Me to hold communications with any person in whom I could place no
confidence.
In the event of my departure from Unyoro he knew the consequences. He
would be ridiculed by Rionga, who would join the slave-hunters and
attack him should I withdraw my protection. On the south he would be
invaded by M'tese, who would imagine that Kabba Rega had prevented me
from visiting him; thus his country would be utterly ruined.
The chiefs, Neka, Kittakara, and Matonse, to whom I spoke, appeared
thoroughly to comprehend the position.
During the day the five missing guns were returned, together with the
goatskin bag (chorab), containing much of the missing ammunition - some
of which had been abstracted.
On 23rd May I sent off the party to Fatiko, together with the
post - including letters to Egypt, Khartoum, and England, to be forwarded
by first opportunity. (These never arrived in England.)
I wrote to Wat-el-Mek to offer him the command of an irregular corps of
400 men, which he was to raise immediately from those companies that
were now thrown out of employment by the termination of the contract
with Agad & Co.
I sent written instructions to Major Abdullah to arrest Abou Saood, and
to liberate all the Unyoro slaves in the possession of his people. He
was then to forward Abou Saood, together with Suleiman, as prisoners, to
the care of Raouf Bey at Gondokoro; and to march himself with his
detachment and all effects, together with the liberated slaves, to
Foweera.
Three hundred natives accompanied my party from Unyoro to transport the
baggage of Major Abdullah.
I had not seen Kabba Rega since the day when he had lied concerning the
possession of the muskets and ammunition. Whether from shame or anger I
could not tell, but he declined to appear.
The party started with the post, thus reducing my force by the departure
of thirty-six men, including eleven regulars and twenty-five of the new
irregular levy.
I was now left with one hundred regulars, four sailors, and four armed
Baris.
CHAPTER XX.
ESTABLISH COMMERCE.
For some time past the natives had commenced a brisk trade with ivory in
exchange for all kinds of trifles, which left a minimum profit for the
government of 1500 per cent. A few beads, together with three or four
gaudy-coloured cotton handkerchiefs, a zinc mirror, and a fourpenny
butcher's knife, would purchase a tusk worth twenty or thirty pounds. I
calculated all the expenses of transport from England, together with
interest on capital. In some cases we purchased ivory at 2,000 per cent.
profit, and both sellers and buyers felt perfectly contented.
I am not sure whether this is considered a decent return for an
investment of capital among the descendants of Israel; but I am
convinced that at the conclusion of a purchase in Unyoro each party to
the bargain thought that he had the best of it.
