At sunrise MM. Périères and de Morin gave the order to move on, but
the escort, bearers, and slaves all remained motionless. They were
seated on deck, huddled together, inert, and deaf to all commands.
M. Périères summoned one of the Nubians, who had been appointed to
the post of overseer, and told him to take one of the drums which
hung on the mast and give such a roll on it that the meaning of the
signal could not be mistaken.
The man obeyed, but the noise did not produce any visible effect on
those on board the neighbouring boats. They, one and all, remained
perfectly silent and passive.
Then the two young men, in astonishment and something akin to alarm,
despatched the Nubian in search of Nassar, who turned up in a few
moments in a state of exasperation.
"What is the matter?" asked M. de Morin, curtly.
"The matter is," replied the guide, "that our men refuse to tow the
boats as they did yesterday."
"Why?"
"The escort say that they were engaged to protect you and to defend
you in case of attack, but not to do any hauling work."
"And their companions—what do they say?"
"Much the same; they were engaged as bearers, and nobody has a right
to make them do anything in connection with the boats."
"They have no other motives for their refusal to work than these?"
"They pretend also that they were hurt yesterday by the 'om-souf,'
and they do not care about exposing themselves to it any more."
This is the Arabic name given to a plant covered with spines which
lacerate the flesh and draw blood.
"Anything else?" asked M. de Morin.
"Yes; they state that to-day they will be in greater danger still if
they push on through the marshes, because the hippopotami and
crocodiles have neared us during the night, and surround us on all
sides."
"And what have you done to overcome the insubordination of your men?"
"I have threatened them and beaten them; but they refuse to obey."
"It is a planned thing, then?"
"Yes; I fear it is a regular plot."
"Very well," exclaimed M. de Morin. "We shall never reach our
journey's end if I do not bring these people to reason at once."
And, so saying, he went in the direction of a temporary bridge
connecting his own boat with that of the escort.
M. Périères stopped him.
"My dear fellow," said he, "I beg of you not to do anything until you
have heard what I have to say. Our guide appears to possess great
influence over these men, who, as a rule, both fear and obey him. If,
in spite of the reproofs which he has administered, the blows which
he has struck, they persist in their disobedience, it shows that the
plot is a serious business. We must put an end to it, of course; in
that I am entirely with you. But do not let us waste our strength, I
beg of you. What were you going to do? Give an order to crack the
ringleader's skull, in case of resistance? We shall, no doubt, be
reduced to that extremity some day, but, possibly, just now, we might
find some other method of intimidation."
"Do you know of any?" asked M. de Morin.
"I think I do. Will you let me try it?"
"With all the pleasure in life. I do not care about killing anybody;
I only insist, in the common interest, upon being obeyed."
"And so you shall—I answer for it."
M. Périères called Nassar, who had discreetly withdrawn, and asked
him at what hour the men usually breakfasted.
"At seven o'clock," answered the guide.
"Where are their rations for this morning?"
"On the overseer's boat. They are now getting ready the durra and the
meat you promised them yesterday as a reward for their exertions."
"Very well. Tell the cooks to suspend operations. Neither the escort
nor the bearers shall eat to-day until they have worked. It is of no
use telling them so beforehand; go back to them and let them rest at
their ease."
About an hour after this conversation a certain amount of animation
was visible amongst the Nubians, who began to yawn and stretch
themselves, some even exerting themselves to the extent of standing
upright. Their appetites returned, and very soon, as the wild beasts
in a menagerie become restless on the approach of feeding time, so
all the negroes took to walking about and turning their longing eyes
towards the overseer's boat, where their daily breakfast was usually
prepared.
But the hour passed, the mists of the morning were dissipated by the
burning rays of the sun, and still no breakfast made its appearance.
Then, both soldiers and bearers began to grumble, and growl, and
gesticulate, and the boldest, or the hungriest man amongst them went
up to Nassar, who was seated in a corner, tranquilly smoking his
pipe, and opened the proceedings.
"We are hungry," said he.
"Well, eat," replied the guide, puffing away at his pipe.
"We cannot, because no one has brought us our breakfast."
"That is because there is no one to bring it to you. See if you can
find somebody."
The black went and told his comrades what the guide had said.
"He is right," exclaimed a chorus of voices.
A dozen Nubians were selected by their comrades and despatched as
envoys extraordinary. They speedily gained the overseer's boat, and
went with timid, hesitating steps towards the cook-house and
provision store, but stopped in dismay on seeing that both these
places were hermetically closed.
After noting their disappointment, M. Périères joined them in a
casual sort of way, and asked them what they meant by coming on board
without being sent for.
"We came," murmured one of them, "in search of our breakfast."
"What breakfast?" asked the Frenchman, with an air of astonishment.
"You are no longer in my service, and, consequently, I am not bound
to feed you."
Light now began to dawn on their understandings.
"My friends and I," resumed M. Périères—the interpreter, Ali,
translating his words—"agreed to share our provisions with you,
because we hoped by to-morrow to reach the Nuehr territory, and soon
afterwards the Meshera of Rek. But you refuse to tow the boats, and
as we are in consequence threatened with a prolonged sojourn here, we
shall keep our provisions to ourselves. If you make up your minds to
work you shall have your dinner, but you will get no breakfast to-day.
Go and tell your comrades what I have said, and do not come near
me again unless I send for you."
The Nubians left the boat with a very downcast air, and went to give
an account of their interview. A good deal of murmuring and shouting
ensued, but at length all the blacks, soldiers and bearers, persuaded
by the common-sense portion of the community, and, above all, acted
on by their empty stomachs, plunged into the marsh, seized the tow
ropes, and began to haul away with a will.
Two hours afterwards, M. Périères ordered them on board again, and
there they found awaiting them a substantial repast, with the
additional luxury of a plentiful supply of coffee. Touched by this
delicate attention, and moved still more by the firmness displayed by
the Europeans, the haulers lost no time in resuming their arduous
toil and, towards evening, in spite of the slow rate of progress, the
flotilla reached the Nuehr district.
This numerous tribe, whose territory extends southward of the
Shillook district, resembles its neighbours in manners and customs.
But, if proximity induces resemblance, it also engenders
unconquerable enmity; for, in Africa, the fact of two tribes being
contiguous to each other suffices to breed hatred and warfare between
them. And so it happens that the Nuehrs are of necessity a most
warlike race, ever ready to defend their frontier on the north
against the Shillooks, and on the south against the Dinkas.
As soon as the inhabitants perceived the European fleet they rushed
to their light canoes and brought off goats and sheep in exchange for
ornaments. For a few coloured glass beads, worth about a couple of
francs, M. Delange, who was at the head of the commissariat
department, procured a splendid sheep. Joseph's delight on seeing the
conclusion of the bargain knew no bounds—he had not been deceived,
and soon, very soon, he would set eyes on that country where, for
next to nothing, he could lay in a stock of slaves and ivory.
Notwithstanding all the obstacles to its progress, the flotilla was
not long in reaching the point where the Bahr-el-Arab, a somewhat
important affluent of the Bahr-el-Gazal, joins that river, if,
indeed, such a name can be given to a vast marsh, without current,
and choked with vegetation. Thanks to that junction, the progress of
the boats was accelerated considerably; the rushes became less dense,
and the passage way was enlarged. There was no longer any necessity
to tow the boats; the oars and poles were sufficient to propel them,
and very soon the sails were brought into requisition.
On the following evening the flotilla arrived at the end of its
voyage, Port Rek, a post established in a district belonging to the
Dinka tribe, on an islet surrounded by insalubrious swamps. The
journey by water was over, and the Europeans had now to turn their
attention to the definite formation of a caravan for the purpose of
proceeding by land on their way southwards.
But a whole week elapsed before the Rek traders were able to procure
the large number of bearers required by the expedition, and, in
addition to this, considerable time was consumed in landing all the
baggage, provisions of all kinds, and the articles for barter and
exchange which were on board the boats. All these affairs led to
delay, and to while away their leisure hours and escape from the
pestilential marshes, where so many Europeans have succumbed, our
travellers resolved upon an elephant hunt or two in the
neighbourhood.