12th. - To-Day I Went Out Shooting, But Though I Saw And Fired At
A Rhinoceros, As Well As Many Varieties Of Antelopes, I Did Not
Succeed In Killing One Head.
All my men were surprised as well
as myself; and the villagers who were escorting me in the hope of
getting flesh, were so annoyed at their disappointment, they
offered to cut my fore-finger with a spear and spit on it for
good-luck.
Joining in their talk, I told them the powder must be
crooked; but, on inspecting my rifle closer, I found that the
sights had been knocked on one side a little, and this created a
general laugh at all in turn. Going home from the shooting, I
found all the villagers bolting again with their cattle and
stores, and, on looking towards Faloro, saw a party of Turks
coming.
As well as I could I reassured the villagers, and brought them
back again, when they said to me, "Oh, what have you done? We
were so happy yesterday when we found out who you were, but now
we see you have brought those men, all our hearts have sunk
again; for they beat us, they make us carry their loads, and they
rob us in such a manner, we know not what to do." I told them I
would protect them if they would keep quiet; and, when the Turks
came, I told them what I had said to the head man. They were the
vanguard of Mahamed's party, and said they had orders to march on
as far as Apuddo with me, where we must all stop for Mahamed,
who, as well as he could, was collecting men. There was a
certain tree near Apuddo which was marked by an Englishman two
years ago, and this, Mahamed thought, would keep us amused.
The next march brought us to Paira, a collection of villages
within sight of the Nile. It was truly ridiculous; here had we
been at Faloro so long, and yet could not make out what had
become of the Nile. In appearance it was a noble stream, flowing
on a flat bed from west to east, and immediately beyond it were
the Jbl (hills) Kuku, rising up to a height of 2000 feet above
the river. Still we could not make out all, until the following
day, when we made a march parallel to the Nile, and arrived at
Jaifi.
This was a collection of huts close to a deep nullah which drains
The central portions of Eastern Madi. At this place the Turks
killed a crocodile and ate him on the spot, much to the amusement
of my men, who immediately shook their heads, laughingly, and
said, "Ewa, Allah! are these men, then, Mussulmans? Savages in
our country don't much like a crocodile."
After crossing two nullahs, we reached Apuddo, and at once, I
went to see the tree said to have been cut by an Englishman some
time before.
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