The Albert N'Yanza, Great Basin of the Nile, Samuel White Baker [inspirational novels .TXT] 📗
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march to Gondokoro, and to guard the ammunition, would require a large
force in the present disturbed state of the country; thus we should be a
much-reduced party, which might induce the Latookas to attack us after
his departure. However, it was necessary that he should start. I
accordingly lent him a couple of donkeys to convey his powder, in case
he should not be able to procure porters.
After the departure of Ibrahim, the force of his party remaining at
Tarrangolle was reduced to thirty-five men, under the command of his
lieutenant, Suleiman. This was a weak detachment in the event of an
attack, especially as they had no separate camp, but were living in the
native town, the men quartered in detached huts, and accordingly at the
mercy of the natives if surprised. The brutality of the Turks was so
inseparable from their nature, that they continually insulted the native
women to such an extent that I felt sure they would provoke hostilities
in the present warlike humour of the Latookas. The stream being nearly a
mile distant, there was a difficulty in procuring water. The Turks being
far too lazy to carry it for themselves, seized upon the water-jars when
the women returned from the stream, and beat them severely upon their
refusal to deliver them without payment. I found no difficulty, as I
engaged a woman to bring a regular supply for a daily payment in beads.
Much bartering was going on between the Turks and the natives for
provisions, in which the latter were invariably cheated, and beaten if
they complained. I felt sure that such conduct must end in disagreement,
if not in actual fight, in the event of which I knew that I should be
dragged into the affair, although perfectly innocent, and having nothing
to do with the Turks.
My quarters in the town were near an open quadrangular space about
eighty yards square, inclosed upon all sides, but having a narrow
entrance to the main street. The Turks were scattered about in the
neighbouring lanes, their time passed in drinking merissa, and
quarrelling with the natives and with each other.
The day after Ibrahim’s departure, the Turks seized some jars of water
by force from the women on their return from the stream. A row ensued,
and ended by one of the women being shamefully maltreated; and a
Latooka, who came to her assistance, was severely beaten. This I did not
see, but it was reported to me. I called Suleiman, and told him that if
such things were permitted it would entail a fight with the natives, in
which I should not allow my men to join; that I prohibited my men from
taking anything from the Latookas without just payment: thus, should a
fight be caused by the conduct of his people, they must get out of it as
they best could.
A bad feeling already existed between the natives and his people, owing
to the defeat of the party of Mahommed Her. Much good management was
required to avoid a collision, and the reverse was certain to cause an
outbreak. Shortly before dusk the women were again assaulted on their
return with water from the stream. One of Ibrahim’s soldiers threatened
a powerful-looking Amazon with his stick because she refused to deliver
up her jar of water that she had carried about a mile for her own
requirements. Upon seeing this my pretty friend, Bokke, the chief’s
wife, seized the soldier by the throat, wrested the stick from him,
while another woman disarmed him of his gun. Other women then set upon
him, and gave him a most ignominious shaking; while some gathered up mud
from the gutter and poured it down the barrel of his gun until they
effectually choked it; not content with this, they plastered large
masses of mud over the locks and trigger.
I looked on with enjoyment at the thorough discomfiture of the Turk. The
news quickly spread, and in revenge for his disgrace his comrades
severely beat some women at some distance from the camp. I heard
screams, and shouts, and a confused noise; and upon my arrival outside
the town, I saw large numbers of natives running from all quarters, and
collecting together with lances and shields. I felt sure that we were to
be involved in a general outbreak. However, the Turks beat the drum, and
collected their men, so that in a few minutes no straggler was in the
town.
It was remarkably unpleasant to be dragged into a row by the conduct of
these brutal traders, with whom I had nothing in common, and who, should
a fight actually occur, would be certain to behave as cowards. The
Latookas would make no distinction between me and them, in the event of
an attack, as they would naturally class all strangers and new comers
with the hated Turks.
It was about 5 P.M. one hour before sunset. The woman who usually
brought us water delivered her jar, but disappeared immediately after
without sweeping the courtyard as was her custom. Her children, who
usually played in this inclosure, had vanished. On searching her hut,
which was in one corner of the yard, no one was to be found, and even
the grinding-stone was gone. Suspecting that something was in the wind,
I sent Karka and Gaddum Her, the two black servants, to search in
various huts in the neighbourhood to observe if the owners were present,
and whether the women were in their houses. Not a woman could be found.
Neither woman nor child remained in the large town of Tarrangolle. There
was an extraordinary stillness where usually all was noise and
chattering. All the women and children had been removed to the mountains
about two miles distant, and this so quickly and noiselessly that it
appeared incredible. I immediately sent to the house of the chief, and
requested his attendance. There were two chiefs, brothers; Moy was the
greater in point of rank, but his brother, Commoro, had more actual
authority with the people. I was glad that the latter appeared.
I sent to request an interpreter from the Turks, and upon his arrival I
asked Commoro why the women and children had been removed. He replied,
“That the Turks were so brutal that he could not prevail upon his people
to endure it any longer; their women were robbed and beaten, and they
were all so ill-treated, that he, as their chief, had no longer any
control over them; and that the odium of having introduced the Turks to
Latooka was thrown upon him.” I asked him whether any of my men had
misbehaved. I explained that I should flog any one of my men who should
steal the merest trifle from his people, or insult any women. All my men
were in dark-brown uniforms. He said, “That none of the men with the
brown clothes had been complained of, but that his people had taken a
dislike to all strangers, owing to the conduct of the Turks, and that he
could not answer for the consequences.”
There was a division among his own people, some wishing to fight and to
serve the Turks as the Latookas had served the party of Mahommed Her,
and others yielding to his advice, and agreeing to remain quiet.
I inquired whether the chief, Moy, intended peace or war. He said, “That
Bokke, his wife, had made him very angry against the Turks by describing
their conduct towards the women.”
This was rather an unsatisfactory state of things. Commoro departed,
frankly admitting that the natives were much excited and wished to
attack, but that he would do his best with them.
These rascally TRADERS set every country in a blaze by their brutal
conduct, and rendered exploring, not only most dangerous but next to
impossible, without an exceedingly powerful force.
The sun set; and, as usual in tropical climates, darkness set in within
half an hour. Not a woman had returned to the town, nor was the voice of
a man to be heard. The natives had entirely forsaken the portion of the
town that both I and the Turks occupied. The night was perfectly calm,
and the stars shone so brightly, that I took an observation for the
latitude—4 degrees 30 minutes. There was a death-like stillness in
the air. Even the Turks, who were usually uproarious, were perfectly
quiet, and although my men made no remark, it was plain that we were all
occupied by the same thoughts, and that an attack was expected.
It was about 9 o’clock, and the stillness had become almost painful.
There was no cry of a bird; not even the howl of a hyena: the camels
were sleeping; but every man was wide awake, and the sentries well on
the alert. We were almost listening at the supernatural stillness, if I
may so describe the perfect calm, when, suddenly, every one startled at
the deep and solemn boom of the great war-drum, or nogara! Three
distinct beats, at slow intervals, rang through the apparently deserted
town, and echoed loudly from the neighbouring mountain. It was the
signal! A few minutes elapsed, and like a distant echo from the north
the three mournful tones again distinctly sounded. Was it an echo?
Impossible. Now from the south, far distant, but unmistakeable, the same
three regular beats came booming through the still night air. Again and
again, from every quarter, spreading far and wide, the signal was
responded; and the whole country echoed those three solemn notes so full
of warning. Once more the great nogara of Tarrangolle sounded the
original alarm within a few hundred paces of our quarters. The whole
country was up.
There was no doubt about the matter. The Turks well knew those three
notes were the war-signal of the Latookas. I immediately called
Suleiman. It was necessary to act in unison. I ordered him to beat the
drum loudly for about five minutes to answer the nogara. His men were
all scattered in several small inclosures. I called them all out into
the open quadrangle; in the centre of which I placed the baggage, and
planted the English ensign in the middle, while the Turks fixed their
flag within a few paces. Posting sentries at each corner of the square,
I stationed patrols in the principal street. In the meantime Mrs. Baker
had laid out upon a mat several hundred cartridges of buckshot,
powder-flasks, wadding, and opened several boxes of caps, all of which
were neatly arranged for a reserve of ammunition; while a long row of
first-class double guns and rifles lay in readiness. The boy Saat was
full of fight, and immediately strapped on his belt and cartouche-box,
and took his stand among the men.
I ordered the men, in the event of an attack, to immediately set fire to
all the huts around the quadrangle; in which case the sudden rush of a
large body of men would be impossible, and the huts being of straw, the
town would be quickly in a blaze.
Everything was in order to resist an attack in five minutes from the
sounding of the nogara.
The patrols shortly reported that large bodies of men were collecting
outside the town. The great nogara again beat, and was answered at
intervals as before from the neighbouring villages; but the Turks’ drum
kept up an uninterrupted roll as a challenge whenever the nogara
sounded. Instead of the intense stillness that had formerly been almost
painful, a distinct hum of distant voices betokened the gathering of
large bodies of men. However, we were well fortified; and the Latookas
knew it. We occupied the very stronghold that they had themselves
constructed for the defence of their town; and the square being
surrounded with strong ironwood palisades with only a
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