Mohammed, the Cairo dragoman, had strongly suspected treachery, owing to
the unaccountable tardiness of the natives in pushing straight for
Fatiko. Every day messengers had arrived from Masindi, and others had
been returned in reply by the sheik Pittia, who had charge of the 300
Unyoro carriers.
When my letter had been received, Mohammed advised Eddrees to return at
once to Masindi; but the latter, finding himself about fifty miles on
the journey, concluded that it would be better to continue the march.
They had delayed so many days on the road, that the stock of flour
intended for the whole journey would have failed, had they not spared
their supply, and fed upon potatoes whenever they halted near cultivated
ground.
On one occasion, a number of their men had as usual gone off to forage,
and were employed in digging sweet potatoes, when they were suddenly
attacked by the natives concealed in the high grass, and eleven men were
speared; five of my troops, and six of the irregulars. Fortunately some
of these men had fired their muskets before they died, and the reports
alarmed the remainder of the party, who were in a small village. There
was not a native to be seen, but the drums and horns were sounding, and
as the Victoria Nile was close at hand, they considered it would be
advisable to cross the river before the natives should attack them in
force.
It was necessary to release Suleiman, who was secured in a sheba. This
man had been committed to the charge of Mohammed. Before Mohammed cut
the raw hide strip which secured the forked pole, he made Suleiman swear
by the prophet not to escape, but that he would deliver himself up to
Major Abdullah at Fatiko.
The party, now reduced to twenty-five men, immediately started. Upon
arrival at the banks of the river, they happened to come suddenly upon a
native, whom they seized.
They soon observed a canoe on the other side of the river, in which were
two men. They now made an arrangement for the capture of the canoe,
which was to them a case of life or death.
The prisoner was dressed in the usual flowing robe of bark-cloth. His
hands were tied behind him, and one of the party who could speak the
language now concealed himself behind the bark-cloth robe, and holding
the native tightly by the arms, he threatened him with instant death
unless he called the two natives in the canoe.
At first he hesitated, but fearing the knife at his back, the point of
which just pricked him to let him know that it was ready, he shouted to
the men in the boat.
"Say you have a number of plantains, and you want to take them across
the river," whispered his invisible prompter from behind.
The natives in the canoe hesitated. "Say you will give them each a bunch
of plantains if they will ferry you over," again whispered the cunning
Arab.
The canoe now pushed off from the bank, and paddled towards the
apparently solitary native.
The irregulars were concealed in the high grass close to the bank, and
as the canoe touched the shore, they shot the two natives dead, and
immediately secured it.
They now unlashed the arms of the prisoner, and insisted upon his
paddling the canoe across the river. Two journeys were necessary. The
first was successful, and the regular troops, together with the post and
Suleiman and others, were safely landed. During the second journey, as
the canoe was passing a rock above some dangerous rapids, the native
suddenly upset the boat by throwing his weight quickly to one side, and
plunged the whole party in the river. Some of them were carried over the
cataracts and drowned. The others, including Ali Genninar, were good
swimmers, and they reached the shore.
Although the irregulars thoroughly knew the country, they now found
themselves in the immense wilderness that separates Unyoro from the
Shooli and Madi tribes.
In this sea of high grass they wandered for some days, lost; until they
at length discovered the regular path, and, after great suffering,
reached Fatiko.
Eddrees, who had been appointed vakeel, became a traitor, and upon
meeting Abou Saood and his people, who had come out to receive the party
upon their arrival, he cried out, "Look sharp for your neck, Abou Saood:
the Pacha has sent an order to arrest you."
A short time after this, Eddrees died of dysentery. Suleiman behaved in
an honourable manner. Instead of going into Abou Saood's camp, he
immediately presented himself before Major Abdullah, and confessed his
sins, acknowledging that he had been justly punished. He surrendered
himself into the hands of the commandant, according to the oath he had
taken on the road.
Although Major Abdullah had now received the post, together with my
orders, he thought it advisable, considering the danger of a collision
with Abou Saood's people, to allow Suleiman his liberty on parole, and
he had returned to his position of vakeel at Fabbo. Ali Genninar had at
once offered to continue his duties as a government soldier.
A few days after the arrival of the post, the news was brought of the
battle of Masindi, and that our escape from Unyoro was impossible.
The almost open hostility of Abou Saood and his numerous forces had
paralyzed Major Abdullah, who, fearing the responsibility of an
outbreak, kept quiet, and trusted in Providence, until I had fortunately
appeared.
There can be no doubt that the plan laid by Kabba Rega for securing the
arms and effects of Major Abdullah and his detachment broke down through
a premature attack on the part of the natives, who had neither the
courage nor the patience to go to Fatiko on the chance of success in
such a distant enterprise.
