After the dance, I was visited by several natives who had known me in
former years, among whom was my old guide, Gimoro, who had first led me
to Unyoro. Another excellent man named Shoeli now gave me all the
intelligence of the country. Both these men spoke Arabic.
It was a repetition of the old story. The country was half-ruined by the
acts of Abou Saood's people. The natives were afraid to resist them in
this neighbourhood, as every adjacent country had been plundered, and
the women and children carried off. Abou Saood had not expected that I
could leave Gondokoro; but he had told the Shooli natives to attack me
if I should arrive; thus on the day of my appearance, the natives, being
ignorant of my presence, had considered the dreaded Pacha must be an
enemy, until they had recognized my wife and myself as their old
friends.
Upon that day, when I had observed the natives running to and fro with
spears and shields, Abou Saood had told them to resist me at once, and
he had promised that his people should assist the Fatikos; but when the
natives saw our powerful force, they had known that an attack would be
useless; they had accordingly sent men to discover our intentions, and
these messengers had reported my return to their country in the capacity
of Pacha commanding the expedition.
My old friends now assured me, in reply to my explanation of the
Khedive's intentions, that the whole country would rally around a good
government, and all that the poor people desired was protection and
justice. The fact of my return would give confidence throughout the
country; and the news had already been carried to the great sheik, Rot
Jarma, who had never visited Abou Saood or his people, but who would
quickly tender his allegiance to me as the representative of the
Khedive.
I told Gimoro and Shooli to inform the headmen, and the people generally
throughout the country, of my pacific intentions, and to have no fear
now that the government was represented, as it would be impossible that
the atrocities committed by the slave-hunters of Abou Saood should
recur. At the same time I explained, that in about twenty days the
contract entered into between Agad and Co. with the Soudan government
would expire, and Abou Saood would be compelled to withdraw all his
people from the country, which would then remain solely in the hands of
the Khedive.
Throughout the subsequent expedition, I could always rely upon the
fidelity of these two men, Gimoro and Shooli.
