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

the middle of

the night, the watch-fires still blazing, I was awoke by a great noise,

and upon arrival at the spot I found a number of the Turks with

firebrands, searching upon the ground, which was literally strewed with

beads and copper bracelets. The Latooka porters had broken open the bags

and baskets containing many hundredweight of these objects, and, loading

themselves, had intended to desert with their stolen prize; but the

sentries having discovered them, they were seized by the soldiers.

 

There fellows, the Latookas, had exhibited the folly of monkeys in so

rashly breaking open the packages while the sentries were on guard.

Several who had been caught in the act were now pinioned by the Turks,

and were immediately condemned to be shot; while others were held down

upon the ground and well chastised with the coorbatch I begged that the

punishment of death might be commuted for a good flogging; at first I

implored in vain, until I suggested, that if the porters were shot,

there would be no one to carry their loads:—this practical argument

saved them, and after receiving a severe thrashing, their arms were

pinioned, and a guard set over them until the morning.

 

We marched at 5.25 on the following morning. For several hours the path

led through thick jungle in which we occasionally caught glimpses of

antelopes. At length quitting the jungle we arrived at an open marshy

plain, upon which I discerned at a great distance a number of antelopes.

Having nothing to eat I determined to stalk them, as I heard from the

people that we were not far from our halting-place for the day.

 

Accordingly I left Mrs. Baker with my horse and a spare rifle to wait,

while the party marched straight on; I intended to make a circuit

through the jungle and to wait for the entrance of the herd, which she

was to drive, by simply riding through the plain and leading my horse;

she was to bring the horse to me should I fire a shot. After walking for

about a mile in the jungle parallel with the plain, I saw the herd of

about two hundred Tetel going at full gallop from the open ground into

the jungle, having been alarmed by the red bags and the Turks, who had

crossed over the marsh. So shy were these antelopes that there was no

possibility of stalking them. I noticed however that there were several

waterbucks in the very centre of the marsh, and that two or three trees

afforded the possibility of a stalk. Having the wind all right, I

succeeded in getting to a tree within about two hundred and fifty yards

of the largest buck, and lying down in a dry trench that in the wet

season formed a brook, I crept along the bottom until I reached a tall

tuft of grass that was to be my last point of cover. Just as I raised

myself slowly from the trench I found the buck watching me most

attentively. A steady shot with my little No. 24 rifle took no effect-it

was too high:-the buck did not even notice the shot, which was, I

suppose, the first he had ever heard;-he was standing exactly facing me;

this is at all tines an unpleasant position for a shot. Seeing that he

did not seem disposed to move, I reloaded without firing my left-hand

barrel. I now allowed for the high range of the last shot; a moment

after the report he sprang into the air, then fell upon his knees and

galloped off on three legs; one of the forelegs being broken. I had

heard the sharp sound of the bullet, but the shot was not very

satisfactory. Turning to look for my horse, I saw Mrs. Baker galloping

over the plain towards me, leading Filfil, while Richard ran behind at

his best speed.

 

Upon her arrival I mounted Filfil, who was a fast horse, and with my

little No. 24 rifle in my hand I rode slowly towards the wounded

waterbuck, who was now standing watching us at about a quarter of a mile

distant. However, before I had decreased my distance by a hundred yards

he started off at full gallop. Putting Filfil into a canter I increased

the pace until I found that I must press him at full speed, as the

waterbuck, although on only three legs, had the best of it. The ground

was rough, having been marshy and trodden into ruts by the game, but now

dried by the sun;-bad for both horse and antelope, but especially for

the former: however, after a race of about a mile I found myself gaining

so rapidly that in a few moments I was riding on his left flank within

three yards of him, and holding the rifle with one hand like a pistol I

shot him dead through the shoulder. This little double rifle is an

exceedingly handy weapon;-it was made for me about nine years ago by

Thomas Fletcher, gunmaker of Gloucester, and is of most perfect

workmanship. I have shot with it most kinds of large game; although the

bore is so small as No. 24, I have bagged with it rhinoceros,

hippopotamus, lions, buffaloes, and all the heavy game except elephants

and giraffes; upon the latter I have never happened to try it. Weighing

only eight pounds and three-quarters it is most convenient to carry on

horseback, and although I have had frequent accidents through my horse

falling in full gallop, the stock is perfectly sound to this day. The

best proof of thorough honest workmanship is, that in many years of hard

work it has never been out of order, nor has it ever been in a

gunmaker’s hands.

 

The operation of cutting the waterbuck into four quarters, and then

stringing them on to a strip of its own hide, was quickly performed, and

with Richarn’s assistance I slung it across my saddle, and led my horse,

thus heavily laden, towards the path. After some difficulty in crossing

muddy hollows and gullies in the otherwise dried marsh, we at length

succeeded in finding the tracks of the party that had gone on ahead.

 

We had been steering from Ellyria due east towards the high peak of

“Gebel Lafeet,” that rose exactly above one of the principal towns of

Latooka. With this fine beacon now apparently just before us, we had no

difficulty in finding our way. The country was now more open, and the

ground sandy and interspersed with the hegleek trees, which gave it the

appearance of a vast orchard of large pear trees. The “hegleek” is

peculiarly rich in potash; so much so that the ashes of the burnt wood

will blister the tongue. It bears a fruit about the size and shape of a

date;-this is very sweet and aromatic in flavour, and is also so rich in

potash that it is used as a substitute for soap.

 

After an hour’s walk always on the tracks of the party, we saw a large

Latooka town in the distance, and upon a nearer approach we discovered

crowds of people collected under two enormous trees. Presently guns

fired, the drums beat, and as we drew nearer we perceived the Turkish

flags leading a crowd of about a hundred men, who approached us with the

usual salutes, every man firing off ball cartridge as fast as he could

reload. My men were already with this lot of ragamuffins, and this was

the ivory or slave trading party that they had conspired to join. They

were marching towards me to honour me with a salute, which, upon close

approach, ended by their holding their guns, muzzle downwards, and

firing them almost into my feet. I at once saw through their object in

giving me this reception;-they had already heard from the other party

exaggerated accounts of presents that their leader had received, and

they were jealous at the fact of my having established confidence with a

party opposed to them. The vakeel of Chenooda was the man who had from

the first instigated my men to revolt and to join his party, and he at

that moment had two of my deserters with him that had mutinied and

joined him at Gondokoro. It had been agreed that the remainder of my men

were to mutiny at this spot and to join him with MY ARMS AND AMMUNITION.

This was to be the stage for the outbreak. The apparent welcome was only

to throw me off my guard.

 

I was coldly polite, and begging them not to waste their powder, I went

to the large tree that threw a beautiful shade, and we sat down,

surrounded by a crowd of both natives and trader’s people. Mahommed Her

sent me immediately a fat ox for my people: not to be under any

obligation I immediately gave him a double-barrelled gun. The ox was

slaughtered, and the people preferring beef to antelope venison, I gave

the flesh of the waterbuck to the Latooka porters belonging to Ibrahim’s

party. Thus all teeth were busy. Ibrahim and his men occupied the shade

of another enormous tree at about a hundred and fifty yards’ distance.

 

The town was Latome, one of the principal places in the Latooka country,

and was strongly palisaded, like the town of Wakkala. I did not go

through the entrance, but contented myself with resting under my tree

and writing up the journal from my note-book. Before we had been there

many hours the two parties of Ibrahim and Mahommed Her were engaged in a

hot contention. Mahommed Her declared that no one had a right of way

through that country, which belonged to him according to the customs of

the White Nile trade; that he would not permit the party of Ibrahim to

proceed, and that, should they persist in their march, he would resist

them by force.

 

Words grew high;-Ibrahim was not afraid of force, as he had a hundred

and forty men against Mahommed Her’s hundred and five;-insults and abuse

were liberally exchanged, while the natives thronged around, enjoying

the fun, until at last Mahommed Her’s temper becoming outrageous, he was

seized by the throat by Sulieman, a powerful choush or sergeant of

Ibrahim’s party, and hurled away from the select society who claimed the

right of road. Great confusion arose, and both parties prepared for a

fight, which after the usual bluster died away to nothing. However, I

noticed that my men most unmistakeably took the part of Mahommed Her

against Ibrahim; they belonging to his tribe.

 

The evening arrived, and my vakeel, with his usual cunning, came to ask

me “whether I intended to start tomorrow?” He said there was excellent

shooting in this neighbourhood, and that Ibrahim’s camp not being more

than five hours’ march beyond, I could at any time join him, should I

think proper. Many of my men were sullenly listening to my reply, which

was, that we should start in company with Ibrahim. The men immediately

turned their backs, and swaggered insolently to the town, muttering

something that I could not distinctly understand. I gave orders

directly, that no man should sleep in the town, but that all should be

at their posts by the luggage under the tree that I occupied. At night

several men were absent, and were with difficulty brought from the town

by the vakeel. The whole of the night was passed by the rival parties

quarrelling and fighting. At 5.30 on the following morning the drum of

Ibrahim’s party beat the call, and his men with great alacrity got their

porters together and prepared to march.

 

My vakeel was not to be found; my men were lying idly in the positions

where they had slept; and not a man obeyed when I gave the order to

prepare to start