"Suleiman and Eddrees were to be brought before me.
"A heavy shower fell just after the troops started.
"April 14. - Julian's horse, Gazelle, died last night; the poor animal
had been ill for some days.
"Quonga, who is the sheik of this district, came this morning and
excused his absence in rather a lame fashion, by saying that he had been
collecting food for the troops, together with carriers, who are now
ready to transport the baggage to Masindi. He declared that Kabba Rega
was impatient, and had sent three of Suleiman's people to deliver the
message to me, but these rascals had passed on this morning direct to
the zareeba of Suleiman, without communicating with us on the way.
"Quonga not only corroborated the testimony of the sheiks and the
dragoman, Umbogo, against Suleiman, as having conspired to attack Rionga
after my departure, but he gave additional evidence, that 'Suleiman had
told Rahonka and the great sheiks that I, the Pacha, knew nothing about
war, that none of the government troops could shoot, and that I should
only travel and subsist upon the country, but that he (Suleiman) would
join them and kill Rionga after I should have departed.'
"This I believe to be true, as a few days ago, when speaking of the
troops, I told Suleiman that the Soudanis were very hardy soldiers for
marching and resisting climate, but that generally they were bad shots.
Thus, in a treacherous manner, he has informed the natives that the
soldiers of the government cannot shoot.
