What Led to the Discovery of the Source of the Nile — John Shaqi
What Led to the Discovery of the Source of the NileSpeke, John Hanning
History
What Led to the Discovery of the Source of the Nile
Speke, John Hanning
Horn of Africa -- Description and travel; Nile River; Tanganyika, Lake
16th.--For the first time the sultan kept his promise by returning,
but the animals he brought were weak and useless, and I could plainly
see I was being trifled with, and detained here for the mere purpose
of being robbed in an indirect manner, so that no accusation could be
laid against any one. Nothing, I may say, in all my experiences, vexes
the mind so much as feeling one's self injured in a way that cannot be
prevented or avenged. Some might take such matters quietly, but I
confess I could not. Indeed, I stormed and expostulated with the
sultan until he agreed to assist me in a move. I had now eleven
camels, and wanted some five more, but thought it better not to wait;
for as long as I remained in a comfortable dwelling, I knew my men
would not exert themselves. That day, then, packing up what I most
required, I started for Bunder Gori, and unloaded, after a three
miles' march, at an old well in rear of the village, selecting as a
camping-ground the least comfortable place I could find, and not
allowing the tent to be pitched, though the sun-heat was 112 degrees,
and the sand was blowing in perfect clouds. Some days previous to my
leaving Goriat, Sumunter induced me to give him twenty rupees to hire
donkeys for conveying the heavier things over the hills, and
repeatedly assured me he had got them, but they never came; and now I
asked him to return the money, as I had brought it with me as a
reserve fund, to provide against any possible difficulty, and not to
be parted with for any ordinary purpose. This commenced a series of
rows between Sumunter and myself: he had made away with the money, and
could not produce it. The salt also was never forthcoming.
17th.--I could not succeed in making up my complement of camels. The
sultan said he and his men must be fed before they could do work, and
sat upon the date-bags so resolutely I was fain to open them that some
business might be done. After feasting they all dispersed, under
pretence of bringing other camels, and I went into the town to inspect
the place. There were five small forts, occupied by merchants, of whom
one was a Hindi from Cutch, and a large collection of mat huts, mostly
occupied by women. Instead of finding a harbour (Bunder), as the name
of the village implied, the shore was a gradual shelving open
roadstead, in which two buggaloes were lying at anchor, waiting for
cargoes, and four small sailing-boats were preparing, with harpoon and
tackle, to go porpoise-hunting for oil.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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