On the day following my interview with the sheik of the mountain,
"Wani," I received information which made me suspect that he was not the
real sheik, and that some trick was intended.
Once more I was waited upon by old Jarda, with his female minister of
foreign affairs, in company with Wani, the reputed sheik of the
mountain, together with a number of headmen.
I now received a direct proposal to form a general alliance. The
Belinian Baris declared allegiance to the government, and proposed to
join all their forces to make a great attack, in conjunction with the
troops, upon a country about sixteen miles distant, governed by a sheik
named Lokko. They described this country as abounding in corn, and
sesame, in addition to great wealth in cattle. They also declared that
they had already sent spies into the land, who had returned with the
news that the harvest was over, and all the grain was stowed in the
granaries; thus the troops would have no trouble in collecting the corn.
They also promised that if I would make the attack, they would collect
all their women and transport the corn to head-quarters at Gondokoro;
thus the soldiers would have no fatigue. At the same time they described
the people of Lokko as very powerful, and declared that I should require
nearly all my force, as very few troops would be now necessary to
protect my camp at Belinian, as we WERE ALL FRIENDS!
This kind regard for my military arrangements confirmed my suspicions.
It was intended to draw off the greater portion of the troops to a
distance, in company with the pretended allies. The attack was really to
be made on Lokko, but my troops were also to be overpowered when
unsuspectingly returning by a night march with the spoil. The cattle
captured from Lokko would then fall into the hands of Belinian, and my
camp, protected by a weak force, was to be surprised.
I pretended to enter into this scheme, but I expressed a doubt whether
they would perform their part of the engagement, and convey the corn
from Lokko to Gondokoro. This they declared emphatically they would do
without failing.
I proposed, that if they could convey such an enormous quantity so great
a distance from Lokko to Gondokoro, they should first prove their
fidelity by transporting the few hundred urdeps from our Belinian camp
to head-quarters. If they would assist us in this manner, they should be
paid for their trouble, and I should then believe in their sincerity. On
the other hand, if they refused, I should be perfectly certain that they
would also decline to transport the corn from Lokko, and that every
individual would merely scramble for spoil, and return to Belinian with
a load of plunder for his own use.
We should then be left at Lokko in a foolish position.
After much discussion, they promised to carry the corn to Gondokoro
before commencing operations against Lokko; but I at once perceived by
their manner, that they had not the slightest intention of performing
any such contract. They felt that their scheme had been found out.
Although Africans are notoriously cunning and treacherous, they have not
sufficient patience or self-sacrifice to enable them to carry out a
perfect scheme. If the Belinians had wished to succeed in their plan,
they should have willingly carried the corn to Gondokoro, and thus have
established confidence. In all my experience with African tribes, I have
observed this want of organization in their plans. Like ignorant
chess-players, they only think of the first few moves, and thus are at a
loss when suddenly checked.
Of course I had no intention of attacking Lokko, as I had no complaint
against him; and although a Bari, he was a chief who had always behaved
well to the Austrian missionaries. This portion of the Bari tribe,
instead of being sixteen miles, was at least thirty from the north of
Belinian, and was situated on the White Nile, where the sheik, Lokko,
was known to the traders as "Oom Nickla."
The following extracts from my journal will at once explain the state of
affairs. The natives had lost their chance, and feeling that their
treachery had been discovered, they never came to me again: -
"September 22, 1871. - No natives will come near us. Abou Saood arrived
with forty men to ask my permission that he might start for Khartoum.
"September 23. - The natives, disappointed in their trick, will have
nothing to say to us."
On the 25th September the natives treacherously attacked an unarmed
soldier. This man had strayed a few hundred yards from the camp, against
orders, to search for wild thyme. A native met him and accosted him by
the welcome "Adotto julio." The soldier advanced close, when the
treacherous Bari immediately shot an arrow into him. This passed through
his arm with such force that more than half the length of the arrow
protruded on the other side. The soldier shouted for help, and the Bari
decamped as he saw others running to the rescue.
On the same day, two women were attacked when they went to fetch water,
and their clothes were stolen by the natives.
On September 27, an artilleryman went to the river about 400 yards
distant to fetch water, alone. This was quite contrary to orders. The
thoughtless fellow left his musket on the bank while he descended to the
sandy bed, through which trickled a clear stream.
He was watched by the natives who were lying in wait, concealed by the
high dhurra. These rascals suddenly rushed out and speared him to death.
The man screamed so loudly before he died, that a number of soldiers
rushed to his assistance from the camp, but they were only in time to
bring in his body.
