Africa, Central -- Description and travel; Slave trade -- Africa
This attack was something that the Baris did not comprehend. They had
only been accustomed to face the slave-hunters' irregular companies, and
they had never seen a charge borne with the bayonet. They now began to
clamber up the rocks and ascend the mountain with the activity of
baboons, while a sharp fire from the snider rifles acted like a spur
upon their movements. A shell from the gun now burst over a number of
the enemy who had collected about 800 yards in our rear. This was an
unmistakable notice to quit. We set fire to the stockades, and the Baris
having disappeared, I selected a position for a night's bivouac.
There was a bad supply of water, and we could procure, nothing but a
muddy mixture which smelt strongly of goats. We had found a number of
fat calves and sheep; thus, having fixed upon a site in the flat open
plain, the men collected firewood, and when the evening set in, the camp
fires were blazing and every man was well supplied with food.
I doubled the sentries for the night, but we remained undisturbed.
I was very anxious about the major, Achmet Rafik, as Raouf Bey and the
officers declared that he would have certainly endeavoured to follow the
troops rather than run the risk of disobeying the orders he had
received. The Baris never take prisoners, and should they meet him,
which would be most probable, his death was certain.
On the following morning I ordered an advance towards the north side of
the plain, where I had observed a line of zareebas upon elevated ground
that commanded a view of the plain and the base of the mountain that we
had attacked yesterday.
On arrival upon the higher ground, I found the country perfectly flat
and completely covered with heavy crops of ripe dhurra, in which the
zareebas were concealed, with the exception of the tops of the huts.
Drums were beating and horns blowing in all these stockades.
I had a suspicion that the Baris might have stationed sharp-shooters in
ambush among the high dhurra. I therefore directed a couple of rockets
through the corn. The rush of these unknown projectiles produced a great
effect, as they burst through the stockade, and buzzed and whizzed about
the huts within the defence. An eight-pound shell from the gun now
crashed through the stockade and went howling along through the dense
fields of dhurra, until it exploded about 500 yards in the rear.
The bugle immediately sounded the advance with the bayonet, and the
troops made a rush forward through the corn and captured the stockade.
We now found no less than six of these powerful inclosures within an
area of about four acres. These would form an admirable position. I
therefore gave orders that the corn should be immediately cleared away
so as to leave an open space. Guards were posted in various places;
sentries were placed on the summits of the tallest huts to keep a good
look-out, while the remainder of the force set to work and commenced
clearing. By sunset we had cut down about six acres.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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