. . .
On the following morning, Umbogo, the dragoman, told me that the natives
had been very much frightened at the rockets, as they said, "the Pacha
was going to set the sky on fire."
The station was progressing rapidly. The soil was of such extraordinary
richness that the seeds sprang up like magic. On the third day after
sowing, the cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, and cotton seeds, showed
themselves above ground.
I had made a broad walk of red gravel from Kabba Rega's new divan, to
the government house. The roads and approaches were finished, and all
neatly laid with fresh gravel stamped firmly down. The borders of all
paths and roads were sown with the best quality of Egyptian cotton,
known in Egypt as galleen. My large tent was pitched beneath an immense
banian-tree, close to which was the new government house. This
grand-sounding name was given to a very solid construction of a most
simple character. The divan was a building containing only one room
twenty-eight feet long by fourteen wide, and about twenty feet high. It
was carefully thatched with overhanging eaves, which formed a narrow
verandah, and it was entered by a commodious porch; this was arched in
the native fashion, and was so large that it formed a lobby, in which we
sometimes dined. The inside walls of the divan were neatly made with
canes closely lashed together.
There was a back door to this public room which communicated with a
separate house by a covered way.
This was our private residence, which also consisted of only one room;
but I had arranged it with extreme neatness, in order to excite the
admiration of Kabba Rega and his chiefs, who would, I hoped, imitate the
manners and customs of civilized life, and thus improve trade.
The room was twenty-four feet long by thirteen wide. The walls were as
usual made of canes, but these were carefully hung with scarlet
blankets, sewn together and stretched to the ground, so as to form an
even surface. The floor was covered with mats. Upon the walls opposite
to each other, so as to throw endless reflection, were two large oval
mirrors (girandoles) in gilt metal frames. A photograph of her Majesty
the Queen stood on the toilet table.
At the extreme end of the room was a very good coloured print, nearly
life size, of her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales. The scarlet
walls were hung with large coloured prints, life size, of very beautiful
women, with very gorgeous dresses, all the jewelry being imitated by
pieces of coloured tinsel. A number of sporting prints, very large, and
also coloured, were arranged in convenient places on the walls. There
were fox-hunting scenes, and German stag-hunts, together with a few
quiet landscapes, that always recalled the dear old country now so far
away.
The furniture was simple enough: two angarebs, or Arab stretchers,
which, during the day, were covered with Persian carpets and served as
sofas, while at night they were arranged as beds. The tables were made
of square metal boxes piled one upon the other and covered with bright
blue cloths. These were arranged with all kinds of odd trinkets of gaudy
appearance, but of little value, which were intended to be asked for,
and given away. Two native stools curiously cut out of a solid block
formed our chairs. The guns and rifles stood in a row against a rack
covered with red Turkey cloth; and a large Geneva musical box lay upon a
table beneath the Princess of Wales.
Altogether the room was exceedingly pretty. It would have been vulgar if
in England; but it was beautifully clean, and it shortly became the
wonder of Central Africa.
I had brought the large gilt mirrors from England specially for M'tese,
the king of Uganda, and for Kamrasi. I knew that if they were arranged
in my own house, the news would be carried to M'tese immediately; and
the fact of so great a curiosity and treasure being on the road to him
would at once open a communication.
On 8th May, the prisoners of Suleiman's company, numbering twenty-five
persons, came to the divan, headed by Ali Genninar, and supplicated
forgiveness. They all declared their desire to be registered on the
government books as irregular troops.
I had already witnessed an example of their duplicity, therefore I had
no confidence in their professions, but at the same time I did not know
what to do with them. The fact of their being in custody required twenty
soldiers to relieve the necessary guards. I therefore determined to be
magnanimous, as I was only too happy to be rid of such bad bargains
should they run away. The only man that I trusted was Ali Genninar; he
was a clever and plucky fellow that I had known in my former African
journey, at which time he belonged to the company of Ibrahim.
After a good lecture I forgave them, and they all received their serkis
(certificates) as members of the irregular corps. Ali Genninar was to
have the rank of lieutenant.
I told them that it was my intention to hoist the Ottoman flag, and to
officially annex the country in the presence of Kabba Rega and his
people, therefore I did not wish any subjects of the Khedive to be in
disgrace upon such an occasion, excepting only Suleiman, who would be
sent to Cairo on the first opportunity, to answer for the murder of the
prisoner at Foweera. I therefore divided a few pounds of beads among
them for the purchase of new bark-cloths, as I could not allow them to
appear in their dirty clothes on the day of the ceremony.
