It Appeared That The Reinforcements Lately Received From Khartoum Were
Merely Slaves That Had Been Sold To The Government, And Had Rapidly Been
Trained For Soldiers.
Many of these people had originally come from the
White Nile, therefore they were disposed to desert upon the first
opportunity.
A considerable number had deserted, with their arms and ammunition. They
had also stolen Raouf Bey's guns and rifles from his house, and had
absconded to Belinian. Raouf Bey had called upon the Belinian to give up
the deserters; but the Belinian natives had only replied to the
summonses by making nightly demonstrations of attack against the station
of Gondokoro, which had rendered sound sleep impossible for the last
month. Raouf Bey had accordingly invaded Belinian, and had fought a
pitched battle, in which the deserters who had joined the Baris fired
upon the troops. Two of them were killed. (On this occasion, the Baris
being well supplied with muskets and ammunition, the troops of Raouf Bey
suffered considerable loss.)
I immediately sent for Allorron, who had now become a faithful sheik of
the government. He confessed all his sins, and of course laid the whole
blame upon Abou Saood, who he declared had deceived him, and instigated
him against the government. I did not wish for any explanations upon the
truth of which I could not rely. I therefore ordered him to go at once
to Belinian, and inform the natives that, unless they gave up the
deserters, I should pay them a visit with the "red shirts," who had now
returned with me from Fatiko.
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