"This excellent officer brought with him, secured by a small leather
thong, by the neck, the great sheiks Kittakara, Matonse, and several
smaller fry.
"The royal sheik, Rahonka, escaped by breaking through the side of his
hut.
"The report was as follows: -
"Colonel Abd-el-Kader and his party of thirty men had arrived at
Suleiman's zareeba at about 8 P.M. He found the vakeels, Suleiman and
Eddrees, surrounded by many of their men, apparently in consultation.
"Upon Abd-el-Kader's appearance, the men moved off, one by one, and
quietly packed up their effects, preparatory to a general flight.
"Abd-el-Kader informed Suleiman of the desertion of our carriers. He
then at once proceeded to the native zareeba, about 200 yards from the
camp. He there found the principal sheiks in the hut of Rahonka.
"Abd-el-Kader immediately informed them of the purport of his arrival,
and requested the sheiks to accompany him to the zareeba of Suleiman.
Rahonka begged to be left alone for a short time to enable him to dress.
"Abd-el-Kader waited outside the door of the hut, and, becoming tired of
so long a delay, he re-entered, and to his astonishment found the
dwelling _empty._ Rahonka had escaped by a hole in the straw wall.
"Suspicion being raised by the incomprehensible flight of Rahonka, the
colonel placed the remaining sheiks under a guard, and led them to
Suleiman's zareeba. He then applied to Suleiman for a guard of eight men
to watch the sheiks during the night, as his own party required rest.
"Suleiman now informed him that he could not supply the men, as all his
people had absconded from fear (of Abd-el-Kader).
"On the following morning the colonel perceived, from the smoke above
our old camp on the opposite side of the river (which in this part is
500 yards broad), that Suleiman's people had escaped during the night,
and had crossed the river with all their slaves and effects.
"This was the first act of my new irregular levy - they had positively
run away from the colonel like a parcel of hostile natives!
"Suleiman and Eddrees declared that they could not control their men,
who were afraid that I had ordered my officer to release the slaves that
were in their possession. (The truth was they considered that I had
heard of the murder of the prisoner committed to the care of Suleiman,
and that I had sent the colonel and his party to make inquiries.)
"Abd-el-Kader ordered Suleiman to accompany him to my halting-place at
Kisoona. Suleiman declined upon the excuse that he had some business,
but that he would present himself to-morrow."
"I can stand these scoundrels' conduct no longer. I have tried lenient
measures, and I had hoped that by forming Suleiman's party into an
irregular corps I might be able, by degrees, to change their habits, and
to reduce them by good discipline into useful troops, but 'Can the
Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?'
"I immediately released and examined the captive sheiks, who one and all
declared that the fault lay with Suleiman, who had previously arranged
the plan with Rahonka: that when I should be led away a distance of two
days' journey, he would assemble his men and attack Rionga in
conjunction with Rahonka's army.
"The report of Umbogo, the dragoman, is thus corroborated by
overwhelming evidence. This man, Umbogo, declares that Abou Saood wrote
to Suleiman, instructing him to wait until I should have passed on, and
then to bring all his slaves to Fabbo.
"I immediately sent Captain Mohammed Deii with fifty men, including
twenty-five of the 'Forty Thieves,' with orders to liberate all slaves
that might be discovered within the zareeba. He was to summon all the
people of Suleiman, and to disarm those who had run away from the
colonel, Abd-el-Kader.
"In the event of resistance, he was to use the force at his disposal,
and at all hazards to prevent the escape of the slavers across the
river.
"Suleiman and Eddrees were to be brought before me.
"A heavy shower fell just after the troops started.
"April 14. - Julian's horse, Gazelle, died last night; the poor animal
had been ill for some days.
"Quonga, who is the sheik of this district, came this morning and
excused his absence in rather a lame fashion, by saying that he had been
collecting food for the troops, together with carriers, who are now
ready to transport the baggage to Masindi. He declared that Kabba Rega
was impatient, and had sent three of Suleiman's people to deliver the
message to me, but these rascals had passed on this morning direct to
the zareeba of Suleiman, without communicating with us on the way.
"Quonga not only corroborated the testimony of the sheiks and the
dragoman, Umbogo, against Suleiman, as having conspired to attack Rionga
after my departure, but he gave additional evidence, that 'Suleiman had
told Rahonka and the great sheiks that I, the Pacha, knew nothing about
war, that none of the government troops could shoot, and that I should
only travel and subsist upon the country, but that he (Suleiman) would
join them and kill Rionga after I should have departed.'
"This I believe to be true, as a few days ago, when speaking of the
troops, I told Suleiman that the Soudanis were very hardy soldiers for
marching and resisting climate, but that generally they were bad shots.
Thus, in a treacherous manner, he has informed the natives that the
soldiers of the government cannot shoot. In the afternoon, fresh reports
reached me that Suleiman had, with his own hands, murdered the native to
whom I had given protection.
