Great African Travellers: From Mungo Park to Livingstone and StanleyKingston, William Henry Giles
History
Great African Travellers: From Mungo Park to Livingstone and Stanley
Kingston, William Henry Giles
Africa -- Description and travel; Africa -- Discovery and exploration; Explorers
They might have starved had not an underground granary of seed been
discovered, by the means of Bacheeta, in one of the villages burned down
by the enemy. This, with several varieties of wild plants, enabled them
to support existence.
The last of their oxen, after lingering for some time, lay down to die,
affording the men a supply of beef, and Saati and Bacheeta occasionally
obtained a fowl from one of the neighbouring islands, which they visited
in a canoe.
At length both Mr and Mrs Baker fully believed that their last hour
was come, and he wrote various instructions in his journal, directing
his head man to deliver his maps and observations to the British Consul
at Khartoum.
The object, it appeared, of Kamrasi in thus leaving them, was to obtain
their assistance against his enemies, and at length their guide,
Rehonga, made his appearance, having been ordered to carry them to
Kamrasi's camp.
The journey was performed, in spite of their weak state; and on their
arrival they found ten of the Turks left as hostages with Kamrasi by
Ibrahim, who had returned to Gondokoro. The Turks received them with
respect and manifestations of delight and wonder at their having
performed so difficult a journey.
A hut was built for their reception, and an ox, killed by the Turks, was
prepared as a feast for their people.
The next day the king notified his readiness to receive the traveller,
who, attiring himself in a Highland costume, was carried on the
shoulders of a number of men into the presence of the monarch. The king
informed him that he had made arrangements for his remaining at Kisoona.
As now all hope of reaching Gondokoro in time for the boats had gone,
Mr Baker, yielding to necessity, prepared to make himself at home. He
had a comfortable hut built, surrounded by a court-yard with an open
shed in which he and his wife could spend the hot hours of the day.
Kamrasi sent him a cow which gave an abundance of milk, also amply
supplying him with food.
Here the travellers were compelled to spend many months. Their stay was
cut short, in consequence of the invasion of the country by Fowooka's
people, accompanied by a large band of Turks under the trader Debono.
Kamrasi proposed at once taking to flight; but Baker promised to hoist
the flag of England, and to place the country under British protection.
He then sent a message to Mahomet, Debono's _vakeel_, warning him that
should a shot be fired by any of his people, he would be hung, and
ordering them at once to quit the country; informing them, besides, that
he had already promised all the ivory to Ibrahim, so that, contrary to
the rules of the traders, they were trespassing in the territory.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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