I had filled the vessels with the
last of the corn upon the island, therefore I determined to cross over
with my force, and to meet the detachment under Major Abdullah. This was
not easy to accomplish, as there were some awkward sand-banks in the
middle of the river. It was therefore necessary to pass up stream
between two islands, and then, by rounding the head of a point, to
descend through a channel about a hundred yards wide between the western
island and the mainland. This occupied about an hour, and we dropped
down the channel and took up an excellent position against a high shore
that formed a convenient landing-place. From this point the land rose
rapidly, and the entire landscape was covered with villages abounding in
corn. The natives appeared to have deserted the country.
Having given the necessary orders, I took my shot gun, and, accompanied
by Lieutenant Baker, Monsoor, and two soldiers of "The Forty," I walked
along the river's bank towards the village occupied by Major Abdullah's
detachment, who I imagined might have found a large quantity of corn,
which accounted for their delay in commencing the morning march.
There were great numbers of ducks and geese on the river's bank: thus as
we walked towards Abdullah's village, about a mile and a half distant,
we made a tolerable bag.
We had at length arrived within half a mile of the village, which was
situated upon high ground, about 600 yards from the river, when I
noticed a number of people issuing from the gate way carrying large
baskets upon their heads.
"The soldiers have found plenty of corn," remarked Monsoor; "they are
carrying it from the googoos."
My eyes were better than Monsoor's. I at once perceived that the people
thus employed were Baris!
We were only five guns, now separated from our vessels by about a mile,
and the troops under Major Abdullah had evidently evacuated their
position!
Where upon earth had they gone? and for what reason? Certainly we had
the river on our right flank, but we might have been attacked and cut
off from our vessels, had the Baris the pluck to assume the offensive.
It was time to retreat, but as I wished the Baris to believe that we
felt quite at our ease, we accomplished the move very leisurely, and
strolled quietly homewards, shooting ducks and snipe as we walked along.
The moment I arrived at the vessels, I despatched a party in the
steamer's large boat, under Captain Mohammed Deii, of the "Forty
Thieves," to row down the river, and to recall Abdullah's detachment,
that must have retreated for some inconceivable reason. The current ran
at nearly four miles per hour; thus the boat would be sure to overtake
them.
I was exceedingly annoyed. A force of ninety men had evidently been
cowed by their engagement with the natives on the previous evening, and
had retreated upon Lieutenant-Colonel Achmet's position, instead of
joining me according to orders. At the same time my vessels had been in
sight only a mile and a half distant! I was thus left with a small party
of thirty men, while ninety men had fallen back.
This was an example of the utter helplessness of the officers and men
when left to themselves. If the natives had repeated the attack, they
would most probably have got into dire confusion.
Having started the boat, I took ten men of "The Forty," and, accompanied
by Lieutenant Baker, I marched along the bank in order to meet the
detachment on their return, when recalled by Mohammed Deii. During the
march I continued to shoot ducks, as this amusement would deceive the
natives respecting the retreat of Major Abdullah, which might then be
attributed to some other cause than fear.
In about an hour, I distinguished a sail coming round the point of Gebel
(Mount) Regiaf. The wind was fair, and she quickly ran up the stream. I
now discovered that she was towing the boat that I had sent down the
river to recall Abdullah's detachment. (This was a vessel from
Gondokoro on her way for a cargo of corn. She had met the retreating
party of Abdullah, and had brought them on by the river.)
Upon her near approach, I hailed the vessel and ordered her to land the
troops (with which she was crowded) upon the west shore.
In a short time, Major Abdullah and his gallant company had landed and
formed in line.
His excuse for the precipitate retreat which he had commenced at
daybreak was, that he feared a renewed attack, and he was short of
ammunition. He had therefore determined to fall back on the station
occupied by Lieutenant-Colonel Achmet.
He appeared to have forgotten that he could have communicated with me by
bugle.
I inspected the men's pouches, and found that most of them had eighteen
or twenty rounds of cartridge, while the minimum contained eleven
rounds; this is what the major considered a short supply of ammunition
for a march of a mile and a half along beautiful open country to my
vessels.
He described the overwhelming number of the natives, and their extreme
bravery in the attack, which his troops had repelled without any loss to
themselves either killed or wounded. At the same time the troops under
his command had killed twenty Baris, whose bodies he had himself
counted.
I now ordered them to advance to the village, as I wished to examine the
position. Upon arrival at the spot where the battle had taken place,
there were a number of vultures settled in various spots where the
ground was marked with blood, and the cleanly-picked skeleton of a man,
lying close to the euphorbia hedge, showed that the Baris had really
come to close quarters.
