Spies
went across the river and brought me every intelligence. It appeared
that the 3,000 Makkarikas had been engaged by Ali Emmeen under the
pretence that they were "to go to Fatiko and fight a chief called 'the
Pacha,' who had enormous flocks and herds, together with thousands of
beautiful women and other alluring spoil;" but they had not heard that
they were to carry 3,000 elephants' tusks to the station of Atroosh.
My spies now told them the truth. "Fight the Pacha!" they exclaimed:
"do you not know who he is? and that he could kill you all like fowls,
as he did the people of Ali Hussein? He has no cows for you to carry
off, but he has guns that are magic, and which load from behind instead
of at the muzzle!"
This was a terrible disappointment to the deluded Makkarikas, which at
once spread dissension among them, when they found that they had been
cajoled in order to transport the heavy loads of ivory.
A providential visitation suddenly fell upon them. The small-pox broke
out and killed upwards of 800 bloodthirsty cannibals who had been
devouring the country.
The Nile was reported to be about six miles in width opposite their
station, in about 3 degrees latitude, which is only a few miles from the
Albert N'yanza.
