DEPARTURE OF THE TWO EXPEDITIONS.--IN THE SHOOLI COUNTRY.--ATTACKED IN
AN AMBUSCADE.
The horses were sent with Frank, as they would be of no use in the
steamboat journey, and it was arranged that they should be at Murchison
Falls in exactly a month from the date of departure from Afuddo, if
everything went well. Captain Mohammed said a month would suffice for
the journey, if they had no detentions on the road. To cover
contingencies, an allowance of eight days was added to the above period,
so that it was agreed to meet on the thirty-eighth day, unless prevented
by some unforeseen circumstance.
Fred had wondered how the Doctor and himself would return to Afuddo from
their day's journey with Frank. The horses were to leave them, and he
saw no alternative but a pedestrian journey, to which he was not at all
inclined. Satisfied that Doctor Bronson had considered the case, and
made proper provision for it, he asked no questions, though he could not
help revolving the subject in mind.
The morning of their departure for the return to Afuddo solved the
mystery.
A large ox, with wide horns, that suggested impalement to any one who
insulted their wearer, was led up for the Doctor, and a similar beast
for the youth. The animals were saddled and bridled, the bridle passing
through the cartilage of the nose, which is the weak point of the bovine
race, and an excellent holding-ground for a driving-rein. As Fred looked
at it he remembered how he had seen savage bulls held in check by a ring
through the nose, and concluded that the Africans knew what they were
about when they harnessed their saddle-oxen in this way.
"I remember now," he exclaimed, "reading about Anderson and Livingstone
riding on oxen in their African journeys. Anderson says he rode one ox
more than two thousand miles. He became much attached to his horned
steed, and declared that he preferred the ox to the horse."
[Illustration: WINWOOD READE'S OX AND HAMMOCK TRAIN.]
"Yes," replied the Doctor; "oxen are not as fast as horses, but they
will endure more, and keep fat where a horse would starve. Where there
is plenty of food a horse is to be preferred, but in a country where the
herbage is scant, and you must travel day after day and week after week,
the ox is the superior animal. He is slow but sure in his movements, and
will get over rough ground better than a horse. Winwood Reade says he is
sulky and revengeful, but this is contrary to the testimony of other
travellers. Mr. Reade had some saddle-oxen in his train, but his
favorite mode of riding was by hammock, on the shoulders of porters.
"I had arranged for porters with hammocks to carry us back to Afuddo in
case the oxen failed to arrive. But they are here all right; and as
everything is ready we will mount and be off."
Early in the afternoon they were once more in their camp on the banks of
the Nile, and discussing the plans for departure up the river.
As Doctor Bronson had predicted, the two days of preparation were
extended to four, and it was not till the fifth day that they were ready
to start. All the baggage was carried on board in the evening, and the
two explorers slept on deck, beneath the awnings. The cabins were too
hot for comfort, and so full of mosquitoes that several smudges and a
vigorous use of brooms and switches could not expel them. The deck was
much more agreeable, and it was voted that, while the cabins might be
useful as dressing-rooms, they were undesirable for lodging-places.
The steamer was off about nine o'clock in the morning, and headed
against the strong current of the Nile in the direction of the Albert
N'yanza. Late in the afternoon a bend of the stream revealed the
widening that betokened the entrance of the lake, and in a little while
the _Khedive_ was afloat on the waters of the lowest of the lakes that
form the head-waters of the mysterious river of Egypt.
We will leave the _Khedive_ and her passengers and return to Frank, whom
we left on his southward travels a day beyond Afuddo. His journal will
tell the story of his experiences.
"I had a sad heart all day after parting from my friends," said the
youth in his note-book, "and was unable to see much beauty in the
landscape. The country was well but not richly timbered, and I observed
that the road ascended steadily as we moved away from the river. We
passed many villages, all of the same general appearance, and I began to
be weary of the succession of grass-thatched huts. The people looked at
us indifferently, and sometimes came out to beg or try to sell us some
of the products of their little fields. They did not display any
hostility, but Abdul said we were not yet in the country where we might
look for opposition.
[Illustration: NEAR THE SHORE OF THE LAKE.]
"Our camp was made in a small valley, and close by a ravine that was
easily turned into a cattle-yard. A fence of African thorns was built
across each end of the ravine, and as the sides were too steep for the
cattle to climb easily they did not climb at all. The guard around the
camp was doubled, for fear of accident, and Captain Mohammed said he
should have a double guard every night till we arrived at Foueira.
"There was an alarm during the night, caused by one of the guards
discharging his rifle at a hyena that came near him. Everybody turned
out, in expectation that a fight was on hand; but when the cause of the
disturbance was explained we soon went to bed again. I thought the guard
should be reprimanded for his act, but Abdul said he was commended for
his watchfulness; and when I heard the explanation I thought he was
right after all.
"Abdul said that a few years before, at one of the posts in the Bari
country, the sentinel on duty at a certain point was found dead one
morning, and the indications were that he had been strangled. His gun
and all his equipments were gone, and there was no trace of the
assailant. The next night another man was killed at the same place, and
the third night the guard was doubled.
"Nothing happened there that night, nor was there anything worthy of
note when the guard consisted of more than one man. But whenever the
sentinel was alone he was strangled, and the same thing happened at two
or three points where sentinels were stationed.
"The men had orders to fire at anything suspicious, but somehow they did
not seem to have suspected anything till too late.
"One night a man went on duty, and received the usual orders to fire at
anything suspicious, and to stop any man that came near him.
[Illustration: CROSSING A SMALL STREAM.]
"'I shall fire at the least thing, whether suspicious or not,' was his
reply. 'If I hear a leaf rustling when I think it should not do so, I
shall fire, and I hope not to be punished for it.'
"The captain said he might do exactly as he liked; and with this
understanding he went to his post.
"The relief had been gone nearly an hour when the report of his gun was
heard. The guard immediately went to see what was the trouble; and as
they reached the place they saw the soldier dragging the body of a Bari,
which was partially dressed in the skin of a hyena.
"The mystery was explained. Hyenas are so common in this part of Africa
that nobody pays any attention to them, and a soldier on duty would
never dream of discharging his gun at one of these beasts. The negroes
had taken advantage of this circumstance to kill the guards around the
camp.
"The soldier said that the relief-guard was not out of sight before he
saw a hyena come over the crest of the hill close by and look in his
direction. He thought nothing of the circumstance, as the hyenas were
constantly prowling around the camp in search of food; the intruder
imitated perfectly the motions of the creature, and he never suspected
it was anything else.
"'They will laugh at me,' he said to himself, 'if I shoot at a hyena,
and I shall be ridiculed all through the camp. The captain gave me
permission to shoot in case a leaf rustled, or there was the least sound
more than ordinary, and I should do so. But a hyena is so ordinary, and
such a common sight around the camp, that I won't throw away a shot on
him.'
"While thinking in this way he kept his eye fixed on the beast, which
appeared to be circling slowly around, and moving in the direction of a
bush close to his post. As he watched he thought he observed a step that
was not exactly like that of a hyena. The creature was not more than
twenty paces from him, and advancing very slowly, as it paused to turn
with its nose every bit of offal, every stick and small stone that lay
in its way, as if on the keen hunt for food, and paying no attention to
the presence of the soldier.
"To make certain that there was no deception the soldier stamped on the
ground with his foot and hissed loudly. The hyena darted back, as though
frightened, but he soon reappeared in quest of food.
"'I'll fire, anyway,' said the soldier to himself; and when the hyena
was again within about twenty paces he suddenly turned and discharged
his rifle at the animal.
"The beast of prey shrieked in a very human manner, and instantly
straightened out its limbs in a way still more human than its cry of
agony had been. The soldier reloaded his rifle, and then went to look at
the result of his shot.
"He found an athletic young negro, armed only with a long knife, and a
strong cord a couple of yards in length. The secret was explained.
"The negro could imitate the motions of the hyena, and the animal was in
the habit of coming so close to the camp that nobody gave him any
attention. In this way he could get within a few feet of the soldier,
and directly behind him; watching the chance to throw his cord around
the sentinel's neck, he was able to strangle his victim without raising
an alarm. Ever since that time the soldiers of the Egyptian service are
allowed to fire at hyenas that come within twenty yards, if there is any
reason to believe they are in a hostile region.
"The next night a trap was set for Mr. Hyena, in case he should come
around the camp, and he fell into it. There was a report of a gun, but
it was some little distance from the lines, and did not wake anybody.
The hyena suffered more than anybody else.
[Illustration: AN ATTRACTION FOR A HYENA.]
"Abdul told me how it was managed, and certainly it was a trap that
would catch any ordinary beast, unsuspicious of evil intentions on the
part of his neighbors.
"A gun was placed at the foot of a tree, the butt resting on the ground,
and the muzzle elevated at an angle of about forty degrees. It was
loaded heavily, as nobody was expected to have his shoulder broken by
the recoil, and then a piece of meat was placed on the muzzle, with a
string attached and leading down to the trigger. The arrangement was
such that the disturbance of the meat would discharge the gun and send
the contents into anything that happened to be in front of the muzzle.
"A hyena came along during the night, and the result was very bad for
him as he attempted to appropriate the meat, and fell a victim to his
appetite. His head was nearly blown from his body, and he must have had
it close to the muzzle of the weapon at the moment of the discharge.
"Nothing important happened on the second or the third day. We heard no
more of any hostilities till the morning of the fourth day, when we
reached a village, where only a few people were to be seen. There was
not a woman or child present--always a bad sign in Africa.
"When the natives are bent on mischief, or expect trouble of any kind,
they send their families out of sight. This is invariably the case when
they meditate an attack on a camp. They come in under pretence of
desiring to trade, and at a given signal the fight begins. Experienced
travellers in Africa always observe the composition of a group of
natives, and keep their rifles in readiness, if it consists only of men.
"Captain Mohammed ordered the soldiers to load their guns, and be very
watchful during the march. Twenty rounds of cartridges were distributed
to each man, and other cases of ammunition were ready to be opened if
they should be wanted.
"A little before noon we came to a stream which it was necessary to
cross by fording. The banks were lined with tall reeds, and Abdul
remarked that it was an excellent place for an ambuscade. Hardly had he
spoken before an arrow whizzed from the reeds and narrowly missed one of
the men who was entering the water preparatory to wading over. Evidently
there was trouble in store for us.
"Twenty soldiers were sent ahead to clear the way. They advanced slowly,
as it was impossible to see any distance among the bushes, and it was
quite possible for an enemy to be within a few feet of you without being
discovered.
[Illustration: ATTACK IN AN AMBUSCADE.]
"The natives were not slow to appear, and only a few shots had been
fired before a hundred dusky forms were visible, moving rapidly among
the tall reeds. Each man carried a spear and a shield, and some had bows
and arrows. Luckily they had not yet been able to procure fire-arms, or
they might have made our march very uncomfortable.
"The rude weapons of the negro were no match for the Remington rifle,
and in less than half an hour the space around the ford was cleared of
our enemies. The worst feature of the business was the promise it made
of delays, and perhaps a good deal of fighting, before we could reach
the end of our journey.
"One of the negroes was wounded slightly in the foot, which prevented
his running away, though the matter was not at all serious. He fell into
our hands, and the captain at once sent for an interpreter and
questioned the man as to the reason of the attack.
"The negro explained that his people, the Shoolis, had recently suffered
considerably from the slave-hunters who had come to destroy their
villages and carry the prisoners into slavery. Consequently war had been
declared against all men coming from Khartoum or Gondokoro under the
pretence of buying ivory, and our expedition would not be likely to get
to the Victoria Nile without a great deal of trouble.
"This was serious news indeed, and as soon as we reached a good place
for making a camp we halted and spread the tents. We wanted a spot that
could be easily defended in case of attack. In order to protect
ourselves we threw up a line of thorn-fences, completely inclosing the
camp. There is nothing better than a fence of thorns to hold off these
negroes; they wear no clothing, except an antelope-skin over the
shoulders, and consequently have a profound respect for the stout thorn
that grows in this country, and has a point like that of a
darning-needle.
"Captain Mohammed decided to remain in camp till he could have an
interview with the chief of the region through which we desired to pass.
He thought he could convince the chief that we were his friends, as we
had come to suppress slavery instead of protecting the business. The
best way of coming to the negotiation would be to send for the chief and
wait patiently till he came to camp. Luckily he was not far off, and the
messengers departed immediately. According to the custom of the country
they carried presents, to assure him that no treachery was intended.
"I wanted to go on a hunting excursion the next day, but the captain
said he would not permit it, as it would be dangerous. The natives would
certainly attack me, and they had every advantage, by the facility with
which they could conceal themselves in the grass or behind the trees.
[Illustration: TWO OF OUR PORTERS.]
"So there was nothing to do but wait and keep within our lines.
Fortunately, we did not have a long delay, as the hostile chief was
easily found, and came to camp a little past noon--a promptness not at
all characteristic of his country. I was permitted to be present at the
interview, and observed the dress and manners of the chief.
"He was a finely formed man, about fifty years old, well built and
muscular, and evidently in robust health. The Shoolis are not as tall in
stature as the Shillooks or Dinkas, but have better figures. Sir Samuel
Baker calls the men of the tribe the best proportioned that he saw in
Africa, and other travellers confirm his opinion. The women are rather
short in stature, but equally muscular with the men.
[Illustration: ANTELOPE OF THE SHOOLI COUNTRY (FEMALE).]
"The dress of the chief consisted of an antelope-skin thrown across his
shoulders, and covering the lower part of his body like a scarf. This is
the usual garment of the Shoolis, and, as the tribe is a numerous one,
and the clothing does not last long, there is a great slaughter of
antelopes every year to keep up the supply. The chief's followers were
clad exactly like himself; but his robe was larger and finer than the
rest, and he carried a spear with a tuft of feathers at the end, the
weapons of his followers being without decoration.
[Illustration: ANTELOPE OF THE SHOOLI COUNTRY (MALE).]
"They all came, to the number of twenty or more, to the tent of the
captain; and as there were nearly as many of ourselves at the
conference, the tent was not large enough to hold us. So we adjourned to
the shade of a tree outside, where a carpet was spread for the chief,
while his followers stretched upon the grass around him. Captain
Mohammed, his two aids, and myself sat in camp-chairs directly in front
of the chief, and the interpreters and the dragoman stood near us.
"The conference opened by a statement of grievances by the chief, who
said that the slave-dealers had plundered his villages and carried
away his people, and he had determined to prevent farther intrusion if
possible. To this end he had ordered that all the roads entering his
territory should be guarded, and any men who ventured to come in from
the north should be driven back. He was acting in accord with the tribes
farther south, and also with the more powerful Kaba Rega, King of
Unyoro. War had not actually been declared; but, unless there was a
certainty of better treatment by the merchants from Gondokoro, they
would admit no more Egyptians, and the posts at Fatiko and Foueira would
be attacked.
"His story took some time in the narration, on account of the necessity
of frequent pauses to allow the interpreter to translate. As soon as he
had finished Captain Mohammed replied with the assurance that the
Egyptians were friends of the Shoolis, and the great desire of the
Khedive at Cairo was to put an end to slavery and the slave-trade.
"The chief was not altogether pleased with this reply, as his people
have no particular objection to the slave-trade, so long as it is
conducted without violence, and especially when they are the gainers
thereby. If they could be protected while plundering their neighbors and
making prisoners to sell on their own account, they would regard slavery
as a divine institution; but when the tables are turned and the Shoolis
are the prisoners and the merchandise, the matter has a different
aspect. It reminds me of the school-boy story of the goring of the ox.
"Captain Mohammed saw how his speech was received, and therefore, like a
wily Arab, hastened to change it. He assured the chief that we had not
come to disturb them, but to protect them from all enemies, white and
black alike, and that as long as the power of Egypt was recognized the
Shoolis should not be carried into slavery.
"This was more agreeable to the views of the savage, and the
negotiations went on more smoothly.
"Coffee was served, and the chief drank it eagerly. A second and then a
third cup was handed to him, and the beverage had the effect of making
him more inclined to listen to reason. The result was that the terms of
peace were arranged, and the captain and the chief became 'blood
brothers.' Blood brotherhood is a peculiarity of Africa, and is
described by Livingstone, Baker, and other explorers.
"The men who are to become related in this way make slight punctures in
each others arms, and then swallow a drop of the blood that flows from
the wound. The ceremony is not a pleasing one to look at, and I do not
care to be present a second time. It occupied only a few moments, and
quite likely both parties were glad to have it over as soon as possible.
"The chief agreed to order his people to cease hostilities; but, as it
would take a certain time to convey the intelligence through his
country, it would be best for us to wait a couple of days where we were.
The captain protested that the delay would be inconvenient, as we had a
good many mouths to feed, and the consumption of provisions was serious.
"'I will show you how to get fresh provisions,' said the chief. 'There
is to be a grand hunt to-morrow, and you shall see it, and have a share
of the proceeds.'
"Then he told us that the hunt was to come off the next day, a few miles
to the east of our camp, and he invited us to go. I was very glad he did
so, as it gave me a chance to see something of which I had read in
Baker's account of his expedition, as well as in the works of other
travellers. The Shoolis are great hunters; in fact, their country is so
full of game that they have every reason to be fond of the chase."