In Darkest Africa, Vol. 2; or, The Quest, Rescue, and Retreat of Emin, Governor of EquatoriaStanley, Henry M. (Henry Morton)
History
In Darkest Africa, Vol. 2; 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
Accordingly instructions were issued to prepare five days’ provisions,
that from the free provisions obtained from the Nyanza we might be well
into Ankori before beginning the distribution of beads and cloth to
about 1000 people, and also permission to assist themselves gratuitously
was withdrawn, and the criers were sent through the camp proclaiming in
the several languages that any person detected robbing plantations, or
convicted of looting villages, would be made a public example.
[Sidenote: 1889.
July 4.
Kiteté.]
On the morning of the 4th we turned our backs to the Albert Edward
Nyanza, and followed a road leading east of south over the plain. In
about an hour the level flat assumed a rolling character freely
sprinkled over with bush clumps and a few trees. An hour’s experience
of this kind brought us to the base of the first line of hills, thence
up one ascent after another until noon, when we halted at Kitété, having
gained a thousand feet of altitude. We were received kindly, and
welcomed in the name of the King Antari. Messengers had arrived almost
simultaneously from Masakuma, the Governor of the Lake Province of
Ankori, that we should be received with all hospitality and honour, and
brought by degrees to him. Consequently, such is the power of emissaries
from authority, the villagers were ordered out of their houses with
cries of “Room for the guests of Antari! Room for the friends of
Masukuma! Ha, villains, don’t you hear? Out with you, bag and baggage!”
and so forth, the messengers every now and then taking sly glances at us
to note if we admired the style of the thing. We had not been long in
Ankori before we grasped the situation thoroughly. Ankori was the king’s
property. The people we should have to deal with were only the
governors, called Wakungu, and the king, his mother, brothers, sisters,
uncles, aunts, &c. Ankori was a copy of Uganda.
[Illustration: A VILLAGE IN ANKORI.]
From Kitété a considerable portion of the south-east extremity of Lake
Albert Edward appeared in view. We were a thousand feet above it. The
sun shone strongly, and for once we obtained about a ten-mile view
through the mist. From 312½° to 324° magnetic, the flats below were
penetrated with long-reaching inlets of the lake, surrounding numbers of
little low islets. To 17½° magnetic rose Nsinda Mountain, 2500 feet
above the lake; and behind, at the distance of three miles, rose the
range of Kinya-magara; and on the eastern side of a deep valley
separating it from the uplands of Ankori rose the western face,
precipitous and gray, the frowning walls of the Denny range.
[Illustration: EXPEDITION CLIMBING THE ROCK IN THE VALLEY OF ANKORI.]
Our course on the 5th was a steady ascent, E.N.E., to Kibwiga, at the
foot of the Denny range, Nsinda Mountain now bearing N.N.W. Opposite to
the village was Kinya-magara mountain. In the triangular valley between
these mountains the first herds of the Wanyankori were discovered.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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