The Island Of Patooan Was About Half A Mile Long By 150 Yards Wide, And
Was One Of The Numerous Masses Of Rocks That Choke The River Between
Karuma Falls And The Great Murchison Cataract.
My headman now informed
me that war was raging between Kamrasi and his rivals, Fowooka and
Rionga, and it would be impossible to proceed along the bank of the
river to Karuma.
My exploration was finished, however, as it was by no
means necessary to continue the route from Patooan to Karuma.
CHAPTER XXII.
Prisoners on the island - Left to starve - Months of helplessness - We
rejoin the Turks - The real Kamrasi - In the presence of royalty.
We were prisoners on the island of Patooan as we could not procure
porters at any price to remove our effects. We had lost all our riding
oxen within a few days. They had succumbed to the flies, and the only
animal alive was already half dead; this was the little bull that had
always carried the boy Saat. It was the 8th of April, and within a few
days the boats upon which we depended for our return to civilization
would assuredly quit Gondokoro. I offered the natives all the beads that
I had (about 50 lbs.) and the whole of my baggage, if they would carry
us to Shooa directly from this spot. We were in perfect despair, as we
were both completely worn out with fever and fatigue, and certain death
seemed to stare us in the face should we remain in this unhealthy spot.
Worse than death was the idea of losing the boats and becoming prisoners
for another year in this dreadful land, which must inevitably happen
should we not hurry directly to Gondokoro without delay.
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