Africa, Central -- Description and travel; Slave trade -- Africa
Kabba Rega and his sheiks all agreed that he had arrived here some time
ago in a very miserable plight, exceedingly dirty, and riding upon a
donkey. He was without baggage of any kind, and he introduced himself by
giving a present to Kabba Rega of an old, battered metal basin and jug,
in which he washed, together with a very old and worn-out small carpet,
upon which he was accustomed to sit. With these magnificent presents he
declared that he was "the son of a sultan, who had come to visit the
king of Unyoro."
Kabba Rega had replied that "he did not believe it, as he had heard that
he was simply a trader."
Reports had reached Unyoro that I had arrived at Gondokoro, and that I
was on my way to visit Kamrasi, and to explore the Albert N'yanza;
therefore Kabba Rega had questioned Abou Saood concerning me.
"Oh," Abou Saood replied, "that man whom we call 'the traveller'? Oh
yes, he was a very good fellow indeed; but he is dead. He died long ago.
The Pacha is a very different person; and I hope he will never be able
to reach this country. If he does, it will be a bad time for YOU."
"Indeed!" replied Kabba Rega. "I heard that the Pacha and the traveller,
the friend of my father, were the same person."
"You have been deceived," said Abou Saood. "The Pacha is not like the
traveller, or any other man. He is a monster with three separate heads,
in each of which are six eyes--three upon each side. Thus with
eighteen eyes he can see everything and every country at once. He has
three enormous mouths, which are furnished with teeth like those of a
crocodile, and he devours human flesh. He has already killed and eaten
the Bari people and destroyed their country. Should he arrive here, he
will pull you from the throne and seize your kingdom. You must fight
him, and by no means allow him to cross the river at Foweera. My
soldiers will fight him on the road from Gondokoro, as will all the
natives of the country: but I don't think he will be able to leave
Gondokoro, as he has a large amount of baggage, _and I have told the
Baris not to transport it:--thus he will have no carriers."
This was the actual report that Abou Saood had given to Kabba Rega, as
the dragoman Umbogo had been the interpreter, in the presence of
Mohammed, my old Cairo dragoman.
I laughed outright at this absurdity: at the same time it corroborated
all that I had already heard of Abou Saood's treachery. I immediately
asked Kabba Rega if he was satisfied now that he had seen me? He
replied, "Abou Saood is a liar, and you are Kamrasi's friend, and my
father: therefore you will, I am sure, assist me, and relieve me from my
great enemy, Rionga. I shall then know that you are indeed my true
friend."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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