A start made at last - A forced march - Lightening the ship - Waiting for
the caravan - Success hangs in the balance - The greatest rascal in
Central Africa - Legge demands another bottle.
The country was park-like, but much parched by the dry weather. The
ground was sandy, but firm, and interspersed with numerous villages, all
of which were surrounded with a strong fence of euphorbia. The country
was well wooded, being free from bush or jungle, but numerous trees, all
evergreens, were scattered over the landscape. No natives were to be
seen but the sound of their drums and singing in chorus was heard in the
far distance. Whenever it is moonlight the nights are passed in singing
and dancing, beating drums, blowing horns, and the population of whole
villages thus congregate together.
After a silent march of two hours we saw watchfires blazing in the
distance, and upon nearer approach we perceived the trader's party
bivouacked. Their custom is to march only two or three hours on the
first day of departure, to allow stragglers who may have lagged behind
in Gondokoro to rejoin the party before morning.
We were roughly challenged by their sentries as we passed, and were
instantly told "not to remain in their neighborhood." Accordingly we
passed on for about half a mile in advance, and bivouacked on some
rising ground above a slight hollow in which we found water.
The following morning was clear, and the mountain of Belignan, within
three or four miles, was a fine object to direct our course. I could
distinctly see some enormous trees at the foot of the mountain near a
village, and I hastened forward, as I hoped to procure a guide who would
also act as interpreter, many of the natives in the vicinity of
Gondokoro having learned a little Arabic from the traders. We cantered
on ahead of the party, regardless of the assurance of our unwilling men
that the natives were not to be trusted, and we soon arrived beneath the
shade of a cluster of most superb trees. The village was within a
quarter of a mile, situated at the very base of the abrupt mountain. The
natives seeing us alone had no fear, and soon thronged around us. The
chief understood a few words of Arabic, and I offered a large payment of
copper bracelets and beads for a guide. After much discussion and
bargaining a bad-looking fellow offered to guide us to Ellyria, but no
farther. This was about twenty-eight or thirty miles distant, and it was
of vital importance that we should pass through that tribe before the
trader's party should raise them against us. I had great hopes of
outmarching the trader's party, as they would be delayed in Belignan by
ivory transactions with the chief.
At that time the Turks were engaged in business transactions with tile
natives; it was therefore all important that I should start immediately,
and by a forced march arrive at Ellyria and get through the pass before
they should communicate with the chief.
