In Darkest Africa, Vol. 1; or, The Quest, Rescue, and Retreat of Emin, Governor of EquatoriaStanley, Henry M. (Henry Morton)
History
In Darkest Africa, Vol. 1; or, The Quest, Rescue, and Retreat of Emin, Governor of Equatoria
Stanley, Henry M. (Henry Morton)
Africa, Central -- Description and travel; Emin Pasha, 1840-1892
"Think of it, Simba! a poor devil owning nothing in the world, without
anything or anybody dear to him, neither name, place, property, or
honour, to commit suicide! Were he a rich Arab now, a merchant Hindu, a
captain of soldiers, a governor of a district, or a white man who had
suffered misfortune, or had been the victim of dishonour or shame, yea, I
could understand the spirit of the suicide; but this Simba, who was no
better than a slave, an outcast of Unyanyembé, without friends on the
face of the earth, save the few poor things in his own mess in this camp,
to go and kill himself like a man of wealth! Faugh! pitch him into the
wilderness, and let him rot! What right has he to the honour of a shroud
and a burial?" This was the sentiment of the men who were once his
comrades--though not so forcibly expressed as was done by little Sali in
his fierce indignation at the man's presumption.
Early on this morning Lieutenant Stairs and thirty-six rifles were
despatched to make a reconnaissance eastward under the guidance of Boryo,
and a young Manyuema volunteer, as we had yet a few days to wait for the
arrival of several convalescents who, wearied of the cruelties practised
at Ipoto on them, preferred death on the road to the horrible servitude
of the Manyuema slaves.
On the 19th Uledi, the coxswain of the _Advance_ with his boat's crew,
arrived, reporting that there were fifteen convalescents on the way. By
night they were in the camp.
On the 21st the reconnoitering party under Lieutenant Stairs returned,
Boryo still accompanying them; nothing new about the grass land had been
obtained, but they reported a tolerably good path leading steadily
eastward, which was as comforting news as we could expect.
On the 23rd, the last day of our stay at Ibwiri, there was a muster and
reorganization:--
No. 1 company, Jephson 80 men.
No. 2 " Stairs 76 "
Soudanese 5 "
Cooks 3 "
Boys 6 "
Europeans 4 "
Manyuema guide 1 "
---
175 "
===
Inclusive of Captain Nelson and Dr. Parke there were twenty-eight at
Ipoto; we had left to recuperate at Ugarrowwa's fifty-six. Some from
Nelson's starvation camp under Umari, the headman, probably ten, might
return; so that we reckoned the number of the advance column to be 268
still living out of 389 men who had departed from Yambuya 139 days
previously, and put down our loss at 111. We were greatly mistaken,
however, for by this date many of the sick at Ugarrowwa's had died, and
the condition of the sick at Ipoto was deplorable.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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