Happen to us?" continued the women, "if any accident should befall our
father? Would not the slave-hunters immediately return to the country
and destroy us, simply because he had protected us? Do we not now sleep
in peace? and were we not always awake at night before he came among
us?"
The women decided that I was to be kept in the camp as a cojoor or
talisman, and that the natives were not to lead me into danger of wild
animals.
This declaration of the ladies of Fatiko could hardly be called
PETTICOAT government, as their total independence of attire precluded
any reference to such a garment; but it was a distinct assertion of
women's right to protect the person who had protected them. They were
excellent people, and were always well cared for and kindly treated by
the men.
My fort at Fatiko was within call of two large villages - those of Gimoro
and the sheik of the country: during my sojourn of seven months, I never
heard a woman scream, neither was there any domestic or civil
disturbance.
There were no police required in that country; there was no pickpockets,
as there were no pockets to pick - which was one advantage in favour of
nudity. A London police magistrate would have died of ennui; the
constables could not even have sworn to a case of intoxication, merely
as a matter of form to afford employment. There were no immoral females
to disgrace the public streets; neither were there any beggars,
vagrants, organ-grinders, or perambulators to worry, deafen, or upset
you. My country was a picture of true harmony. We had no complex
machinery of law; there was no such difficulty as an estate in Chancery;
no Divorce Court, or cases of crim. con. that necessitated an appeal.
Adultery would be settled by flogging respondent and co-respondent, with
a judicial separation after the punishment.
I had no ecclesiastical difficulties; no High Church, Ritualists, Low
Church, Broad Churchmen, Philosophers, Wesleyans, Baptists,
Presbyterians, Roman Catholics, Episcopalians, Independents, nor even a
Jesuit or a descendant of Israel to bring discord into my harmonious
tabernacle.
My troops were Mohammedans, without an opposing sect, therefore, for
lack of opposition, they were lukewarm believers.
The natives believed in nothing.
The curious fact remained, that without the slightest principle of
worship, or even a natural religious instinct, these people should be
free from many vices that disgrace a civilized community. I endeavoured
to persuade the most intelligent of the existence of a Deity who could
reward or punish; but beyond this I dared not venture, as they would
have asked practical questions, which I could not have explained to
their material understanding.
I extract verbatim from my journal the short entry of 31st December,
1872 : -
"The close of the year finds us, thank God, at peace in this country,
with every prospect of prosperity."
CHAPTER XXVI.
