Since The Departure Of The Irregular Levy, I Had Noticed A Decided
Change In The Demeanour Of The Chiefs.
Kittiakara, who had been our
greatest friend, could never look me in the face, but always cast his
eyes upon the ground when speaking or listening.
The food for the troops was obtained with the greatest difficulty, after
constant worry and endless applications. It was in vain that I insisted
upon the right of paying for a supply of corn; the chiefs replied: "Is
not Kabba Rega your son? can a son sell corn to his own father"
At the same time we never had two days' provisions in store, and we were
simply living from hand to month. This looked suspicious, as though the
troops were to be rendered helpless by the absence of supplies in the
event of hostilities.
My few Baris consisted of my good interpreter Morgian, together with
three other natives, who had been for some years in the employ of
Suleiman. I had kept these people with me, as they knew something about
the country and the Unyoros. They were all armed and were tolerably good
shots. One of these fellows (Molodi), a native of the Madi country, was
extremely useful and intelligent. He now told me that I could never
depend upon Kabba Rega, and that he had simply begged me to send the
irregulars out of the country in order that I should not hear the truth
of his former conduct from them; also, in their absence, I should be
quite ignorant of the paths that were now completely overgrown with
immensely high grass throughout the country.
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