Mahamed Then Gave Us Two
Beds To Sit Upon, And Ordered His Wives To Advance On Their Knees
And Give Us Coffee, Whilst Other Men Brought Pombe, And Prepared
Us A Dinner Of Bread And Honey And Mutton.
A large shed was cleared for Grant and myself, and all my men
were ordered to disperse, and chum in ones and twos with
Mahamed's men; for Mahamed said, now we had come there, his work
was finished.
"If that is the case," I said, "tell us your
orders; there must be some letters." He said, "No, I have no
letters or written orders; though I have directions to take you
to Gondokoro as soon as you come. I am Debono's Vakil, and am
glad you are come, for we are all tired of waiting for you. Our
business has been to collect ivory whilst waiting for you." I
said, "How is it Petherick has not come here to meet me? is he
married?" "Yes, he is married; and both he and his wife ride
fore-and-aft on one animal at Khartum." "Well, then, where is the
tree you told Bombay you would point out to us with Petherick's
name on it?" "Oh, that is on the way to Gondokoro. It was not
Petherick who wrote, but some one else, who told me to look out
for your coming this way. We don't know his name, but he said if
we pointed it out to you, you would know at once."
4th. - After spending the night as Mahamed's guest, I strolled
round the place to see what it was like, and found the Turks were
all married to the women of the country, whom they had dressed in
clothes and beads. Their children were many, with a prospect of
more. Temporary marriages, however, were more common than
others - as, in addition to their slaves, they hired the
daughters of the villagers, who remained with them whilst they
were trading here, but went back to their parents when they
marched to Gondokoro. They had also many hundreds of cattle,
which it was said they had plundered from the natives, and now
used for food, or to exchange for ivory, or other purposes. The
scenery and situation were perfect for health and beauty. The
settlement lay at the foot of small, well-wooded granitic hills,
even prettier than the outcrops of Unyamuezi, and was intersected
by clear streams.
At noon, all the rear troops arrived with Bombay and Piejoko in
person. This good creature had treated Bombay very handsomely on
his former journey. He said he felt greatly disappointed at my
pushing past him yesterday, as he wished to give me a cow, but
still hoped I would go over and make friends with him. I gave
him some beads and off he walked. Old Chongi's "children," who
had escorted us all the way from Kamrasi's, then took some beads
and cast-off clothes for themselves and their father, and left us
in good-humour.
This reduced the expedition establishment to my men and
Kidgwiga's. With these, now, as there was no letter from
Petherick, I ordered a march for the next morning, but at once
met with opposition. Mahamed told me that there were no vessels
at Gondokoro; we must wait two months, by which time he expected
they would arrive there, and some one would come to meet him with
beads. I said in answer, that Petherick had promised to have
boats there all the year round, so I would not wait. "Then,"
said Mahamed, "we cannot go with you, for there is a famine at
this season at Gondokoro." I said, "Never mind; do you give me
an interpreter, and I will go as I am." "No," said Mahamed, "that
will not do, as the Bari people are so savage, you could not get
through them with so small a force; besides which, just now there
is a stream which cannot be crossed for a month or more."
Unable to stand Mahamed's shifting devices with equanimity any
longer, I accused him of trying to trick me in the same way as
all the common savage chiefs had done wherever I went, because
they wished me to stop for their own satisfaction, quite
disregarding my wishes and interest; so I said I would not stop
there any longer I would raft over the river, and find my way
through the Bari, as I had through the rest of the African
savages. We talked and talked, but could make nothing of it. I
maintained that if he was commissioned to help me, he at least
could not refuse to give me a guide and interpreter; when, if I
failed in the direct route, I would try another, but go I must,
as I could not hold out any longer, being short of beads and
cows. I had just enough, but none to spare. He told me not to
think of such a thing, as he would give me all that was needful,
both for myself and my men; but if I would have patience, he
would collect all his officers, and the next morning would see
what their opinions were on the subject.
5th. - I found that every one of Mahamed's men was against our
going to Gondokoro. They told me, in fact, with one voice, that
it was quite impossible; but they said, if I liked they would
furnish me guides to escort me on ten marches to a depot at the
further end of the Madi country, and if I chose to wait there
until they could collect all their ivory tusks together and join
us, we would be a united party too formidable to be resisted by
the Bari people. This offer of immediate guides I of course
accepted at once, as to keep on the move was my only desire at
that time; for my men were all drunk, and Kidgwiga's were
deserting. Once more on the way, I did not despair of reaching
Gondokoro by myself.
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