The
Escort Had Crowded Around Us, And As The Boy Saat Was Close To Me, I
Ordered Him To Fire His Gun.
This was Saat's greatest delight, and bang
went one barrel unexpectedly, close to the tall chief's ear.
The effect
was charming. The tall chief, thinking himself injured, clasped his head
with both hands, and bolted through the crowd, which, struck with a
sudden panic, rushed away in all directions, the "devil's own" tumbling
over each other, and utterly scattered by the second barrel which Saat
exultingly fired in derision as Kamrasi's warlike regiment dissolved
before a sound. I felt quite sure, that in the event of a fight, one
scream from the "Baby," with its charge of forty small bullets, would
win the battle, if well delivered into a crowd of Kamrasi's troops.
That afternoon, after a march through a most beautiful forest of large
mimosas in full blossom, we arrived at the morass that had necessitated
this great detour from our direct course to the lake. It was nearly
three-quarters of a mile broad, and so deep, that in many places the
oxen were obliged to swim; both Mrs. Baker and I were carried across on
our angareps by twelve men with the greatest difficulty; the guide, who
waded before us to show the way, suddenly disappeared in a deep hole,
and his bundle that he had carried on his head, being of light
substance, was seen floating like a buoy upon the surface; after a
thorough sousing, the guide reappeared, and scrambled out, and we made a
circuit, the men toiling frequently up to their necks through mud and
water. On arrival at the opposite side we continued through the same
beautiful forest, and slept that night at a deserted village, M'Baze. I
obtained two observations; one of Capella, giving lat. 1 degrees 24
minutes 47 seconds N., and of Canopus 1 degree 23 minutes 29 seconds.
The next day we were much annoyed by our native escort; instead of
attending to us, they employed their time in capering and dancing about,
screaming and gesticulating, and suddenly rushing off in advance
whenever we approached a village, which they plundered before we could
arrive. In this manner every place was stripped; nor could we procure
anything to eat unless by purchasing it for beads from the native
escort. We slept at Karche, lat. 1 degree 19 minutes 31 seconds N.
We were both ill, but were obliged to ride through the hottest hours of
the sun, as our followers were never ready to start at an early hour in
the morning. The native escort were perfectly independent, and so
utterly wild and savage in their manner, that they appeared more
dangerous than the general inhabitants of the country.
My wife was extremely anxious, since the occasion of Kamrasi's
"proposal," as she was suspicious that so large an escort as three
hundred men had been given for some treacherous purpose, and that I
should perhaps be waylaid to enable them to steal her for the king.
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