect and ill-will
from a tribe of robbers, allies of the traders, who fattened upon the
spoil of weaker neighbours.
After all their hard work and suffering in attaining the promised
paradise, they found only additional labour awaiting them, as they had
to wander several miles in search of long thatch-grass and timber to
construct the new station, in which fatigue they were entirely
unassisted by the sullen inhabitants.
Added to these disappointments, the men were hungry, and no cattle could
be purchased from my new subjects, who were obstinate and refractory.
I had a serious conversation with Sheik Allorron, during which I clearly
defined our relative positions, and represented to him in the strongest
terms the folly of trusting to the support of Abou Saood and his people
against the government, as they were all subjects of the Khedive and
bound to obey my orders. At the same time I informed him of the absolute
necessity of cattle for the supply of the troops, which I promised to
pay for.
I clearly saw that the miserable policy of these people was to starve
the troops into the supposed necessity of evacuating the position, and
returning to Khartoum. I represented to Allorron the danger of trifling
with a hungry lion, at which he grinned, as a good joke, and immediately
replied: "If you want cattle, I will give you some of my people as
guides, and you can attack a neighbour of mine, and capture his herds,
which will last you for a long time." I replied, that I could not injure
any one who had not committed an offence, but as he for the last time
refused assistance, I should not permit his herds to graze upon my
pasturage; therefore I begged they might be confined to the island.
At the same time I officially invited Allorron and all the headmen of
the country, including the sheik of Belinian, to an entertainment. I
intended, formally and officially, to annex the country to Egypt.
On May 26, 1871, all was in order. A flag-staff about eighty feet high
had been neatly erected by Lieut. Baker on the highest point of land
overlooking the river. Every small bush had been cleared away, and the
position in the centre of an open park-like country would have formed an
admirable race-course. The troops, having had two days' rest to wash
their clothes and burnish up their arms and accoutrements, marched from
the station at Gondokoro at 6 A.M.
I had 1,200 men on the ground, including ten mountain rifled guns
throwing 8 and 1/4 lbs. shell.
In their clean white uniforms, with the neat koofeeia or sun-cloth,
which, covering the head, drooped gracefully upon the shoulders, the
troops showed to great advantage, as they marched with the band playing
from head-quarters to the flagstaff above my station. As they filed
through the green trees, and then formed into sections of companies as
they emerged into the open ground, the effect was exceedingly good, and
the sheik, Allorron, and his friends, the headmen of many villages,
looked with amazement upon a scene that was altogether new to them.
Having arrived opposite the flag-staff, the troops formed in line two
deep on the flat grassy surface of the heights above my station. The
long row of glittering bayonets and the gay uniforms of the officers
bewildered the astonished natives. All the sailors, servants, and
camp-followers were dressed in their best clothes. The prevailing
colours, white and red, looked exceedingly gay upon the close and even
surface of the green turf. My staff was composed of my aides-de-camp,
Lieutenant Baker, R.N., Lieut.-Colonel Abd-el-Kader, together with three
other officers, and Mr. Higginbotham. At that time the horses were all
in excellent condition.
Having ridden along the line and halted beneath the flag, the troops
formed three sides of a square with the flag-staff in the centre. The
fourth side, facing the river, was then occupied by the artillery, with
ten guns.
The formality of reading the official proclamation, describing the
annexation of the country to Egypt in the name of the Khedive, then took
place at the foot of the flag-staff. At the termination of the last
sentence, the Ottoman flag was quickly run up by the halyards and
fluttered in the strong breeze at the mast-head. The officers with drawn
swords saluted the flag, the troops presented arms, and the batteries of
artillery fired a royal salute.
This ceremony being completed, the troops marched past; after which,
they formed in order for a supposed attack upon an imaginary enemy, and
fired away about ten thousand rounds of blank cartridge in the advance
down the long slope which led to the temporary camp and tents erected
for the entertainment. Here the bugle sounded "disperse," and all the
men immediately set to work to light fires and prepare the food that had
been already supplied for their dinners. I believe this was the only day
of real enjoyment that the troops had had. The hours passed in rest and
sleep until sunset.
I had invited fourteen of the officers to dine with me, and our party of
eighteen was easily accommodated on the roomy poop-deck of my diahbeeah.
The Englishmen had a table to themselves in the garden, and were regaled
with roast beef and real English plum-pudding, that, having been brought
out in tins for Christmas Day, could not be found during the voyage;
therefore it added to the feast of the "day of annexation," and was
annexed accordingly by English appetites. This was washed down and
rendered wholesome by a quantity of pure filtered water from the river
Nile, which was included in the annexation; and was represented in the
Nile Basin mixed with Jamaica rum, sugar, nutmeg, and lemon-juice from
the fruit of the trees planted by the good Austrian missionaries at
Gondokoro. Little did they think, poor fellows, of the jollification to
which their lemons would subscribe when they first sowed the good seeds.
When dinner was over, we repaired to the large divan tents, where
refreshments were arranged, and the magic lantern was prepared for the
amusement of officers and men. This was an admirable machine, and was
well explained by Lieutenant Baker. No one had ever seen such an
exhibition before, therefore it caused immense satisfaction. One of the
representations that was most applauded, was, Moses going through the
Red Sea with the Israelites, followed by Pharaoh. The story being well
known to all Mohammedans, the performance was encored with such energy
that Moses had to go through the Red Sea twice, and they would have
insisted upon his crossing a third time, had the slide not been rapidly
exchanged for another subject.
The formal ceremony of annexation was over, and it was necessary to
decide upon the future.
I had issued the following Camp Regulations:--
1. "No person shall cut or in other ways destroy any tamarind or oil
tree under any pretext whatever. Neither shall any tree whatsoever be
either cut or damaged within a distance of 2,000 paces from the
flag-staff or camp.
2. "No person shall stray beyond 2,000 paces of the flag-staff or camp
without permission either from the Pacha or Raouf Bey.
3. "No person shall trade in ivory, neither shall any person accept
ivory as a present or in exchange; neither shall any person shoot, or
cause to be shot, elephants: all ivory being the property and monopoly
of the government of His Highness the Khedive of Egypt.
4. "No person shall either purchase or receive slaves as presents or in
exchange.
"Any person transgressing by disobedience of the above laws will be
punished as the will of Baker Pacha may direct. "S. W. BAKER."
My men were hard at work erecting magazines and building the station,
and had I not issued the above regulations, they would have cut down
every ornamental tree in the neighbourhood. Although the mission-house
had disappeared, the foundations remained; I dug them up and procured
sufficient sound bricks to build a powder-magazine, which I covered with
a galvanized iron roof and protected my ammunition.
Several of the Egyptian soldiers deserted. These people, who were for
the most part convicts, although professing Islamism preferred to live
with the natives, to the steady discipline of military life.
One evening, the sentry, on guard before the house of Lieutenant Baker
and Mr. Higginbotham, was observed by Mr. Baker's soldier servant (a
black) to lay his rifle on the ground and to enter stealthily the
doorway of his hut. Abdullah Maseri, the servant, lost no time in
running towards the hut, which he quietly entered in the dusk, without
being perceived by the thief within, who in the absence of Mr. Baker was
pillaging his boxes.
Abdullah quietly crept up behind him, pinned him by the back of the
neck, and held him until he obtained assistance. There was no escape
from conviction, therefore I sentenced the thief to receive 100 lashes
and to be, confined in irons.
While he was undergoing the punishment he yelled for mercy, saying, "I
will confess-I will confess all. It was I who entered the Pacha's room
at Tewfikeeyah. It was at me that the Pacha fired the pistol! Put me in
irons, but don't flog me; I will confess all."
This man was an Egyptian belonging to the "Forty Thieves," and he now
confessed his former delinquency. He was secured in irons and placed
under a guard. The fellow had been a professional thief, and during the
night he managed to slip off his irons and make his escape, no doubt
with the connivance of the sentry.
The fact of the natives receiving the deserters was enough to suggest
the suspicion that they were tampering with the troops. Although the
Baris would neither work nor assist in any manner, they continued, in
spite of my warning, to swim their cattle across to the pasturage on the
mainland occupied by the troops.
I again gave the sheik Allorron notice, that if he continued to drive
his cattle to the forbidden pasture, they would be confiscated.
On the following morning they returned to the mainland as usual, not the
slightest notice having been taken of my repeated and official warning.
I gave orders to secure them. About ten men of the "Forty Thieves"
quietly explained the order to the natives who guarded the cattle, and
without any remonstrance they drove them to my station, and stood guard
around the herd.
The natives returned to the island, and reported the affair to the sheik
Allorron and his people.
Early on the following morning, the sheik, accompanied by fifteen
headmen of villages and a number of natives, together with Tomby the
interpreter, attended and formed a deputation. I received them beneath
the shady tree near my diahbeeah. They looked very sheepish, and asked
me, "Why had I confiscated their cattle?"
I explained the reason: and they at length acknowledged that they had no
positive right of pasturage, as they had been driven from their country
by the Loquia, and were it not for my presence they could not venture to
drive their cattle to the mainland. At the same time they explained,
that the extreme dryness of the season had exhausted the grass upon the
island after the close grazing of the large herds; thus they had
imagined I should not have any real objection to their pasturing upon
the east banks, which, as I had no cattle, would otherwise be neglected.
I explained that the government must be obeyed, and that, as they had
disobeyed every order, I should take charge of their cattle (about 200)
until they showed a disposition to accept the Khedive's authority. At
the same time, if the natives would bring thatch grass and assist the
troops in forming the station (a work which they had always performed
annually for Abou Saood's people), I would return them their cattle.
A long conversation ensued among the headmen, several of whom rose in
succession, and addressed the meeting with great energy and fluency.
They declared that there had been a general misunderstanding, but that
they now began to comprehend their position. I informed them that they
must themselves appoint a responsible sheik or headman, as many had
refused to obey Allorron. I should regard one chief as their
representative, and they as headmen must elect him at the present
assembly. I should also place the power in the hands of the chief, whose
orders must be obeyed by the headmen of the villages. This chief would
be responsible to me for the acts of those beneath him, and I should
punish all those who refused to acknowledge his authority.
The meeting ended most satisfactorily. The natives explained, that,
although Allorron had been the ostensible sheik for a great length of
time, the true sheik by actual descent was a chief named Morbe; but as
his cattle had been carried off by the Loquia, he had lost his property,
and also his influence among the people. In those savage countries the
possession of property is considered absolutely necessary to a man in a
high position.
Morbe was elected unanimously as the sheik responsible to the
government. All headmen declared they would obey his orders; even
Allorron appeared pleased that he had shifted his responsibility upon
the shoulders of another. The headmen all promised that they would beat
their drums and summon their people on their return to their villages,
and that on the morrow they would collect bamboos and thatch-grass for
any purpose we might require. The meeting ended by their agreeing to
deliver a certain number of bundles in a given period: they also
promised to supply the troops with oxen at a stipulated price. Morbe,
the new sheik, then addressed me in the name of the assembly, and begged
me to establish confidence and goodwill by returning them their cattle.
I had expected this request. I therefore replied, that as they had
attended my summons and promised obedience, I would test their sincerity
by returning them not only their own cattle, but I would trust them with
the care of my three large breeding cows which I had brought from the
Rohr country; at the same time, I gave them fair warning, that if they
broke the agreement now entered upon, I should not be in a hurry to
return their cattle on a future occasion. They seemed to be, quite
satisfied, and the meeting broke up.
They drove off the herd, together with my three cows, while my soldiers
looked on with utter amazement and regarded me as thought I had lost my
senses.
Although I had entered into this agreement, the natives had not the
slightest idea of carrying out their promises. A few bundles of bamboos
were brought, also some thatch-grass, but not an ox was given to the
troops. The sheik of Belinian had refused to appear; and he alleged as
an excuse that he feared treachery, since his father and family had been
murdered when guests of Abou Saood. The Baris of Gondokoro had regained
their cattle, and they did not trouble themselves about their contract,
as they inwardly hoped that by starving us they might succeed in
disgusting the troops, which would necessitate the abandonment of the
expedition.
A few days after the breach of contract, Tomby, the interpreter,
appeared, and told me that the Baris had refused to work, and that the
government would not succeed in that country. The people wished me to
join them with my troops, and to attack their old enemy, Loquia. I
should then obtain cattle and sheep in the razzia, and the government
would be independent.
This was the regular negro system which had originally introduced the
slave trade throughout the White Nile. One tribe invariably requests the
alliance of a superior force to attack some powerful neighbour: the
prisoners of war become slaves. When trading adventurers first commenced
on the White Nile, the natives sold ivory for beads and copper
bracelets; and trade was fairly established. The armed companies of the
traders were immediately invited to become allies, and attacks were made
upon various tribes. The cattle and slaves became the property of the
captors. The traders quickly discovered that it was far easier and more
profitable to steal cattle and slaves to exchange for ivory, than to
import goods from Khartoum. They commenced the system of cattle-lifting
and slave-hunting, which rapidly increased until it arrived at the
immense scale already described.
I preached morality hopelessly to the Baris; they were mere ruffians,
and they longed for the arrival of Abou Saood, who would once more give
them an opportunity of joining his people to plunder and enslave the
tribes of the interior. It was in vain that I assured them of the
impossibility of such proceedings, and that Abou Saood's people would
not be permitted by the government to continue these atrocities. They
ridiculed the idea, and declared that the traders would always continue
in their old customs, notwithstanding the presence of the Khedive's
officers. They said that no business could be done in any other way in
those countries; they advised me to "take women and cattle, and then the
natives would listen to my advice, but not otherwise."
It was utter folly to attempt negotiations with these people; they were
the most brutal and obtuse savages. They had been abandoned by the
missionaries as hopeless, and they would acknowledge nothing but force.
The troops were discontented. After all their fatigues, the promised
land was starvation. There was still much work to be done, as the
expedition was in fact only commencing. By degrees the Baris absented
themselves entirely from our camp, and we were left to ourselves as
utter strangers. The cattle were driven over to our fine pasturage
daily, and returned at night to their island; but not an ox, or even a
goat, was ever offered for sale, and all communication between us and
the natives had apparently ceased.
It was quite impossible to allow this to continue. I gave the order, and
once more the soldiers quietly surrounded the herd of cattle, and drove
them to head-quarters as before. The old scene was re-enacted. The new
sheik, Morbe, together with Allorron and many headmen, arrived. Again a
long palaver took place, through the medium of Tomby, the interpreter,
and the promises of good behaviour were renewed.
I informed them that I should not confiscate their cattle, but I should
keep them as hostages for their good behaviour; at the same time, I
should select a certain number of oxen as food for the troops, which
should be paid for.
The meeting terminated with fresh assurances of goodwill . . . A few
days elapsed, but the Baris did not return; we were completely
abandoned.
On June 29th the camp was disturbed at night by an attempt of the
natives to drive off some of the cattle. The sentry fired, but without
effect. I foresaw trouble.
On June 1st I issued a General Order to the troops--
"The natives of the Bari having disobeyed the summons of the government,
and having refused compliance with the regulations established, it has
become necessary to compel them to obedience by force.
"In the event of hostilities, I specially forbid the capture of women,
or children of either sex. Any officer or soldier disobeying this order
will suffer death. "S. W. BAKER."
I felt certain that a breach of the peace was at hand, and I made
arrangements accordingly. The troops were daily engaged in building the
station, in which they were assisted by the sailors, all of whom were
obliged to carry the material from a distance of two miles from the
forest. A party of sawyers with a small escort of soldiers were settled
in a camp about three miles from my station, as the distance was too
great for a daily return from their work. One night they were attacked
by the natives, who shot arrows and yelled for about an hour, but
fortunately did not succeed in wounding any of the men, who were well
protected by the trunks of some very large trees. The soldiers had fired
away a considerable amount of ammunition in return, until they managed
to escape during the darkness, and run away to head-quarters.
On 3rd June, at about 3 P.M., when the cattle were grazing in the
beautiful park-like ground about a mile from head-quarters, some Baris,
who had stealthily approached the herd by stalking from bush to bush,
without being observed by the sleepy guards, made a sudden rush with
loud yells among the cattle, and succeeded in driving off ten cows with
which they swam the river without a shot being fired by the unready
soldiers. (On this occasion the guards must have run away at the first
onset of the natives.)
On the night of the 4th June two natives were captured by the sentries.
These people had crept in the pitch darkness, until they had succeeded
in entering the cattle zareeba. One of them confessed that a large body
of natives was assembled in the high grass near the banks of the river,
with the intention of attacking the camp during the night.
I immediately took eighteen men, and posted them in three parties of six
at various points about a quarter of a mile from my station. They were
to lie concealed in these positions, which commanded every approach to
the camp.
At 10.30 P.M. I was aroused by the sound of firing, and upon arrival at
the shot I found that the sentries had fired into the advanced party of
natives, some of whom they declared to be wounded, but I could find no
trace of blood.
Open war had commenced. The natives had deserted their villages on the
portion of the island opposite to my camp. This was about seven miles in
length, therefore, in return for the attacks made upon my people on our
mainland, I determined to pay the Baris a visit.
I issued the necessary orders. At 3 A.M., on June 5th, five boats with
sixty men dropped silently down the east channel of the river, with
orders to land at the extreme end of the island. At the same time two
companies of troops landed opposite my station, where they waited in the
dark until the steamer, with myself and two companies on board, had
rounded the head of the island, and had obtained a position in the west
channel. The troops then advanced while the steamer ran easily down the
strong current. Everything went well, but the noise of the paddles
quickly gave the alarm, and the sound of a big drum in the distance was
almost immediately responded to by many others from various points.
The steamer now ran at half speed along the river, the intention of
cutting off any native canoes, or intercepting any herds of cattle that
might be passing to the west mainland. Every arrangement was well
carried out; but, unfortunately, as we were running at about nine miles
an hour, the steamer suddenly struck upon a sand-bank, where she
remained fixed.
After some vain attempts to float her, I instructed Raouf Bey to do his
best with her, and act, according to circumstances, at his own
discretion, while I left the steamer in the dingy, accompanied by
Lieutenant Baker and six soldiers of the "Forty Thieves," with the
intention of joining the two companies under Lieutenant-Colonel
Abd-el-Kader, who were marching down the island from south to north.
We rowed down the stream for forty-five minutes along the west bank of
the island. I had calculated the distance by time, and having allowed
for the delay on the steamer and the pace at which the troops under
Abd-el-Rader would march, I concluded that we should now land somewhere
near them. This turned out correct, as we joined his party a few minutes
after we had left the boat. I immediately detached a sergeant and
nineteen men to march along the east bank until they should meet my
boat, which had been ordered to continue along the west bank until it
should turn round the tail of the island, when it was to return home by
the east channel, that would lead direct to my station.
We had not seen any Baris upon the island, which appeared to be quite
deserted. The character of the ground had changed. We had left the dry
portion, which had been lately sown with dhurra, and we had arrived
among scattered masses of tall reeds growing from mud lately hardened by
the sun and full of deep cattle-ruts.
I threw out skirmishers, as we shortly entered a bad piece of country.
At this moment wo heard shots fired at the tail of the island, about two
miles in our front.
We pushed on at the double, until stopped by a deep channel of the river
about thirty yards wide. On the other side we now heard the horns of the
natives and the lowing of cattle. It was necessary to skirt the banks of
the channel through thick forest; thus, following the stream, we shortly
arrived at the main river, just in time to see the natives at a distance
of a quarter of a mile swimming a large herd of cattle across the stream
to the east shore, where they landed and safely gained the forest. They
were quickly pursued by the troops who, having landed at the tail of the
island, were in chase; and being supplied with boats, they crossed over
the river and followed hard upon the track of the retreating cattle.
The Baris did not suspect that they would be followed to the main shore;
thus upon reaching the forest they continued their retreat leisurely. My
black troops were wonderful runners; thus, when once upon the track of
the herd, they went along like hounds and overtook the Baris, who had no
idea of the pursuit until the soldiers were among them. The affair ended
by the capture of a portion of the herd, and the return to camp at 5.30
P.M. We had eaten nothing since the previous evening, as the boat
containing our breakfast had not yet appeared. We had been on our legs
in the sun for fourteen hours, thus we were ready for dinner on the
return to camp. I was anxious about the missing boat. On the following
day, June 6, at 4.40 P.M., the lost dingy arrived with her crew all
safe. They had missed their way by taking a wrong channel of the river,
which led them into a labyrinth of high reeds, where they were obliged
to pass the night among clouds of mosquitoes.
On the following day they began the tedious journey by rowing homeward
against the stream. They came suddenly upon a large body of natives, who
immediately attacked them with arrows, one of which went through the
trousers of a soldier. My men told a long story, and made themselves out
to be perfect heroes; but my servants and the boatmen told a very
different tale, and declared that they had thrown themselves down in the
bottom of the boat to avoid the arrows, and my servant, Mohammed Haroon,
had himself fired my heavy gun loaded with mould shot at the enemy.
On 7th June I discovered that the Baris of Gondokoro had leagued
themselves with the natives of Belinian against us.
They had attacked conjointly on several occasions. On this day the
natives in force having, as usual, crept stealthily from bush to tree
without being perceived by the soldiers, made a sudden rush upon the
cattle guards, and shot one soldier with an arrow and wounded another
with a lance. I immediately gave orders for an attack on Belinian that
night. At 12.30 A.M. I left my station on horseback, accompanied by
Lieutenant Baker and Mr. Higginbotham, together with Lieutenant-Colonel
Abdel-Kader and twenty men of the "Forty Thieves." Not a word was
spoken, as it was important to march without the slightest noise that
might alarm the native scouts who were generally prowling about
throughout the night. We arrived at head-quarters, a mile and a half
distant, where four companies with one gun had been ordered to be in
readiness. (My little station, Hellet-et-Sit, was a mile and a half
north from the camp of Gondokoro, on the river's bank.) At 1 A.M. We
started with a Bari guide named Sherroom, who had volunteered to serve
me, together with his friend Morgian, at the commencement of the war.
These men spoke Arabic, and since the flight of Tomby, the interpreter
(who had joined our enemies), these two Baris were our invaluable
allies.
The route to Belinian lay for the first two miles through open park-like
country. We then entered the forest, where the darkness made it
difficult to drag the gun, the wheels of which constantly stuck in the
stumps and roots of trees. Several times we had to halt, for the rear to
come up with this unmanageable gun, and I feared the delay might destroy
our chance of taking the enemy by surprise.
To make matters worse, the route became swampy. Sometimes the horses
sank nearly hock-deep in mud, which in the pitch darkness they could not
avoid. In such places it required the force of thirty men to drag the
gun, and the delays became serious. Lieutenant-Colonel Tayib Agha
commanded the three companies of Soudani troops who escorted the
field-piece, and took it in turns to assist the artillerymen in the
weary work of dragging the gun through swamps and bush.
The night wore on; it began to rain. I was riding in advance with
Lieutenant Baker, Mr. Higginbotham, and twenty of the "Forty Thieves,"
while Raouf Bey followed me with fifty Egyptian troops. It was
absolutely necessary to push on. Tayib Agha had a native guide,
therefore he and his gun could take care of themselves. Accordingly I
pushed on ahead as an advanced guard, delighted to be quit of the
impediment of artillery.
In about an hour we arrived at firm ground, and the country became more
open and undulating. The clouds began to break and the rain ceased. We
pushed briskly forward until, after marching at the pace of four miles
per hour, the guide, Sherroom, suddenly halted. We were now in a clear
space where a few large trees grew in a clump upon our right. Sherroom,
who evidently knew every inch of the country, whispered that we must
wait here in silence, as there were villages not far off, and the
stockade that we were to attack was in the immediate neighbourhood. It
was nearly 5 A.M., and although we had marched since one o'clock, we
were not more than nine miles from Gondokoro. I trusted that our halt
would allow the rear to join us with the gun which had caused so much
delay.
We waited for about half-an-hour in perfect silence. There was not a
star upon the sky, which was dark and murky, thus we could distinguish
nothing. At length the black night began to grow more grey, and we could
just make out some dark masses, that appeared to be villages, upon the
right and left. We now marched rapidly, but without the slightest noise.
The morning grew greyer, and birds began to whistle. We could
distinguish trees and the tall crops of dhurra.
There was no sign of Tayib Agha and his detachment, but it was
absolutely necessary to push forward.
We were thus hurrying on, sometimes through cultivated fields, at others
through strips of forest, when we suddenly heard the long shrill cry
that is the native signal of danger. This was from a Bari watchman, who,
more awake than those by whom we must have passed unobserved, now gave
the alarm. This cry was immediately repeated in various directions.
There was no time to be lost. Sherroom bounded forward like an antelope,
at a pace that kept our horses at a hand gallop. In a couple of minutes
we saw a large circular stockade in a clear space, but within fifty
yards of the forest on our left. We galloped up, followed closely by the
"Forty Thieves," who ran like hounds. I immediately surrounded the
stockade, from which the natives had commenced to shoot their arrows.
The Egyptian troops were close up, and in the uncertain light it was
impossible to see the arrows in their flight; thus one soldier was
immediately wounded; another received a shot through his trousers. An
arrow stuck in Mr. Higginbotham's saddle, and they began to fly about
very viciously. The "Forty Thieves" now opened fire, while the Egyptians
were drawn up in a line about fifty yards from the stockade. It was
rather awkward, as the defence was a circle: thus as the troops fired
into a common centre, the bullets that passed through the intervening
spaces between the uprights of hard wood came pinging about our ears.
The sky had become grey, and there was sufficient light to discover the
doorway of the stockade. I ordered the bugles to sound "cease firing,"
and prepared to force the entrance. This was a narrow archway about four
feet six inches high, constructed of large pieces of hard wood that it
was impossible to destroy. The doorway was stopped by transverse bars of
abdnoos, or Bari ebony, and protected by a mass of hooked thorn that had
been dragged into the passage and jammed beneath the cross-bars.
I ordered Lieutenant-Colonel Abd-el-Kader to force the gateway. This he
immediately commenced, assisted by Lieutenant Baker and Mr.
Higginbotham, together with a party of the "Forty Thieves," while others
of the same corps closed up to the stockade on either side of the
entrance, and kept up a heavy fire to protect the attack.
In the mean time the immense drum within the stockade was thundering out
the summons to collect the whole of the neighbourhood for war. This
signal was answered by the heavy booming sound of innumerable drums
throughout the district far and near; and as it had now become light, I
could distinguish the natives collecting from all parts and evidently
surrounding our position. I therefore posted men as skirmishers around
the circle about eighty yards distant from the stockade, facing
outwards, while the small party forced the gateway.
The fire of the snider rifles and the steady shooting of the "Forty
Thieves" quickly reduced the number of arrows, and the natives, finding
that it was getting too hot, suddenly made a dash by a secret entrance
and rushed through the troops, now of necessity widely scattered, and
they gained the forest.
At the same time the gateway was forced, and we found a prize within of
upwards of six hundred cows. The stockade, or zareeba, was immensely
strong, formed of massive logs of ironwood deeply imbedded in the earth,
and arranged so closely together that not one bullet out of ten would
have found its way through the crevices if fired from a distance. The
proper way to attack the circular strongholds is to make a sudden rush
close up to the defence, and to lay the rifle between the openings; the
stockade then becomes a protection to the attacking party, as there is
no flank fire to enfilade them.
The natives were now gathering on all sides; but we were in possession,
and although our party consisted of only seventy men, we had an
impregnable position, which I could hold until joined by Tayib Agha. I
accordingly took a few of the "Forty Thieves" to a distance of about 150
paces away from the centre, and concealed them as sharpshooters,
wherever I found a convenient cover. The fire of the sniders kept the
enemy at a respectful distance.
There were no signs of Tayib Agha. The sun was risen, and clouds of
steam began to rise from the wet ground and the dripping trees. I
ordered some grass huts to be fired, as the volume of smoke might
attract the attention of Tayib Agha's detachment, which had evidently
gone astray. If near, they must have heard the sound of our rifles.
The huts were soon in flames, and the smoke rose high in air, which
would be a signal to be seen from a great distance.
I sent two buglers to the top of a tall tree, from which elevated post
they blew the call for the lieutenant-colonel and his three companies
continually for about half-an-hour.
We were hungry, therefore a fat calf was killed, and cooking immediately
commenced. I had a little box of salt and pepper, together with some
biscuits; thus we were in luxury. My good Monsoor was a fair cook;
therefore the fat, kidneys, and liver having been cut into pieces about
two inches square, and arranged on a steel ramrod, were well salted and
peppered, and laid on the red-hot embers when the flame and smoke had
subsided. There is nothing so good as kabobs thus simply prepared: the
ramrod is then stuck upright in the ground, and you sit down and cut off
the pieces as required. Salt should always be carried mixed with black
and red pepper in proper proportions; it saves much trouble.
We were enjoying our breakfast; the cows lately captured gave plenty of
milk, which our servants had boiled in the Baris' earthen pots, and we
were discussing the possibility of Tayib Agha having lost his way, when
we heard distant shots fired on the open hills at the foot of Belinian
mountain, about a mile and, a half to our right. We shortly
distinguished smoke, which was a reply to our signal. It was evident
that Tayib Agha had strayed far to the south, but it was satisfactory to
know that he had seen our position.
We could now distinguish the troops with the telescope, and even make
out the gun that was dragged by about twenty men. They were on their
direct way to join us.
My men had captured three young girls, whom they brought to me. The
oldest was about fifteen, and was pretty and intelligent: she had
formerly been a slave of the traders, and was marked, according to their
custom, by several scars on either cheek. The girl spoke good Arabic,
and did not appear to show the slightest alarm.
I asked her why the Belinian Baris had attacked us, and taken cattle
from the station at Gondokoro, without the slightest provocation? She
replied that they had been invited by the sheik Allorron to become
allies, therefore they had attacked us and driven off the cows, some of
which were now among the cattle we had that morning captured.
I told her that we never took slaves, therefore she and her companions
might return to the Baris, and inform them that I had come upon the
tracks of the cattle which they had driven off from Gondokoro. If they
desired peace, I should be happy to treat with them, but if they should
return to attack us at head-quarters, I should not spare them, but I
would utterly root them out of the neighbourhood. The girls laughed and
started off, not in the least disturbed by the scene around them.
At length, Tayib Agha's detachment arrived. They were very angry with
Morgian, the guide, who, they declared, had purposely misled them. This
was not the fact; the man had lost his way in the dark in the endeavour
to seek a better path for the gun. However, we were now united, and I
ordered the men to breakfast.
The sniders had cleared the natives from the vicinity, and now that we
had been reinforced by Tayib Agha's party, there was no fear of the
Baris. They kept aloof, and merely watched our movements from the tops
of high trees, where they perched like cormorants, and saw the enjoyment
of the troops engaged in roasting beef that had lately been their own.
I fully expected a difficulty with the natives when we should attempt to
drive the herd of strange cattle through the jungle path to Gondokoro. I
therefore determined to make a reconnaissance of the neighbourhood when
the men should have finished their breakfast, in order to drive the
Baris from the vicinity, and thus obtain a fair start for the cattle.
Leaving one company to protect the stockade and captured cattle, I took
the remaining three companies and the gun, and extending the line in
open order, with skirmishers thrown out in front and the gun in the
centre, we advanced through the country.
A large river bed, now almost dry, with very abrupt banks, lay on our
left. The wood became thinner, and we suddenly emerged upon a broad,
open valley or plain, which was bounded on our right by the high
mountain of Belinian, about a mile and a half distant.
The plain was covered with villages, and the entire country was green
with cultivation, the dhurra being then about two feet high. The
gun-carriage ran easily over the flat ground, and we advanced rapidly
forward, the Baris clearing out of their villages and gathering on our
flanks as we approached. A shot from the gun sent an eight-pound shell
which exploded in the air above a group about 700 yards distant. This
was sufficient notice to quit. The enemy dared not stand upon open
ground; thus, after we had driven them forward for about two miles. we
faced about and returned to the stockade.
We now opened the gateway and drove out the hungry cattle. They looked
very wild, and I rather feared a stampede; it was necessary to leave
them in the hands of our two allies, Sherroom and Morgian, as the cattle
neither understood Arabic nor the manners or customs of the Egyptians.
After a little whistling and coaxing in the Bari language, the herd
started, well protected by troops on both flanks, and an advance guard
at 150 paces' distance. The rear was brought up by the gun and the
"Forty Thieves."
The natives appeared to be under the impression that we were going to
pass the night at the zareeba; thus they had no knowledge of our start,
and we arrived at Gondokoro and entered the station about an hour after
sunset, having been out nineteen hours.
I now learnt that the Baris of Gondokoro had imagined that the greater
portion of the troops had gone to Belinian for an excursion of some
days; they had accordingly beaten their big drums and gathered together
from all quarters to attack the camp, but discretion overcame their
valour when they found a large force still at head-quarters.
On June 9, eight vessels of Agad's hove in sight, and with a fair breeze
they arrived opposite the island at 2.30 p.m.
Abou Saood was in one of these vessels.
June 10, Abou Saood presented himself to me this morning. His vessels,
being without cargoes, benefited much by our work in the sudd. He found
all our cuttings open, therefore he had no difficulty until he arrived
at the dam, through which his people cut a passage. The great rush of
water scoured a deep channel, and his squadron of light vessels came on
without difficulty. I ordered Abou Saood's people to camp on the west
bank of the river, as I did not wish them to be in constant
communication with my troops, who would quickly become contaminated by
their morals.
The news brought by Abou Saood from Khartoum informed me of the death of
Agad; therefore the representation of the firm of Agad & Co. had now
devolved upon Abou Saood, his son-in-law.
I now heard that the people of Abou Saood, who numbered about 500 men,
had brought with them a large herd of cattle which they had driven along
the west bank of the river; thus in direct defiance of the government
authority, he had made a razzia upon some tribe during his voyage, and
he had not scrupled to present himself to me with the herd of stolen
cattle staring me in the face on the other side of the water.
On my way up from the Bahr Giraffe I had left a Turkish major, Achmet
Rafik Effendi, with a corporal and five men, in the Shir tribe, about
forty miles from Gondokoro, with a friendly sheik named Niambore. This
sheik was the tallest and most powerful man that I ever saw in Africa,
and he was a trustworthy and good fellow. He had promised to cultivate a
farm for the government, therefore I had given him ten bushels of dhurra
for seed, and I had left with him at his request the officer and
soldiers, to represent the government and to superintend the
cultivation.
I now discovered that Abou Saood had attacked the natives without any
provocation, and had carried off the cattle from the country adjoining
Niambore's district.
The natives would naturally imagine that my officer and six men were
spies who had directed Abou Saood to their cattle, and there would be a
great chance of a conflict between Niambore, their protector, and his
neighbours who had been robbed.
I observed with the telescope that the people of Abou Saood who arrived
with the herd of cattle were accompanied by a great number of natives,
and the Baris of Gondokoro, who were at open war with us, flocked to
welcome the new comers as old friends who had been long absent. The
brigands had as usual arrived with a large herd of cattle, which in
Africa is always the best introduction; thus the robber tribe of
Allorron was delighted at the return of those who had always led them to
plunder, and had enriched them with the spoil of cows and slaves. I find
the following entry in my journal, dated--
"June 12, 1871.--The natives who are at war with us have been gathering
in large numbers to the spot on the west bank occupied by Abou Saood's
people. The latter are actually holding friendly intercourse with them,
and the Baris are quite at home assisting these rascals in erecting
their camp, although they positively refused to work for the government
upon our first arrival. This is the treasonable conduct of Abou Saood,
who knows perfectly well that we are at open war with the Baris.
"His large herd of about 1,400 fat cattle were driven along in triumph,
followed by the admiring population of thieving niggers, who hail his
arrival as the harbinger of fat times, Gondokoro being the general depot
for all stolen cattle, slaves. &c., and the starting point for every
piratical expedition.
"In the afternoon I started in a dingy, accompanied by Colonel
Abd-el-Kader, Lieutenant Baker, Monsoor, and four soldiers, to visit the
traders' camp on the west side of the river.
"Seeing me approach, a great number of Baris left the traders, and
taking to a precipitate flight they disappeared in the high reeds. The
traders' people received me without the slightest mark of respect, and
one insolent fellow swaggered up and stared me in the face with a pipe
in his mouth as a studied insult.
"I went to the cattle pens and immediately placed my four soldiers as
sentries over the herd, which I confiscated, as a warning to these
ruffianly slave-hunters.
"It would be a disgrace to tolerate these thieves, as Gondokoro is
rendered a perfect hell, and the natives will naturally abhor any lawful
government so long as they can consort and share spoils with such
brigands as these so-called traders of Khartoum."
Upon my return home I wrote an official letter to Abou Saood of which
the following is a copy :--
"ISMAILIA, or GONDOKORO, June 12, 1871.
"To Abou Saood, vakeel of the firm of Agad & Co.
"Sir,
"You arrived here on the 10th inst. with a large number
of cattle stolen by you and your people.
"You, knowing that the Baris were at war with the government,
have nevertheless been in daily and friendly communication
with them.
"The Baris of this country are rendered hostile to all honest
government by the conduct of your people, who, by stealing
slaves and cattle from the interior, and delivering them here,
have utterly destroyed all hope of improvement in a people
naturally savage, but now rendered by your acts thieves of the
worst description.
"It is impossible that I can permit the continuance of such acts.
"I therefore give you due notice that at the expiration of
your contract you will withdraw all your people from the district
under my command. At the same time I declare the forfeiture
to the government of the cattle you have forcibly captured under
the eyes of my authority.
"SAMUEL W. BAKER."
The only error that I can acknowledge throughout the expedition was my
present leniency. I should at once have placed Abou Saood in irons, and
have sent him to Khartoum, instead of leaving him at large to carry on
his intrigues against the government.
I intended on the first opportunity to send notice to the Shir tribe of
the safety of their cattle, but an incident shortly occurred that
altered my determination. (These cattle were kept in a separate pen or
zareeba, and were guarded when at pasturage by special soldiers for some
weeks, in order that they should be returned to the Shir tribe upon the
first opportunity.)
At the same time that Abou Saood was in disgrace, he was a bosom friend
of the colonel, Raouf Bey, who commanded my troops. They dined together
constantly in the house of the latter officer, and their friendship had
originally commenced in Khartoum during the long interval that the
regiments were awaiting my arrival from Cairo. It was during that
interval that the officers of the expedition had fraternized with the
White Nile traders who resided at Khartoum.
The result of such intimacy might be imagined.
The object of the expedition had always been distasteful to both
officers and men. The traders had already seen by the, examples made at
Tewfikeeyah that I should actually destroy their cherished slave-trade.
It was therefore natural that Abou Saood should exert himself to ruin
the expedition. Having friend in Raouf Bey, he was in a position to
create division of opinion. He constantly associated with this officer,
in order that it should be generally known that he was supported by an
influential person in the government service. The scandal of the camp
quickly assumed that the opinions concerning the slave-traders between
myself and Raouf Bey were at variance.
The officers of the expedition had, contrary to my express orders,
purchased 126 slaves from the stations of the traders during the White
Nile voyage! I had only learnt this on arrival at Gondokoro; thus when
corn was so scarce that the rations were reduced, while those of meat
were increased, we had an addition of 126 mouths!
The policy of the slave-traders was identical with the feelings of the
officers and men, all of whom wished to abandon the expedition and
return to Khartoum. Abou Saood worked molelike in his intrigues. He
fraternized secretly with Allorron and his Baris. Many of his men
purchased tobacco from the natives in exchange for ammunition. The
natives from Belinian were in daily communication with Abou Saood's
camp, and their spies obtained information of our proceedings, and
carried the news throughout the country that "they would be supported by
Abou Saood against my authority."
I learnt everything that occurred through trustworthy agents. It quickly
became known that Raouf Bey was desirous to terminate the expedition.
The contagion spread rapidly, and the men worked languidly and without
the slightest interest: they had made up their minds that the expedition
was a failure, and that a scarcity of corn would be their excuse for a
return to Khartoum. Abou Saood fanned the flame among the officers, and
discontent became general.
In the mean time the Baris were very active in annoying the camp at
night. Although these natives could not stand against the troops in the
open, they harassed them by necessitating a perpetual vigilance both by
night and day. It was necessary to have strong patrols in two parties at
all hours; and I regret to say the Egyptian officers and men did not
appear to enjoy a state of war where activity and good discipline were
absolutely necessary. The Soudani officers and men, although ignorant,
were far superior to the Egyptians in activity and courage.
Unfortunately the camp was sickly. The men now suffered from the fatigue
of the long voyage through slush and marsh. Many had fever and
dysentery. Ulcerated legs were prevalent; and this disease appeared to
be contagious. Many men died from these malignant ulcers, which in some
cases entirely destroyed the foot. The women did not suffer from this
complaint. It originated from a poisonous grass that festered the wound
it gave, and rapidly produced an incurable sore. As the women had not
been exposed to the work in the marshes, they had escaped the scourge
inflicted by the sharp edges of the grass.
There was no rest for the people; they had to build their camp and fight
the Baris at the same time. A scarcity of corn stared them in the face.
The officers and men were well aware that we could not hope for regular
supplies of corn and reinforcements of troops from Khartoum in the
dreadful state of the river: thus they felt their position keenly, as
sick, dispirited, in the midst of enemies, with approaching famine of
corn, and no communication with the Soudan. All these difficulties were
to be endured for the sake of an object which they detested--"the
suppression of the slave trade."