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

prove

that the Lake Luta N’zige is one source of the Nile with a navigable

junction, I can at once do away with the great difficulty, and open up a

direct trade for Koorshid. The Lake is in Kamrasi’s own dominions: thus

he will have no fear in supplying porters to deliver the ivory at a

depot that might be established, either on the lake or at its junction

with the Nile. A vessel should be built upon the lake, to trade with the

surrounding coasts, and to receive the ivory from the depot. This vessel

would then descend from the lake to the While Nile, to the head of the

cataracts, where a camp should be formed, from which, in a few days’

march, the ivory would reach Gondokoro.

 

“A large trade might thus be established, as not only Unyoro would

supply ivory, but the lake would open the navigation to the very heart

of Africa. The advantage of dealing with Kamrasi direct would be great,

as he is not a mere savage, demanding beads and bracelets; but he would

receive printed cottons, and goods of various kinds, by which means the

ivory would be obtained at a merely nominal rate. The depot on the Luta

N’zige should be a general store, at which the vessel ascending from the

station above the cataracts would deliver the various goods from

Gondokoro, and from this store the goods would be disseminated

throughout the countries bordering the lake by means of vessels.

 

“The only drawback to this honest trade would be the general hatred of

anything honest by the Khartoumers; the charms of cattle razzias and

slave-hunting, with the attendant murders, attract these villanous

cutthroats to the White Nile expeditions, and I fear it would be

difficult to raise the number of armed men required for safety, were

legitimate trade the sole object of the ivory hunter.

 

“Even in Obbo, I believe that printed calicoes, red woollen shirts,

blankets, &c. would purchase ivory. The elevation of this country being

upwards of 3,600 feet, the nights are cold, and even the day is cold

during the wet season; thus clothing is required; this we see in the

first rudiments of covering, the skins of beasts used by the natives;

the Obbo people being the first tribe that adopts a particle of clothing

from the Shillook country (lat. 10 degrees) throughout the entire course

of the White Nile to this latitude (4 degrees 02 minutes). Kamrasi’s

tribe are well covered, and farther south, towards Zanzibar, all tribes

are clothed more or less; thus Obbo is the clothing frontier, where the

climate has first prompted the savage to cover himself, while in the hot

lowlands he remains in a state of nakedness. Where clothing is required,

English manufacturers would find a market in exchange for ivory; thus

from this point a fair trade might be commenced.

 

“From Farajoke, in the Sooli country, lat. 3 degrees 33 minutes, up to

this date the most southern limit of my explorations, the lake is about

nine or ten days’ march in a direct course; but such a route is

impossible, owing to Debono’s establishment occupying the intervening

country, and the rules of the traders forbid a trespass upon their

assumed territory. Koorshid’s men would refuse to advance by that route;

my men, if alone, will be afraid to travel, and will find some excuse

for not proceeding; from the very outset they have been an absolute

burthen upon me, receiving a monthly allowance of two pounds of beads

per head for doing literally nothing, after having ruined the

independence of my expedition by their mutiny at Gondokoro.”

 

“AUG. 23d.—My last camel died to-day; thus all my horses and camels

are dead, and only eight donkeys remain out of twenty-one; most of these

will die, if not all. There can be no doubt that the excessive wet in

all the food, owing to the constant rain and dew, is the principal cause

of disease. The camels, horses, and donkeys of the Soudan, all thrive in

the hot dry air of that country, and are unsuited for this damp climate.

 

“Had I been without transport animals, my expedition could not have left

Gondokoro, as there was no possibility of procuring porters. I had

always expected that my animals would die, but I had hoped they would

have carried me to the equator: this they would have accomplished during

the two months of comparative dry weather following my arrival at

Gondokoro, had not the mutiny thwarted all my plans, and thrown me into

the wet season. My animals have delivered me at Obbo, and have died in

inaction, instead of wearing out upon the road. Had I been able to start

direct from Gondokoro, as I had intended, my animals would have

delivered me in Kamrasi’s country before the arrival of the heavy rains.

 

“There is an excellent species of gourd in Obbo; it is pear-shaped,

about ten inches long, and seven in diameter, with a white skin, and

warts upon the surface; this is the most delicate and the best-flavoured

that I have ever eaten.

 

“There are two varieties of castor-oil plant in this country—one with a

purple stem and bright red veins in the leaves, that is remarkably

handsome. Also a wild plantain, with a crimson stem to the leaf; this

does not grow to the height of the common plantain, but is simply a

plume of leaves springing from the ground without a parent stem.”

 

“Aug. 30th.—Mrs. Baker and I made a morning call for the first time

upon old Katchiba by his express desire. His courtyard was cemented and

clean, about a hundred feet in diameter, surrounded by palisades, which

were overgrown with gourds and the climbing yam, Collolollo. There were

several large huts in the inclosure, belonging to his wives; he received

us very politely, and begged us to enter his principal residence; it was

simply arranged, being the usual circular hut, but about twenty-five

feet in diameter.

 

“Creeping on all fours through the narrow doorway, we found ourselves in

the presence of one of his wives, who was preparing merissa. The

furniture of the apartment was practical, and quite in accordance with

the taste of the old chief, as the whole establishment appeared to be

devoted to brewing merissa. There were several immense jars capable of

holding about thirty gallons: some of these were devoted to beer, while

one was reserved to contain little presents that he had received from

ourselves and the Turks, including a much-esteemed red flannel shirt:

these recherche objects were packed in the jar, and covered by a smaller

vessel inverted on the mouth to protect them from rats and white ants.

Two or three well-prepared oxhides were spread upon the ground; and he

requested Mrs. Baker to sit on his right hand, while I sat upon the

left. Thus satisfactorily arranged, he called for some merissa, which

his wife immediately brought in an immense gourd-shell, and both my wife

and I having drunk, he took a long draught, and finished the gourd.

 

“The delightful old sorcerer, determined to entertain us, called for his

rababa: a species of harp was handed to him; this was formed of a hollow

base and an upright piece of wood, from which descended eight strings.

Some time was expended in carefully tuning his instrument, which, being

completed, he asked, ‘if he should sing?’ Fully prepared for something

comic, we begged him to begin. He sang a most plaintive and remarkably

wild, but pleasing air, accompanying himself perfectly on his harp,

producing the best music that I had ever heard among savages. In fact,

music and dancing were old Katchiba’s delight, especially if combined

with deep potations.

 

“His song over, he rose from his seat and departed, but presently

reappeared leading a sheep by a string, which he begged us to accept. I

thanked him for his attention, but I assured him that we had not paid

him a visit with the expectation of receiving a present, and that we

could not think of accepting it, as we had simply called upon him as

friends; he accordingly handed the sheep to his wife, and shortly after

we rose to depart. Having effected an exit by creeping through the

doorway, he led us both by the hand in a most friendly way for about a

hundred yards on our path, and took leave most gracefully, expressing a

hope that we should frequently come to see him.

 

“On our return home we found the sheep waiting for us; determined not to

be refused, he had sent it on before us. I accordingly returned him a

most gorgeous necklace of the most valuable beads, and gave the native

who had brought the sheep a present for himself and wife; thus all

parties were satisfied, and the sheep was immediately killed for dinner.

 

“The following morning Katchiba appeared at my door with a large red

flag made of a piece of cotton cloth that the Turks had given him; he

was accompanied by two men beating large drums, and a third playing a

kind of clarionet: this playing at soldiers was an imitation of the

Turks. He was in great spirits, being perfectly delighted with the

necklace I had sent him.”

 

“Oct. 6th.—I have examined my only remaining donkey: he is a picture of

misery—eyes and nose running, coat staring, and he is about to start to

join his departed comrades; he has packed up for his last journey. With

his loose skin hanging to his withered frame he looked like the British

lion on the shield over the door of the Khartoum consulate. In that

artistic effort the lion was equally lean and ragged, having perhaps

been thus represented by the artist as a pictorial allusion to the

smallness of the Consul’s pay; the illustration over the shabby gateway

utters, ‘Behold my leanness! 150l. per annum!’

 

“I feel a touch of the poetic stealing over me when I look at my

departing donkey. ‘I never loved a dear gazelle,’ &c.: but the practical

question, ‘Who is to carry the portmanteau?’ remains unanswered. I do

not believe the Turks have any intention of going to Kamrasi’s country;

they are afraid, as they have heard that he is a powerful king, and they

fear the restrictions that power will place upon their felonious

propensities. In that case I shall go on without them; but they have

deceived me, by borrowing 165 lbs. of beads which they cannot repay;

this puts me to much inconvenience. The Asua river is still impassable,

according to native reports; this will, prevent a general advance south.

Should the rains cease, the river will fall rapidly, and I shall make a

forward move and escape this prison of high grass and inaction.”

 

“Oct. 11th.—Lions roaring every night, but not visible. I set my men to

work to construct a fortified camp, a simple oblong of palisades with

two flanking projections at opposite angles to command all approaches;

the lazy scoundrels are sulky in consequence. Their daily occupation is

drinking merissa, sleeping, and strumming on the rababa, while that of

the black women is quarrelling—one ebony sister insulting the other by

telling her that she is as ‘black as the kettle,’ and recommending her,

‘to eat poison.’”

 

“Oct. 17th.—I expect an attack of fever tomorrow or next day, as I

understand from constant and painful experiences every step of this

insidious disease. For some days one feels a certain uneasiness of

spirits difficult to explain; no peculiar symptom is observed until a

day or two before the attack, when great lassitude is felt, with a

desire to sleep. Rheumatic pains in the loins, back, and joints of the

limbs are accompanied by a sense of great weakness. A cold fit comes on

very quickly; this is so severe that it