"This Was A Good Opportunity For Assuring Both Kabba Rega And This
People That I Should Restore All The Slaves That Had Been Carried Out Of
Their Country To The Various Stations Of Abou Saood At Fatiko, Fabbo,
Faloro, &C.
"I described to the young king and his chiefs that I was determined to
suppress the slave trade, and
That I had hitherto forborne to interfere
in the release of the slaves at the various stations, as it would have
been impossible to have returned them to their distant homes, neither
could I have supplied them with food. I was now at Masindi, beyond the
farthest station of Abou Saood, and I should certainly insist upon the
return of every slave that had been kidnapped from this country. This
would at once prove to the inhabitants of Unyoro the benefit of the
Khedive's protection. (The subsequent attack made by the slave-traders
upon the government troops and myself at Fatiko was due to this
declaration that all slaves should be taken away from their captors and
returned to their homes. It will be seen later that I sent orders to the
commandant of my station at Fatiko to release all slaves, and this
command was resisted by Abou Saood and his people.)
"April 27.-Kabba Rega had arranged to return my visit.
"I had ordered a broad roadway to be cleared from Kabba Rega's divan to
my tent, which was pitched beneath an enormous fig-tree or banian (Ficus
Indica). The troops were lined on either side of this approach in their
best uniforms.
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