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

party. He was riding on a donkey, being the last of the

line, behind the flag that closed the march.

 

I never saw a more atrocious countenance than that exhibited in this

man. A mixed breed, between a Turk sire and Arab mother, he had the good

features and bad qualities of either race. The fine, sharp, high-arched

nose and large nostril; the pointed and projecting chin; rather high

cheekbones and prominent brow, overhanging a pair of immense black eyes

full of expression of all evil. As he approached he took no notice of

us, but studiously looked straight before him with the most determined

insolence.

 

The fate of the expedition was, at this critical moment, retrieved by

Mrs. Baker. She implored me to call him, to insist upon a personal

explanation, and to offer him some present in the event of establishing

amicable relations. I could not condescend to address the sullen

scoundrel. He was in the act of passing us, and success depended upon

that instant. Mrs. Baker herself called him. For the moment he made no

reply; but, upon my repeating the call in a loud key, he turned his

donkey towards us and dismounted. I ordered him to sit down, as his men

were ahead and we were alone.

 

The following dialogue passed between us after the usual Arab mode of

greeting. I said, “Ibrahim, why should we be enemies in the midst of

this hostile country? We believe in the same God, why should we quarrel

in this land of heathens, who believe in no God? You have your work to

perform; I have mine. You want ivory; I am a simple traveller; why

should we clash? If I were offered the whole ivory of the country, I

would not accept a single tusk, nor interfere with you in any way.

Transact your business, and don’t interfere with me: the country is wide

enough for us both. I have a task before me, to reach a great lake—

the head of the Nile. Reach it I will (Inshallah). No power shall drive

me back. If you are hostile, I will imprison you in Khartoum; if you

assist me, I will reward you far beyond any reward you have ever

received. Should I be killed in this country, you will be suspected; you

know the result; the Government would hang you on the bare suspicion. On

the contrary, if you are friendly, I will use my influence in any

country that I discover, that you may procure its ivory for the sake of

your master Koorshid, who was generous to Captains Speke and Grant, and

kind to me. Should you be hostile, I shall hold your master responsible

as your employer. Should you assist me, I will befriend you both. Choose

your course frankly, like a man—friend or enemy?”

 

Before he had time to reply, Mrs. Baker addressed him much in the same

strain, telling him that he did not know what Englishmen were; that

nothing would drive them back; that the British Government watched over

them wherever they might be, and that no outrage could be committed with

impunity upon a British subject. That I would not deceive him in any

way; that I was not a trader; and that I should be able to assist him

materially by discovering new countries rich in ivory, and that he would

benefit himself personally by civil conduct.

 

He seemed confused, and wavered. I immediately promised him a new

double-barrelled gun and some gold, when my party should arrive, as an

earnest of the future.

 

He replied, “That he did not himself wish to be hostile, but that all

the trading parties, without one exception, were against me, and that

the men were convinced that I was a consul in disguise, who would report

to the authorities at Khartoum all the proceedings of the traders.” He

continued, “That he believed me, but that his men would not; that all

people told lies in their country, therefore no one was credited for the

truth. However,” said he, “do not associate with my people, or they may

insult you, but go and take possession of that large tree (pointing to

one in the valley of Ellyria) for yourself and people, and I will come

there and speak with you. I will now join my men, as I do not wish them

to know that I have been conversing with you.” He then made a salaam,

mounted his donkey, and rode off.

 

I had won him. I knew the Arab character so thoroughly that I was

convinced that the tree he had pointed out, followed by the words, “I

will come there and speak to you,” was to be the rendezvous for the

receipt of the promised gun and money.

 

I did not wait for the arrival of my men, but mounting our horses, my

wife and I rode down the hillside with lighter spirits than we had

enjoyed for some time past; I gave her the entire credit of the “ruse.”

Had I been alone, I should have been too proud to have sought the

friendship of the sullen trader, and the moment on which success

depended would have been lost.

 

On arrival at the grassy plain at the foot of the mountain, there was a

crowd of the trader’s ruffians quarrelling for the shade of a few large

trees that grew on the banks of the stream. We accordingly dismounted,

and turning the horses to graze, we took possession of a tree at some

distance, under which a number of Latookas were already sitting. Not

being very particular as to our society, we sat down and waited for the

arrival of our party. The valley of Ellyria was a lovely spot in the

very bosom of the mountains. Close to where we sat were the great masses

of rock that had fallen from the cliffs, and upon examination I found

them to be the finest quality of grey granite, the feldspar being in

masses several inches square and as hard as a flint. There was no

scaling upon the surface, as is common in granite rocks.

 

No sooner had the trader’s party arrived than crowds of natives issued

from the palisaded villages on the mountain; and descending to the

plain, they mingled with the general confusion. The baggage was piled

beneath a tree, and a sentry placed on guard.

 

The natives were entirely naked, and precisely the same as the Bari.

Their chief, Legge, was among them, and received a present from Ibrahim

of a long red cotton shirt, and he assumed an air of great importance.

Ibrahim explained to him who I was, and he immediately came to ask for

the tribute he expected to receive as “black mail” for the right of

entree into his country. Of all the villanous countenances that I have

ever seen, that of Legge excelled.

 

Ferocity, avarice, and sensuality were stamped upon his face, and I

immediately requested him to sit for his portrait, and in about ten

minutes I succeeded in placing within my portfolio an exact likeness of

about the greatest rascal that exists in Central Africa.

 

I had, now the satisfaction of seeing my caravan slowly winding down the

hillside in good order, having surmounted all their difficulties.

 

Upon arrival, my men were perfectly astonished at seeing us so near the

trader’s party, and still more confounded at my sending for Ibrahim to

summon him to my tree, where I presented him with some English

sovereigns, and a double-barrelled gun. Nothing escapes the

inquisitiveness of these Arabs; and the men of both parties quickly

perceived that I had established an alliance in some unaccountable

manner with Ibrahim. I saw the gun, lately presented to him, being

handed from one to the other for examination; and both my vakeel and men

appeared utterly confused at the sudden change.

 

The chief of Ellyria now came to inspect my luggage, and demanded

fifteen heavy copper bracelets and a large quantity of beads. The

bracelets most in demand are simple rings of copper five-eighths of an

inch thick, and weighing about a pound; those of smaller size not being

so much valued. I gave him fifteen such rings, and about ten pounds of

beads in varieties, the red coral porcelain (dimiriaf) being the most

acceptable. Legge was by no means satisfied: he said “his belly was very

big and it must be filled,” which signified, that his desire was great

and must be gratified. I accordingly gave him a few extra copper rings;

but suddenly he smelt spirits, one of the few bottles that I possessed

of spirits of wine having broken in the medicine chest. Ibrahim begged

me to give him a bottle to put him in a good humour, as he enjoyed

nothing so much as araki; I accordingly gave him a pint bottle of the

strongest spirits of wine. To my amazement he broke off the neck, and

holding his head well back, he deliberately allowed the whole of the

contents to trickle down his throat as innocently as though it had been

simple water. He was thoroughly accustomed to it, as the traders were in

the habit of bringing him presents of araki every season. He declared

this to be excellent, and demanded another bottle. At that moment a

violent storm of thunder and rain burst upon us with a fury well known

in the tropics; the rain fell like a waterspout, and the throng

immediately fled for shelter. So violent was the storm, that not a man

was to be seen: some were sheltering themselves under the neighbouring

rocks; while others ran to their villages that were close by; the

trader’s people commenced a fusilade, firing off all their guns lest

they should get wet and miss fire. I could not help thinking how

completely they were at the mercy of the natives at that moment, had

they chosen to attack them; the trader’s party were lying under their

untanned oxhides with their empty guns.

 

Each of my men was provided with a piece of mackintosh, with which his

gunlocks were secured. We lay upon an angarep covered with a bull’s hide

until the storm was over. The thunder was magnificent, exploding on the

peak of the mountain exactly above us, and in the course of a quarter of

an hour torrents were rushing down the ravines among the rocks, the

effects of the violent storm that had passed away as rapidly as it had

arrived.

 

No sooner had it ceased than the throng again appeared. Once more the

chief, Legge’, was before us begging for all that we had. Although the

natives asked for beads, they would give nothing in exchange, and we

could purchase nothing for any article except molotes. These iron hoes

are made principally in this country: thus it appeared strange that they

should demand them. Legge does a large business with these hoes, sending

them into the Berri and Galla countries to the east, with various beads

and copper bracelets, to purchase ivory. Although there are very few

elephants in the neighbourhood of Ellyria, there is an immense amount of

ivory, as the chief is so great a trader that he accumulates it to

exchange with the Turks for cattle. Although he sells it so dear that he

demands twenty cows for a large tusk, it is a convenient station for the

traders, as, being near to Gondokoro, there is very little trouble in

delivering the ivory on shipboard.

 

Although I had presented Legge’ with what he desired, he would give

nothing in return, neither would he sell either goats or fowls; in fact,

no provision was procurable except honey. I purchased about eight pounds

of this luxury for a hoe. My men were starving, and I was obliged to

serve them out rice from