On 8th February the Englishmen, in very low spirits, started for
Ismailia (Gondokoro) in two vessels, with ninety urdeps of dhurra
consigned to Mr. Marcopolo.
I had arranged that twenty-two boatmen should accompany me to Lobore,
carrying such loads as were absolutely necessary for our party. They
would then return together with the fifty soldiers who would escort the
native carriers to the vessels.
I had given the Englishmen instructions to commence the building of the
steamer immediately, and to confine their work to this vessel until she
should be completed.
Having counted all the loads that were left in charge of Major Abdullah,
I took a receipt for them, and gave that officer both clear and positive
orders for his conduct.
I left with him 120 men, together with the field-piece and eight
artillerymen. In addition to these men was the crew of the No. 10
steamer, all of whom were trained as soldiers. Thus with the armed crews
of the different vessels he would have a force of about 145 muskets. It
was highly probable that the natives would attack the vessels and the
cattle in my absence, as they would have remarked the great reduction of
force. Although the country was perfectly open, the ground was high and
rocky, and rapidly rose to about 200 feet above the level of the river
within a distance of a mile; thus the natives scattered about the
heights could always observe our proceedings.
Before I quitted the vessels, I made every preparation for their
security. All the metal boxes were built into a quadrangular breastwork,
that would form a little fort for a dozen people.
I moored the vessels in line close to the mouth of a deep flat-bottomed
ravine, which, although now dry and about thirty paces wide, had formed
the bed of a river during the wet season. The perpendicular banks of
this fosse would make a grand protection for the cattle; I therefore
ordered a fence of thorns to be constructed across the ravine about a
hundred yards from the river, so as to form a kraal, in which the cows
would be confined below the level of the country.
Sixty men were to guard the cattle at night; thirty upon either bank. As
this ravine ran at right angles with the river, the sixty men would
enfilade an enemy attacking the vessels, and the guard of the vessels
would at the same time enfilade an enemy should he attack the cattle on
the north side.
I placed the gun in a convenient position about twenty yards from the
margin of the river, on a piece of hard, flat ground, exactly opposite
the centre of the line of vessels. This would sweep the approach in
front and upon the left flank.
I ordered the officer to load with canister containing 250 small musket
balls.
