The Life of Gordon, Volume IBoulger, Demetrius Charles
History
The Life of Gordon, Volume I
Boulger, Demetrius Charles
Generals -- Great Britain -- Biography; Gordon, Charles George, 1833-1885
Having satisfied himself that Mtesa was not willing to risk a quarrel,
General Gordon sent Nuehr Agha with ninety men to bring back the 140
men detained at Dubaga, and the task was accomplished without any
hitch or delay. This was due partly to the military demonstrations,
and partly also to a clever diplomatic move by Gordon, who wrote to
Mtesa expressing his readiness to recognise by treaty the independence
of Uganda, and to provide a safe-conduct for the King's ambassadors to
Cairo. At this time the late Dr Emin, who claimed to be an Arab and a
Mahommedan, was at Dubaga, but his influence on the course of events
was _nil_, and he and Gordon never met. After the return of the troops
Gordon commenced his retirement to the Nile, and after an arduous and
dangerous march of eighty miles through a swampy jungle beset by Kaba
Rega's tribesmen, who were able to throw their spears with accurate
aim for fifty yards, he succeeded in reaching Masindi without loss.
Then Gordon drew up a plan of campaign for the effectual subjugation
of Kaba Rega, but he did not wait to see it carried out, as the first
move could not be made until the grass was dry enough to burn. As soon
as that season arrived three columns were to march against the chief
of Unyoro in the following order--one consisting of 150 black
soldiers, and 3000 of the Lango tribe, under Rionga, moving from
Mrooli to Kisoga; another of about the same strength from Keroto to
Masindi; and the third operating from the Albert Lake with the
steamer. The plan was a good one, but Kaba Rega, by having recourse to
his old Fabian tactics, again baffled it.
Although these events happened when Gordon had reached Cairo, it will
be appropriate to give here the result of this campaign. The Unyoro
chieftain retired before the Egyptians, who carried off much cattle,
and when they in turn retired, he advanced and reoccupied his country.
After a brief period the Egyptians definitely gave up their stations
at Mrooli, Foweira, and Masindi, on the left bank of the Victoria
Nile, and confined themselves to those on its right bank, and thus
finally were Mtesa and Kaba Rega left to enjoy their own rude ideas of
independence and regal power.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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