Although The Camp Was Visited By Hundreds Of Natives, Including Their
Women, Daily, There Were Seldom Any Quarrels Over The Marketing, And
When A Disagreement Took Place It Was Generally The Fault Of A Soldier,
Who Took Something On Credit, And Pleaded Inability To Pay.
I
administered a rough-and-ready justice, and appointed an officer to
superintend the bazaar to prevent squabbles.
I was much struck with the honesty of the natives, who appeared
thoroughly to appreciate the protection afforded them, and the fair
dealing insisted upon on the part of the troops. The river was about 700
yards wide, but the land on the west shore was only a large island,
through which several small streams cut deep channels. This island was
separated from the main western shore by a branch of the White Nile. The
west bank was thickly lined with villages for about 200 miles of river
frontage throughout the Shillook country, thus affording admirable
opportunities for direct trade with vessels from Khartoum. It was a
tedious journey for the natives to visit us daily, as they had to cross
first their western branch of the Nile, then to carry their canoes
across the island for about a mile, and again to cross the main river to
arrive at our camp. The Shillook canoe has often been described. It is
formed of long pieces of the ambatch-wood, which is lighter than cork.
These curious trees, which grow in the swamps of the White Nile, are
thick at the base, and taper to a point, thus a number are lashed
securely together, and the points are tied tightly with cord, so as to
form a bow. These canoes or rafts generally convey two persons, and they
are especially adapted for the marshy navigation of the river, as they
can be carried on the head without difficulty, when it may be necessary
to cross an island or morass.
Our native traders arrived daily in fleets of ambatch canoes from a
considerable distance. The soldiers trusted them with their rations of
corn to grind, rather than take the trouble to prepare it themselves.
The natives took the corn to their homes, and invariably returned with
the honest complement of flour. I never had a complaint brought before
me of dishonesty when a Shillook had been trusted. I have great hopes of
these people, they simply require all assurance of good faith and
protection to become a valuable race.
From the Shillook country to Khartoum the river is superb and can be
navigated at all seasons. The northern end of this country is rich in
forests of the Acacia Arabica (Soont), a wood that is invaluable as fuel
for steamers, and is the only really durable wood for ship-building in
the Soudan. The rains begin in May, and are regular throughout four
months, thus cotton may be cultivated without the expense of artificial
irrigation; at the same time the dry summer offers an inestimable
advantage for gathering the crop.
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