The Albert N'Yanza, Great Basin of the Nile, Samuel White Baker [inspirational novels .TXT] 📗

>not recognize me; ten years’ growth of beard and moustache had worked a

change; and as I was totally unexpected, my sudden appearance in the

center of Africa appeared to him incredible. I hardly required an

introduction to his companion, as we felt already acquainted, and after

the transports of this happy meeting we walked together to my diahbiah;

my men surrounding us with smoke and noise by keeping up an unremitting

fire of musketry the whole way. We were shortly seated on deck under the

awning, and such rough fare as could be hastily prepared was set before

these two ragged, careworn specimens of African travel, whom I looked

upon with feelings of pride as my own countrymen. As a good ship arrives

in harbor, battered and torn by a long and stormy voyage, yet sound in

her frame and seaworthy to the last, so both these gallant travelers

arrived at Gondokoro. Speke appeared the more worn of the two; he was

excessively lean, but in reality he was in good tough condition; he had

walked the whole way from Zanzibar, never having once ridden during that

wearying march. Grant was in honourable rags; his bare knees projecting

through the remnants of trowsers that were an exhibition of rough

industry in tailor’s work. He was looking tired and feverish, but both

men had a fire in the eye that showed the spirit that had led them

through.

 

They wished to leave Gondokoro as soon as possible, en route for

England, but delayed their departure until the moon should be in a

position for an observation for determining the longitude. My boats were

fortunately engaged by me for five months, thus Speke and Grant could

take charge of them to Khartoum.

 

At the first blush on meeting them I had considered my expedition as

terminated by having met them, and by their having accomplished the

discovery of the Nile source; but upon my congratulating them with all

my heart, upon the honour they had so nobly earned, Speke and Grant with

characteristic candour and generosity gave me a map of their route,

showing that they had been unable to complete the actual exploration of

the Nile, and that a most important portion still remained to be

determined. It appeared that in N. lat. 2 degrees 17 minutes, they had

crossed the Nile, which they had tracked from the Victoria Lake; but the

river, which from its exit from that lake had a northern course, turned

suddenly to the WEST from Karuma Falls (the point at which they crossed

it at lat. 2 degrees 17 minutes). They did not see the Nile again until

they arrived in N. lat. 3 deg. 32 min., which was then flowing from the

W.S.W. The natives and the King of Unyoro (Kamrasi) had assured them

that the Nile from the Victoria N’yanza, which they had crossed at

Karuma, flowed westward for several days’ journey, and at length fell

into a large lake called the Luta N’zige; that this lake came from the

south, and that the Nile on entering the northern extremity almost

immediately made its exit, and as a navigable river continued its course

to the north, through the Koshi and Madi countries. Both Speke and Grant

attached great importance to this lake Luta N’zige, and the former was

much annoyed that it had been impossible for them to carry out the

exploration. He foresaw that stay-at-home geographers, who, with a

comfortable armchair to sit in, travel so easily with their fingers on a

map, would ask him why he had not gone from such a place to such a

place? why he had not followed the Nile to the Luta N’zige lake, and

from the lake to Gondokoro? As it happened, it was impossible for Speke

and Grant to follow the Nile from Karuma:—the tribes were fighting

with Kamrasi, and no strangers could have got through the country.

Accordingly they procured their information most carefully, completed

their map, and laid down the reported lake in its supposed position,

showing the Nile as both influent and effluent precisely as had been

explained by the natives.

 

Speke expressed his conviction that the Luta N’zige must be a second

source of the Nile, and that geographers would be dissatisfied that he

had not explored it. To me this was most gratifying. I had been much

disheartened at the idea that the great work was accomplished, and that

nothing remained for exploration; I even said to Speke, “Does not one

leaf of the laurel remain for me?” I now heard that the field was not

only open, but that an additional interest was given to the exploration

by the proof that the Nile flowed out of one great lake, the Victoria,

but that it evidently must derive an additional supply from an unknown

lake as it entered it at the NORTHERN extremity, while the body of the

lake came from the south. The fact of a great body of water such as the

Luta N’zige extending in a direct line from south to north, while the

general system of drainage of the Nile was from the same direction,

showed most conclusively, that the Luta N’zige, if it existed in the

form assumed, must have an important position in the basin of the Nile.

 

My expedition had naturally been rather costly, and being in excellent

order it would have been heartbreaking to have returned fruitlessly. I

therefore arranged immediately for my departure, and Speke most kindly

wrote in my journal such instructions as might be useful. I therefore

copy them verbatim:

 

“Before you leave this be sure you engage two men, one speaking the Bari

or Madi language, and one speaking Kinyoro, to be your interpreters

through the whole journey, for there are only two distinct families of

languages in the country, though of course some dialectic differences,

which can be easily overcome by anybody who knows the family language.

… Now, as you are bent on first going to visit Kamrasi M’Kamma, or

King of Unyoro, and then to see as much of the western countries

bordering on the little Luta N’zige, or `dead locust’ lake, as possible,

go in company with the ivory hunters across the Asua river to Apuddo

eight marches, and look for game to the east of that village. Two

marches further on will bring you to Panyoro, where there are antelopes

in great quantity; and in one march more the Turks’ farthest outpost,

Faloro, will be reached, where you had better form a depot, and make a

flying trip across the White Nile to Koshi for the purpose of inquiring

what tribes live to west and south of it, especially of the Wallegga;

how the river comes from the south, and where it is joined by the little

Luta N’zige. Inquire also after the country of Chopi, and what

difficulties or otherwise you would have to overcome if you followed up

the left bank of the White river to Kamrasi’s; because, if found easy,

it would be far nearer and better to reach Kamrasi that way than going

through the desert jungles of Ukidi, as we went. This is the way I

should certainly go myself, but if you do not like the look of it,

preserve your information well; and after returning to Faloro, make Koki

per Chougi in two marches, and tell old Chougi you wish to visit his

M’Kamma Kamrasi, for Chougi was appointed Governor-general of that place

by Kamrasi to watch the Wakidi who live between his residence and Chopi,

which is the next country you will reach after passing through the

jungles of Ukidi and crossing the Nile below Karuma Falls. Arrived at

Chopi, inquire for the residence of the Katikiro or commander-in-chief,

who will show you great respect, give you cows and pombe, and send

messengers on to Kamrasi to acquaint him of your intention to visit him.

This is the richest part of Kamrasi’s possessions, and by a little

inquiry you will learn much about the lake. Kamrasi’s brother Rionga

lives on a river island within one march of this. They are deadly

enemies and always fighting, so if you made a mistake and went to

Rionga’s first, as the Turks would wish you to do, all travelling in

Unyoro would be cut off. Tell the Katikiro all your plans frankly, and

remark earnestly upon my great displeasure at Kamrasi’s having detained

me so long in his country without deigning to see me, else he may be

assured no other white man will ever take the trouble to see him. We

came down the river in boats from Kamrasi’s to Chopi, but the boatmen

gave much trouble, therefore it would be better for you to go overland.

Kamrasi will most likely send Kidgwiga, an excellent officer, to escort

you to his palace, but if he does not, ask after him; you could not have

a better man.

 

“Arrived at Kamrasi’s, insist upon seeing all his fat wives and

brothers. Find out all you can about his pedigree, and ask for leave to

follow up the lake from its JUNCTION with the Nile to Utumbi, and then

crossing to its northern bank follow it down to Ullegga and Koshi. If

you are so fortunate as to reach Utumbi, and don’t wish to go farther

south, inquire well about Ruanda, the M’Fumbiro mountains, if there is

any copper in Ruanda, and whether or not the people of those countries

receive Simbi (the cowrie shell) or any other articles of merchandise

from the west coast, guarding well that no confusion is made with the

trade of Karagwe, for Rumanika sends men to Utumbi ivory-hunting

continually. “Remember well that the Wahuma are most likely Gallas; this

question is most interesting, and the more you can gather of their

history, since they crossed the White Nile, the better. Formerly Unyoro,

Uganda, and Uddhu were all united in one vast kingdom called Kittara,

but this name is now only applied to certain portions of that kingdom.

 

“Nothing is known of the Mountains of the Moon to the westward of

Ruanda. In Unyoro the king will feed you; beyond that I suspect you will

have to buy food with beads.”

 

Such was the information most kindly written by Speke, which, in

addition to a map drawn by Captain Grant, and addressed to the Secretary

of the Royal Geographical Society, was to be my guide in the important

exploration resolved upon. I am particular in publishing these details,

in order to show the perfect freedom from jealousy of both Captains

Speke and Grant. Unfortunately, in most affairs of life, there is not

only fair emulation, but ambition is too often combined with intense

jealousy of others. Had this miserable feeling existed in the minds of

Speke and Grant, they would have returned to England with the sole

honour of discovering the source of the Nile; but in their true devotion

to geographical science and especially to the specific object of their

expedition they gave me all information to assist in the completion of

the great problem—the “Nile Sources.”

 

We were all ready to start. Speke and Grant, an their party of

twenty-two people, for Egypt, and I in the opposite direction. At this

season there were many boats at Gondokoro belonging to the traders’

parties, among which were four belonging to Mr. Petherick, three of

which were open cargo boats, and one remarkably nice diahbiah, named the

“Kathleen,” that was waiting for Mrs. Petherick and her husband, who

were supposed to be at their trading station, the Niambara, about

seventy miles west of Gondokoro; but no accounts had been heard of them.

On the 20th February they suddenly arrived from the Niambara, with their

people and ivory and were surprised at seeing so large a party of

English in so desolate a spot. It is a curious circumstance, that

although many Europeans had been