We slept that night by his body, and warmed ourselves by a fire that
consumed his load - for there was no one to carry it. My despatch-box
helped to cook our scanty dinner. We had marched sixteen miles.
My troops had behaved remarkably well. The scolding that I had given
them had produced a good effect. Very little ammunition had been
expended, and the firing had been exceedingly steady.
Although we had not been attacked at night, I never omitted the
precaution of a defence of strong thorns and branches of trees.
Had this march through a frightful route of forest and high grass been
made in the Bari tribe, we should not have had a night's rest.
We started at 6 A.M., with sunrise, on 18th June. The weather had been
fine since the first day of soaking rain on the start from Masindi: we
were thankful for this blessing, as there was no shelter for any one.
It would be fatiguing to narrate the incidents of the continual
ambuscades. Every day we were attacked, and the enemy was repulsed many
times. "Co-co-me! Co-co-me!" was now well understood by the troops; and
although we had men wounded, the enemy invariably got the worst of the
encounter. Up to the present we had been most fortunate in bringing on
all our people, but I was anxious lest some should receive wounds that
would actually incapacitate them from marching. Should a man be killed
outright, how much soever he might be regretted, still there was an end
of him; but there was no end to the difficulty of transporting wounded
men in our helpless condition, without carriers.
We had rather hot work during this day's march, and four soldiers had
been wounded by spears.
My wife was dreadfully tired, and sometimes the pace was too severe for
her. At length she was so fatigued that she declared she must rest, if
only for a few minutes. It was impossible to halt in the thick jungle
and grass; therefore, as I had observed a large grove of plantains on
the crest of the hill before us, I gave her my hand to assist in the
ascent, and we shortly entered the dark forest of bananas, which was, as
usual, clear and free from grass.
All the women were glad to rest, as the poor things were carrying heavy
loads. We halted in the midst of the plantains, and every one sat down,
except the numerous sentries whom I placed in concealment in various
positions. I fully expected that natives might be following us, in the
hopes of picking up the load of some wounded man that had been left
behind.
