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. In the best good-humour now, I showed
Mahamed our picture-books: and as he said he always drilled his
two hundred men every Friday, I said I would, if he liked,
command them myself. This being agreed to, all the men turned
out in their best, and, to my surprise, they not only knew the
Turkish words of command, but manoeuvred with some show of good
training; though, as might have been expected with men of this
ragamuffin stamp, all the privates gave orders as well as their
captains.
When the review was over, I complimented Mahamed on the
efficiency of his corps, and, retiring to my hut, as I thought I
had him now in a good-humour, again discussed our plans for going
ahead the next day. Scarcely able to look me in the face, the
humbugging scoundrel said he could not think of allowing me to go
on without him, for if any accident happened he would be blamed
for it. At the same time, he could not move for a few days, as
he expected a party of men to arrive about the next new moon with
ivory. My hurry he thought was uncalled for; for, as I had
spent so many days with Kamrasi, why could I not be content to do
so with him?
I was provoked beyond measure with this, as it upset all my
plans. Kidgwiga's men were deserting, and I feared I should not
be able to keep my promise to Kamrasi of sending him another
white visitor, who would perhaps do what I had left undone, when
I did not follow up the connection of the Little Luta Nzige with
the Nile. We battled away again, and then Mahamed said there was
not one man in his camp who would go with me until their crops
were cut and taken in; for whilst residing here they grew grain
for their support. We battled again, and Mahamed at last, out of
patience himself, said, "Just look here, what a fix I am in,"
showing me a hut full of ivory. "Who," he said, "is to carry all
this until the natives have got in their crops?" This, I said,
so far as I was concerned, was all nonsense.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 383 of 403
Words from 200399 to 200914
of 210958
