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

cut into lengths of

about four inches. These he laid carefully in a row, and explained that

Speke had given that number of presents, whereas I had only given ten,

the latter figure being carefully exemplified by ten pieces of straw; he

wished to know ‘why I did not give him the same number as he had

received from Speke?’ This miserable, grasping, lying coward is

nevertheless a king, and the success of my expedition depends upon him.”

 

“FEB. 20th.—Cloudy, as usual; neither sun, moon, nor stars will show

themselves. Fortunately, milk can be procured here. I live upon

buttermilk. Kamrasi came, and gave twenty elephants’ tusks as a present

to Ibrahim. There is a report that Debono’s people, under the command of

Ras-Galla, are once more at Rionga’s; this has frightened him awfully.”

 

Feb. 21st.-This morning Kamrasi was civil enough to allow us to quit the

marsh, the mosquito-nest and fever-bed where we had been in durance,

and we crossed to the other side of the Kafoor river, and quartered in

M’rooli. I went to see him, and, after a long consultation, he promised

to send me to the lake tomorrow. I immediately took off my sword and

belt, and presented them to him, explaining that, as I was now convinced

of his friendship, I had a pleasure in offering my sword as a proof of

my amicable feeling, as I thus placed the weapon of self-defence in his

hand, and I should trust to his protection. As a proof of the temper of

the blade, I offered to cut through the strongest shield he could

produce. This delighted him amazingly. I now trust to be able to reach

the junction of the Somerset with the M-wootan N’zige at Magungo, and

from thence to overtake Ibrahim at Shooa, and to hurry on to Gondokoro,

where a boat will be waiting for me from Khartoum.

 

“Ibrahim and his men marched this morning, on their return to Karuma,

leaving me here with my little party of thirteen men.

 

“Should I succeed in discovering the lake I shall thank God most

sincerely. The toil, anxiety, the biting annoyances I have daily been

obliged to put up with in my association with the Turks, added to our

now constant ill-health, are enough to break down the constitution of an

elephant. Every day I must give!—to the Turks, give!—to the natives,

give! If I lend anything to the Turks, it is an insult should I ask for

its return. One hasty word might have upset my boat; and now, for twelve

months, I have had to talk, to explain, to manage, and to lead the

brutes in this direction, like a coachman driving jibbing horses. Hosts

of presents to Ibrahim, combined with a vivid description of the

advantages that he would secure by opening a trade with Kamrasi, at

length led him to this country, which I could not have reached without

his aid, as it would have been impossible for me to have procured

porters without cattle. The porters I have always received from him as

far as Karuma for a payment of six copper rings per head for every

journey. I have now arranged that he shall leave for me thirty head of

cattle at Shooa; thus, should he have started for Gondokoro before my

arrival at Shooa, I shall be able to procure porters, and arrive in time

for the expected boat.

 

“Up to this day astronomical observations have been impossible, a thick

coat of slate colour obscuring the heavens. Tonight I obtained a good

observation of Canopus, giving latitude 1 degree 38 minutes N. By

Casella’s thermometer I made the altitude of the Somerset at M’rooli

4,061 feet above the sea, showing a fall of 65 feet between this point

and below the falls at Karuma in a distance of 37 miles of latitude.

 

“Just as Ibrahim was leaving this morning I was obliged to secure the

slave Bacheeta as interpreter, at the price of three double-barrelled

guns to purchase her freedom. I explained to her that she was now free,

and that I wished her to act as interpreter during my stay in Unyoro;

and that I would then leave her in her own country, Chopi, on my return

from the lake. Far from being pleased at the change, she regretted the

loss of the Turks, and became excessively sulky, although my wife decked

her out with beads, and gave her a new petticoat to put her in a good

humour.”

 

“Feb. 22d.—Kamrasi promised to send me porters, and that we should

start for the lake today, but there is no sign of preparation; thus am I

delayed when every day is so precious. Added to this trouble, the woman

that I have as an interpreter wall not speak, being the most sulky

individual I ever encountered. In the evening Kamrasi sent to say he

would give a guide and porters tomorrow morning. It is impossible to

depend upon him.”

 

After some delay we were at length honoured by a visit from Kamrasi,

accompanied by a number of his people, and he promised that we should

start on the following day. He pointed out a chief and a guide who were

to have us in their charge, and who were to see that we obtained all

that we should require. He concluded, as usual, by asking for my watch

and for a number of beads; the latter I gave him, together with a

quantity of ammunition for his guns. He showed me a beautiful

double-barrelled rifle by Blissett, that Speke had given him. I wished

to secure this, to give to Speke on my return to England, as he had told

me, when at Gondokoro, how he had been obliged to part with that and

many other articles sorely against his will. I therefore offered to give

him three common double-barrelled guns in exchange for the rifle. This

he declined, as he was quite aware of the difference in quality. He then

produced a large silver chronometer that he had received from Speke. “It

was DEAD,” he said, “and he wished me to repair it.” This I declared to

be impossible. He then confessed to having explained its construction,

and the cause of the “ticking,” to his people, by the aid of a needle,

and that it had never ticked since that occasion. I regretted to see

such “pearls cast before swine,” as the rifle and chronometer in the

hands of Kamrasi. Thus he had plundered Speke and Grant of all they

possessed before he would allow them to proceed.

 

It is the rapacity of the chiefs of the various tribes that renders

African exploration so difficult. Each tribe wishes’ to monopolize your

entire stock of valuables, without which the traveller would be utterly

helpless. The difficulty of procuring porters limits the amount of

baggage thus a given supply must carry you through a certain period of

time; if your supply should fail, the expedition terminates with your

power of giving. It is thus extremely difficult to arrange the

expenditure so as to satisfy all parties, and still to retain a

sufficient balance. Being utterly cut off from all communication with

the world, there is no possibility of receiving assistance. The

traveller depends entirely upon himself, under Providence, and must.

adapt himself and his means to circumstances.

 

CHAPTER XI.

 

THE START FOR THE LAKE:

 

The day of starting at length arrived; the chief and guide appeared, and

we were led to the Kafoor river, where canoes were in readiness to

transport us to the south side. This was to our old quarters on the

marsh. The direct course to the lake was west, and I fully expected some

deception, as it was impossible to trust Kamrasi. I complained to the

guide, and insisted upon his pointing out the direction of the lake,

which he did, in its real position, west; but he explained that we must

follow the south bank of the Kafoor river for some days, as there was an

impassable morass that precluded a direct course. This did not appear

satisfactory, and the whole affair looked suspicious, as we had formerly

been deceived by being led across the river in the same spot, and not

allowed to return. We were now led along the banks of the Kafoor for

about a mile, until we arrived at a cluster of huts; here we were to

wait for Kamrasi, who had promised to take leave of us. The sun was

overpowering, and we dismounted from our oxen, and took shelter in a

blacksmith’s shed. In about an hour Kamrasi arrived, attended by a

considerable number of men, and took his seat in our shed. I felt

convinced that his visit was simply intended to peel the last skin from

the onion. I had already given him nearly all that I had, but he hoped

to extract the whole before I should depart.

 

He almost immediately commenced the conversation by asking for a pretty

yellow muslin Turkish handkerchief fringed with silver drops that Mrs.

Baker wore upon her head: one of these had already been given to him,

and I explained that this was the last remaining, and that she required

it …. He “must” have it …. It was given.

 

He then demanded other handkerchiefs. We had literally nothing but a few

most ragged towels; he would accept no excuse, and insisted upon a

portmanteau being unpacked, that he might satisfy himself by actual

inspection. The luggage, all ready for the journey, had to be unstrapped

and examined, and the rags were displayed in succession; but so wretched

and uninviting was the exhibition of the family linen, that he simply

returned them, and said “they did not suit him.” Beads he must have, or

I was “his enemy.” A selection of the best opal beads was immediately

given him. I rose from the stone upon which I was sitting, and declared

that we must start immediately. “Don’t be in a hurry,” he replied; “you

have plenty of time; but you have not given me that watch you promised

me.” …. This was my only watch that he had begged for, and had been

refused every day during my stay at M’rooli. So pertinacious a beggar I

had never seen. I explained to him that, without the watch, my, journey

would be useless, but that I would give him all that I had except the

watch when the exploration should be completed, as I should require

nothing on my direct return to Gondokoro. At the same time, I repeated

to him the arrangement for the journey that he had promised, begging him

not to deceive me, as my wife and I should both die if we were compelled

to remain another year in this country by losing the annual boats in

Gondokoro. The understanding was this: he was to give me porters to the

lake, where I was to be furnished with canoes to take me to Magungo,

which was situated at the junction of the Somerset. From Magungo he told

me that I should see the Nile issuing from the lake close to the spot

where the Somerset entered, and that the canoes should take me down the

river, and porters should carry my effects from the nearest point to

Shooa, and deliver me at my old station without delay. Should he be

faithful to this engagement, I trusted to procure porters from Shooa,

and to reach Gondokoro in time for the annual boats. I had arranged that

a boat should be sent from Khartoum to await me at Gondokoro early in

this year, 1864; but I felt sure that should I be long delayed, the boat

would return without me, as the people would be afraid to remain alone

at Gondokoro after the other boats had quitted.

 

In our present weak state another