Africa, Central -- Description and travel; Slave trade -- Africa
I threw out skirmishers, as we shortly entered a bad piece of country.
At this moment wo heard shots fired at the tail of the island, about two
miles in our front.
We pushed on at the double, until stopped by a deep channel of the river
about thirty yards wide. On the other side we now heard the horns of the
natives and the lowing of cattle. It was necessary to skirt the banks of
the channel through thick forest; thus, following the stream, we shortly
arrived at the main river, just in time to see the natives at a distance
of a quarter of a mile swimming a large herd of cattle across the stream
to the east shore, where they landed and safely gained the forest. They
were quickly pursued by the troops who, having landed at the tail of the
island, were in chase; and being supplied with boats, they crossed over
the river and followed hard upon the track of the retreating cattle.
The Baris did not suspect that they would be followed to the main shore;
thus upon reaching the forest they continued their retreat leisurely. My
black troops were wonderful runners; thus, when once upon the track of
the herd, they went along like hounds and overtook the Baris, who had no
idea of the pursuit until the soldiers were among them. The affair ended
by the capture of a portion of the herd, and the return to camp at 5.30
P.M. We had eaten nothing since the previous evening, as the boat
containing our breakfast had not yet appeared. We had been on our legs
in the sun for fourteen hours, thus we were ready for dinner on the
return to camp. I was anxious about the missing boat. On the following
day, June 6, at 4.40 P.M., the lost dingy arrived with her crew all
safe. They had missed their way by taking a wrong channel of the river,
which led them into a labyrinth of high reeds, where they were obliged
to pass the night among clouds of mosquitoes.
On the following day they began the tedious journey by rowing homeward
against the stream. They came suddenly upon a large body of natives, who
immediately attacked them with arrows, one of which went through the
trousers of a soldier. My men told a long story, and made themselves out
to be perfect heroes; but my servants and the boatmen told a very
different tale, and declared that they had thrown themselves down in the
bottom of the boat to avoid the arrows, and my servant, Mohammed Haroon,
had himself fired my heavy gun loaded with mould shot at the enemy.
On 7th June I discovered that the Baris of Gondokoro had leagued
themselves with the natives of Belinian against us.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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