We marched until 10.15 A.M., having fought nearly the whole way, and
expended a frightful amount of ammunition. We had now arrived at our old
halting-place, Chorobeze twenty-seven miles from Masindi.
My men had become so extravagant of their cartridges that I was forced
to interfere. If this nervousness should continue, we should be soon
left without ammunition, and every soul would be massacred.
I therefore mustered the troops, and examined all their pouches. Some of
the advance-guard had fired away eighty rounds each, only during the
morning's march!
Many had fired fifty rounds! The muskets had not used so many, owing to
the greater difficulty of loading, but they also had been frightfully
extravagant.
The men had come to the conclusion that the only plan of marching in
safety through the high grass, which was full of unseen enemies, was to
constitute themselves into a sort of infernal machine, that would be
perpetually emitting fire and bullets on all sides.
This was all very well with an unlimited supply of ammunition, but we
had no idea of what might still be in store for us. We were now slightly
more than fifty miles from Foweera. Fortunately, in our journey from the
river to Masindi, I had timed every march within five minutes, and I had
all particulars in my note-book; therefore I could guess the position
pretty closely during the morning's advance.
Having mustered all the men, I turned out all the ammunition from their
pouches. The cartridges were counted.
I examined all the reserve ammunition.
The total, including that from the men's cartouche-boxes, was cartridges
for snider rifles 4,540 and cartridges for muskets 4,330, making a total
of 8,870 rounds.
I now addressed the men, and abused them most forcibly, calling them
"old women," and several other uncomplimentary epithets for soldiers. I
divided among them forty rounds each, and I swore solemnly by their
prophet, "that I would not give them another cartridge from this spot
(Chorobeze) until we should reach Major Abdullah's detachment at
Fatiko."
I explained that if any man should fire away his ammunition, he should
continue the march with an empty pouch - Wah Illahi! Illahi !
I gave the most positive command, that in future not a shot should be
fired without orders, unless spears actually were thrown; on which
occasions the troops would fire a few shots exactly into the spot from
which the weapons had arrived; but on no account was a bullet to be
fired at random.
I dismissed the men with this warning, and set them to work to construct
a night defence as usual.
It was a most fortunate peculiarity of the Unyoros that they did not
attack at night-time. This was a grievous fault upon their side. If they
had surrounded us every night, they would have kept us awake, and not
only would have tired the men out, but they would have caused a useless
expenditure of ammunition.
On 17th of June, we started at 6.15 A.M., with the intention of reaching
Koki. I recognized several villages, but we passed them without halting.
We at length arrived at a fine, broad route, that was sufficiently wide
for a dog-cart. This had evidently been recently prepared, and there
could be no doubt that it was arranged as a snare that would lead us
into some powerful ambuscade. At the same time, the compass showed that
the broad path led in the right direction.
I halted the force, and went to the front to examine the road. There was
no other path. It was therefore incumbent upon us to keep to the broad
route, although we knew that it must lead us to a trap prepared for our
destruction.
It was like walking upon ice that was known to be unsafe. We advanced.
For about half an hour we marched without opposition. This was a longer
interval than usual to be free from an attack. At length we arrived
where the broad road suddenly terminated. The advance-guard halted.
We searched for a path, and at length discovered the original narrow
route a few paces to our left.
This had been purposely concealed by grass and boughs.
We had hardly entered this path when we were suddenly attacked. A
horsekeeper was wounded by a spear, which passed through his leg, behind
the knee, and cut the sinew, thus rendering him helpless. He was
immediately placed upon a donkey. The unfortunate lad who led the horse
a few paces before me now uttered a wild shriek, as a spear passed
completely through his body. The poor boy crept to me on his hands and
knees, and asked, "Shall I creep into the grass, Pacha?-where shall I
go?" He had not another minute to live.
A spear struck another horsekeeper on the hip, and the soft iron point
turned up against the bone in a curve like a fish-hook.
A sharp fire dispersed the enemy, who retired to a distance, yelling
and blowing their whistles. The wounded horsekeeper could manage to walk
forward.
There is a peculiar bird in the forests of Unyoro which utters a shrill
cry, with these notes.
The natives imitate this cry with their whistles of antelope's horn. I
had noticed that previous to an attack from an ambuscade, we had always
heard the call of this bird.
My Baris declared that the bird warned us of the danger, and cried,
"Co-co-me! Co-co-me!" which in their language means, "Look out! look
out!"
My soldiers said that the birds exclaimed, "Shat-mo-koor! Shat-mo-koor!"
which is the order, "Make ready;" They accordingly always brought their
rifles on full cock when they heard the signal.
