We had at length arrived within half a mile of the village, which was
situated upon high ground, about 600 yards from the river, when I
noticed a number of people issuing from the gate way carrying large
baskets upon their heads.
"The soldiers have found plenty of corn," remarked Monsoor; "they are
carrying it from the googoos."
My eyes were better than Monsoor's. I at once perceived that the people
thus employed were Baris!
We were only five guns, now separated from our vessels by about a mile,
and the troops under Major Abdullah had evidently evacuated their
position!
Where upon earth had they gone? and for what reason? Certainly we had
the river on our right flank, but we might have been attacked and cut
off from our vessels, had the Baris the pluck to assume the offensive.
It was time to retreat, but as I wished the Baris to believe that we
felt quite at our ease, we accomplished the move very leisurely, and
strolled quietly homewards, shooting ducks and snipe as we walked along.
The moment I arrived at the vessels, I despatched a party in the
steamer's large boat, under Captain Mohammed Deii, of the "Forty
Thieves," to row down the river, and to recall Abdullah's detachment,
that must have retreated for some inconceivable reason. The current ran
at nearly four miles per hour; thus the boat would be sure to overtake
them.
I was exceedingly annoyed. A force of ninety men had evidently been
cowed by their engagement with the natives on the previous evening, and
had retreated upon Lieutenant-Colonel Achmet's position, instead of
joining me according to orders. At the same time my vessels had been in
sight only a mile and a half distant! I was thus left with a small party
of thirty men, while ninety men had fallen back.
This was an example of the utter helplessness of the officers and men
when left to themselves. If the natives had repeated the attack, they
would most probably have got into dire confusion.
Having started the boat, I took ten men of "The Forty," and, accompanied
by Lieutenant Baker, I marched along the bank in order to meet the
detachment on their return, when recalled by Mohammed Deii. During the
march I continued to shoot ducks, as this amusement would deceive the
natives respecting the retreat of Major Abdullah, which might then be
attributed to some other cause than fear.
In about an hour, I distinguished a sail coming round the point of Gebel
(Mount) Regiaf. The wind was fair, and she quickly ran up the stream. I
now discovered that she was towing the boat that I had sent down the
river to recall Abdullah's detachment. (This was a vessel from
Gondokoro on her way for a cargo of corn.
