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

the privations of the last four months. Every

week the king sent me an ox and a quantity of flour for myself and

people, and the whole party grew fat. We used the milk native fashion,

never drinking it until curdled;—taken in this form it will agree with

the most delicate stomach, but if used fresh in large quantities it

induces biliousness. The young girls of thirteen and fourteen that are

the wives of the king are not appreciated unless extremely fat—they are

subjected to a regular system of fattening in order to increase their

charms; thus at an early age they are compelled to drink daily about a

gallon of curded milk, the swallowing of which is frequently enforced by

the whip; the result is extreme obesity. In hot climates milk will

curdle in two or three hours if placed in a vessel that has previously

contained sour milk. When curdled it should be well beaten together

until it assumes the appearance of cream; in this state, if seasoned

with a little salt, it is most nourishing and easy of digestion. The

Arabs invariably use it in this manner, and improve it by the addition

of red pepper. The natives of Unyoro will not eat red pepper, as they

believe that men and women become barren by its use.

 

Although the fever had so completely taken possession of me that I was

subject to an attack almost daily, the milk fattened me extremely, and

kept up my strength, which otherwise must have failed. The change from

starvation to good food produced a marvellous effect. Curious as it may

appear, although we were in a land of plantains, the ripe fruit was in

the greatest scarcity. The natives invariably eat them unripe, the green

fruit when boiled being a fair substitute for potatoes—the ripe

plantains were used for brewing plantain cider, but they were never

eaten. The method of cider-making was simple. The fruit was buried in a

deep hole and covered with straw and earth;—at the expiration of about

eight days the green plantains thus interred had become ripe;—they were

then peeled and pulped within a large wooden trough resembling a canoe;

this was filled with water, and the pulp being well mashed and stirred,

it was left to ferment for two days, after which time it was fit to

drink.

 

Throughout the country of Unyoro, plantains in various forms were the

staple article of food, upon which the inhabitants placed more

dependence than upon all other crops. The green plantains were not only

used as potatoes, but when peeled they were cut in thin slices and dried

in the sun until crisp; in this state they were stored in the granaries,

and when required for use they were boiled into a pulp and made into a

most palatable soup or stew. Flour of plantains was remarkably good;

this was made by grinding the fruit when dried as described; it was

then, as usual with all other articles in that country, most beautifully

packed in long narrow parcels, either formed of plantain bark or of the

white interior of rushes worked into mats. This bark served as brown

paper, but had the advantage of being waterproof. The fibre of the

plantain formed both thread and cord, thus the principal requirements of

the natives were supplied by this most useful tree. The natives were

exceedingly clever in working braid from the plantain fibre, which was

of so fine a texture that it had the appearance of a hair chain; nor

could the difference be detected without a close examination. Small bags

netted with the same twine were most delicate, and in all that was

produced in Unyoro there was a remarkably good taste displayed in the

manufacture.

 

The beads most valued were the white opal, the red porcelain, and the

minute varieties generally used for working on screens in England; these

small beads [These were given to me by Speke at Gondokoro] of various

colours were much esteemed, and were worked into pretty ornaments, about

the shape of a walnut, to be worn suspended from the neck. I had a small

quantity of the latter variety that I presented to Kamrasi, who prized

them as we should value precious stones.

 

Not only were the natives clever generally in their ideas, but they were

exceedingly cunning in their bargains. Every morning, shortly after

sunrise, men might be heard crying their wares throughout the camp—

such as, “Tobacco, tobacco; two packets going for either beads or

simbis!” (cowrie-shells). “Milk to sell for beads or salt!” “Salt to

exchange for lance-heads!” “Coffee, coffee, going cheap for red beads!”

“Butter for five jenettos (red beads) [These were given to me by Speke

at Gondokoro] a lump!”

 

The butter was invariably packed in a plantain leaf, but frequently the

package was plastered with cow dung and clay, which, when dry, formed a

hard coating, and protected it from the air; this gave it a bad flavour,

and we returned it to the dealer as useless. A short time after, he

returned with fresh butter in a perfectly new green leaf, and we were

requested to taste it. Being about the size and shape of a cocoa-nut,

and wrapped carefully in a leaf with only the point exposed, I of course

tasted from that portion, and approving the flavour, the purchase was

completed. We were fairly cheated, as the butter dealer had packed the

old rejected butter in a fresh leaf, and had placed a small piece of

sweet butter on the top as a tasting point. They constantly attempted

this trick.

 

As retailers they took extraordinary pains to divide everything into

minimum packets, which they sold for a few beads, always declaring that

they had only one packet to dispose of, but immediately producing

another when that was sold. This method of dealing was exceedingly

troublesome, as it was difficult to obtain supplies in any quantity. My

only resource was to send Saat to market daily to purchase all he could

find, and he usually returned after some hours’ absence with a basket

containing coffee, tobacco, and butter.

 

We were comfortably settled at Kisoona, and the luxury of coffee after

so long an abstinence was a perfect blessing. Nevertheless, in spite of

good food, I was a martyr to fever, which attacked me daily at about 2

P.M. and continued until sunset. Being without quinine I tried vapour

baths, and by the recommendation of one of the Turks I pounded and

boiled a quantity of the leaves of the castor-oil plant in a large pot

containing about four gallons: this plant was in great abundance. Every

morning I arranged a bath by sitting in a blanket, thus forming a kind

of tent, with the pot of boiling water beneath my stool. Half an hour

passed in this intense heat produced a most profuse perspiration, and

from the commencement of the vapour system the attacks of fever

moderated both in violence and frequency. In about a fortnight, the

complaint had so much abated that my spirits rose in equal proportion,

and, although weak, I had no mortal fear of my old enemy.

 

The king, Kamrasi, had supplied me with provisions, but I was troubled

daily by messengers who requested me to appear before him to make

arrangements for the proposed attack upon Rionga and Fowooka. My excuse

for non-attendance was my weak state; but Kamrasi determined not to be

evaded, and one day his headman Quonga announced that the king would pay

me a visit on the following morning. Although I had but little remaining

from my stock of baggage except the guns, ammunition, and astronomical

instruments, I was obliged to hide everything underneath the beds, lest

the avaricious eyes of Kamrasi should detect a “want.” True to his

appointment, he appeared with numerous attendants, and was ushered into

my little hut. I had a very rude but serviceable armchair that one of my

men had constructed; in this the king was invited to sit. Hardly was he

seated, when he leant back, stretched out his legs, and making some

remark to his attendants concerning his personal comfort, he asked for

the chair as a present. I promised to have one made for him immediately.

This being arranged, he surveyed the barren little hut, vainly

endeavouring to fix his eyes upon something that he could demand; but so

fruitless was his search, that he laughingly turned to his people and

said, “How was it that they wanted so many porters, if they had nothing

to carry?” My interpreter explained, that many things had been spoiled

during the storms on the lake, and had been left behind; that our

provisions had long since been consumed, and that our clothes were worn

out—thus we had nothing left but a few beads. “New varieties, no

doubt,” he replied; “give me all that you have of the small blue and the

large red!” We had carefully hidden the main stock, and a few had been

arranged in bags to be produced as the occasion might require; these

were now unpacked by the boy Saat and laid before the king. I told him

to make his choice, which he did precisely as I had anticipated, by

making presents to his surrounding friends out of my stock, and

monopolizing the remainder for his share: the division of the portions

among his people was a modest way of taking the whole, as he would

immediately demand their return upon quitting my hut. No sooner were the

beads secured than he repeated the original demand for my watch and the

No. 24 double rifle; these I resolutely refused. He then requested

permission to see the contents of a few of the baskets and bags that

formed our worn-out luggage. There was nothing that took his fancy

except needles, thread, lancets, medicines, and a small tooth-comb; the

latter interested him exceedingly, as I explained that the object of the

Turks in collecting ivory was to sell it to Europeans who manufactured

it into many articles, among which were small tooth-combs such as he

then examined. He could not understand how the teeth could be so finely

cut. Upon the use of the comb being explained, he immediately attempted

to practise upon his woolly head; failing in the operation, he adapted

the instrument to a different purpose, and commenced scratching beneath

the wool most vigorously: the effect being satisfactory, he at once

demanded the comb, which was handed to each of the surrounding chiefs,

all of whom had a trial of its properties, and, every head having been

scratched, it was returned to the king, who handed it to Quonga, the

headman that received his presents. So complete was the success of the

comb that he proposed to send me one of the largest elephant’s tusks,

which I was to take to England and cut into as many small tooth-combs as

it would produce for himself and his chiefs.

 

The lancets were next admired, and were declared to be admirably adapted

for paring his nails—they were therefore presented to him. Then came

the investigation of the medicine chest, and every bottle was applied to

his nose, and a small quantity of the contents was requested. On the

properties of tartar-emetic being explained, he proposed to swallow a

dose immediately, as he had been suffering from headache, but as he was

some distance from home I advised him to postpone the dose until his

return; I accordingly made up about a dozen powders, one of which (three

grains) he was to take that evening.

 

The concave mirror, our last looking-glass, was then discovered; the

distortion of face it produced was a great amusement, and after it had

been repeatedly handed round, it was added to his presents. More

gunpowder was demanded, and a pound canister and a box of caps were

presented to him, but I positively