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