Ismailia

n of corn. This fine-looking fellow was introduced, accompanied by five of his principal advisers. He shortly told me his story. He had been four nights on the road, as he

ad news, lest I should suspect him of foul play. All my soldie

he was aware of the presence of a government officer with a very small detachment. Abou Saood had sent three of the captured cows as a present to the office

f Achmet Rafik and his few soldiers in revenge for their lost cattle. Niambore, with a chivalry that is rare among negroes, declared his determination of sheltering my people until he should communicate with me. He was attacked at night by the neighbouring sheiks; and my soldiers assisted him in the defence. The attack was repulsed, and he determined to return the

ers in the attack. Niambore had faithfully exposed himself to great danger in order to secure their protection, and

. At the same time I wrote to Abou Saood, giving him notice of his responsibility for the loss of the government troops, caused by his unprovoked and unjustifiable aggression. (From that time, I of course gav

neral scarcity. The months of July and August should have the heaviest rainfall; July had just expired with

ops to receive fifteen days' rations of rice, so as to save the small stock of dhurra until the crops should be

an unreasonable mob, demanding an increase of corn which does not exist. These people never think of to-morrow, and

ESENCE OF THE TROOPS, told Mr. Higginbotham and myself that 'the men could not work well because they were hungry

on of the crop will be ready in about eight days, but the Baris, in

ith Khartoum is cut off by the obstructions in the Nile, the affair is most serious. The natives are

tter to Raouf Bey to ca

king remarks in the p

Shir. This officer declared his men to have been insubordinate, and that they joined the nativ

aring responsibility for the result, he now laid the onus of failure upon the insubordination of the men. (The fact remained that in consequence of the razzia made by Abou Saood's orders the nati

d destroy the excuse for a return to Khartoum; thus, instead of labouring with heart and soul to gather the harvest, they worked so lazily, that in nine days they only reaped 237 urdeps, or not one half that was actually upon the fields. They permitted the natives to steal by night, and the swar

ght come down suddenly upon their crops. Up to the present time we had acted mainly on the defensive, and the natives had no fear for their harvest. I knew that about 2,000 acres of dhurra would be at ou

ies, and would have destroyed my plans. Both Abou Saood and the greater number of the officers were anxiously watching th

ranged my plans to complete my forts so as to be ready for a campaign at the commencement of the harvest, when the country would be full of corn. My two rich harvests would be Belinian-twelve miles distant and the fruit

mself to the utmost to ruin the expedition by promoting discontent, and persuading the officers that they would die of starvation, and that the Bar

ty, the corn should not be collected in any larger quantity than would suffi

he government of the Soudan. The good old times of slave-hunting would return and remain undisturbed. The Christian would have been got rid of by an ignominious failure. Abou Saood would have boasted of the success of his dip

ould succeed, and, with God's help,

and earthwork, with bastions mounting ten guns. My little station was also fortified; thus I co

e of 450 men, with one gun, and one rocke

cement of thirty men. I had ordered the captain of the diahbeeah, upon which my wi

n various massacres of the slave-traders' parties some years before. On one occasion they had killed 1

murdered their Sheik and his family. Recently having allied with Abou Saood's friends (the Baris of Gondokoro), against the government, some of the Belini

ad to be roused by the sentry. This was a breach of discipline that cost Major Achmet Rafik his life. After some annoying delay I started for Belinian. At that time, in the dark night, I was not aware that Achmet Rafik was absent. This officer was a thorough-bred Turk, and he had seen mu

and taking a double-barrelled gun in his hand he endeavoured to foll

ere some hundred villages situated in the vale and on the heights along the base of the mountain; but at this season only the

the high dhurra, which perfectly conceals their movements,

shers, we marched along a good path for about four miles parallel with the base of the mountain, until we arrived at a plain or b

a clear view of the country. The cattle had been driven off, and we were only in time to see them disappearing over the d

ards the base of the mountain, about a mile and a half distant; this interval abounded in villages, all of which were defended by stockades. At the base of the mountain wer

ve with the field-piece and rocket-trough. With the "Forty Thieve

rom which they were driven in succession, until no enemy

e edge of the ravine, ascended the slope that led to the stockades upon the heights. Great numbers of natives had assembled, and were shouting the most abusive epithets in Arabic until we arrived

able ironwood zareebas. This was just the work that the Baris understood, as their position

and saw that the bullet bad passed through,-therefore he continued firing. A wife of one of the soldiers was shot through the calf o

mpassable ravine. I had only twenty men with me in addition to Lieutenant Baker. I therefore ordere

on at the double and stormed the position. This was well executed, and the rush was so unexpected by the Baris, that the stockades were taken at the point of the

er was a Soudani who h

four years

an 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

We had found a number of fat calves and sheep; thus, having fixed upon a site in the flat open plain, the men coll

for the night, but we

ertainly endeavoured to follow the troops rather than run the risk of disobeying the orders he had received.

in, where I had observed a line of zareebas upon elevated ground that commanded

red with heavy crops of ripe dhurra, in which the zareebas were concealed, with the excep

e 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

the bayonet, and the troops made a rush forwa

rs 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

e massacred by a Bari night-attack if thus divided, and he proposed to inclose the whole force of 450 men within one zareeba, like sheep or cattle! In s

eebas, while I occupied the fourth with Lieuten

t energetically during the night, and carried off ten times the amount gathered by the troops. There was so bad a feeling am

t towards peace, although the war had been wantonly forced upon me; thus we soon established friendly relations with an old sheik named Jarda, about two miles from the Belinian mountain. This old fellow had an exceedingly clever sister who would have made a good forei

the value of a good counsellor, left the diplomatic arrangements to his sister, who

tricts, but that Jarda's people were not responsible. In the mean time thousands of women and children were engaged in carrying off the corn. The country s

me to our camp at Belinian. We had now 650 men to collect the corn. I noticed an extraordinary diminution in the crop during my a

a mile and a half; thus a very large area of corn was commanded, and if the patrols ha

t Belinian. It appeared that the unfortunate officer had steered his course for the Belinian mountain peak, in the hope of overtaking the troops. This route through the forest led him to the extreme end of the valley at the fo

ittle gun," as the Baris termed his revolver; and this man was still alive with th

and killed, with the gain to the

uilty natives were wide awake, and they had concealed the arms, which I had hoped to recover. The forest was tolerably open, and was full of small villages concealed by the trees.

uickened by the report of the rifles. It was difficult work to manage the herd with only four horses. No one who has not hunted African, and especially Bari cattle, can have an idea of the activity of these animals. They go along at a tremendous pace, and never appear to get blown: t

er on to the open plain. Hardly had we arrived on the level ground, when they started off in

erd we at length managed to control their movements

speed along the plain, followed by Abd-el-Kader and myself. A black and white cow was exceedingly vicious, and being hard pressed for about a quarter of a mile, she turned to bay on the open plain. I was riding my best horse, named "The Pig," who was very powerful and fast, and understood cattle-driving thoroughly. "The Pig," accordingly avoided the charge of the infuriated cow, which dashed at him like a wild buffalo. I immediately shot her in the shoulder with a revolver,

65. This was a very small herd, but

r, came to visit us upon hearing of our success, a

visit me. On the following day he appeared. He was a fine powerful fellow, but with a bad expression. I ha

given-then a sheep was demanded; this was also supplied. We now came to business. It appeared that the Belinian Baris had been called upon

eat cowards who were afraid to venture far from their head-quarters. The many thousand cattle known to be

Belinian. This loss so enraged Loquia (who considered that he had been only used as a cat's-paw), that he was determined not to return home empty-handed. He

ain, "Wani," I received information which made me suspect tha

inister of foreign affairs, in company with Wani, the reput

ops, upon a country about sixteen miles distant, governed by a sheik named Lokko. They described this country as abounding in corn, and sesame, in addition to great wealth in cattle. They also declared that t

koro; thus the soldiers would have no fatigue. At the same time they described the people of Lokko as very powerful, and declared that

ny with the pretended allies. The attack was really to be made on Lokko, but my troops were also to be overpowered when unsuspectingly returning by a night

would perform their part of the engagement, and convey the corn from Lokko

ian camp to head-quarters. If they would assist us in this manner, they should be paid for their trouble, and I should then believe in their sincerity. On the other hand, if they refused, I should be p

left at Lokko in a

tions against Lokko; but I at once perceived by their manner, that they had not the slighte

had wished to succeed in their plan, they should have willingly carried the corn to Gondokoro, and thus have established confidence. In all my experience with African tribe

ways behaved well to the Austrian missionaries. This portion of the Bari tribe, instead of being sixteen miles, was at least thirt

ate of affairs. The natives had lost their chance, and feeling tha

us. Abou Saood arrived with forty men to ask

isappointed in their trick, w

tive met him and accosted him by the welcome "Adotto julio." The soldier advanced close, when the treacherous Bari immediately shot an arrow into him. This passed through his arm

d when they went to fetch water, and th

ter, alone. This was quite contrary to orders. The thoughtless fellow left his musket

ddenly rushed out and speared him to death. The man screamed so loudly before he died, that a number

erved natives armed, who were

le to come to any terms with such treacherous people. In spite of my kindness and wish to do good

from the base, into a station about 350 feet above, I ordered the troops to advan

rn, and threatened to kill Sherroom and Morgian, my Bari interpreters, if they should re

ld spirit against the e

heir cue from

nough to keep the natives at a distance; but although the Baris were now afraid to risk a stand-up fight, they troubled us by their stealthy tactics. It was impossible to say where they were concealed. They were spread all over the country:

ople, as to purge Africa from snakes. Patrols were of little se

gth to meet them wi

wholesome alarm among the troops, which tended to obedience. They now began to appreciate the orders that no one should stray alone from the camp, a

ther. These fine fellows always t

same time, I should now operate against them somewhat upon their own principle; by establishing a series of sh

Gondokoro; I had thus forty-eight officers and men. To this force I now

inding trench, which entirely concealed them. The banks of this river were in most places nearly perpendicular, and were about nine feet

behind an ant-hill, or crouched in high grass or bush, or in anything that would serve as a protection, it would be impossibl

ere delighted with the plan suggested. I arranged that before daylight on the following morning, they should occupy the positions assigned in parties of two

out this system throughout the neighbourhood, so that it would be

e that I have ever seen. From this spot we had a clear view of the country. On the west of the plain, two miles distant, rose the mountain of Belinian. On the east was park-like land int

ning to chirp, and the vultures were just lazily assembling to see if they c

started in small but numerous parties from their distant villages, for the purpose of waylaying any stragglers. The sun rose, and with my telescope I observed natives about half a mile distant on the other side of the river; sometimes these people disappeared in the high dhurra; every now and then they

hasty retreat stumbled over the next ambuscade. I now saw a native running like a deer, but chased like a good deerhound by one of the "Forty Thieves." The native was so hard pressed by this good runner, who was encumbered with clothes, rifle, and ammunition, that he had been obliged to throw away his bo

l occasions I was challenged from a bush, or tump of high grass, showing that the men were all in position and well concealed. When the bugle recalled the sh

loyment, and starting at daybreak, the

see him run, and to witness the immense power and speed with which he passed all competitors in the prize races, in which I sometimes indulged my men. Ali Nedjar was a good soldier, a warm lov

itch Agha Suachli, Ferritch Ajoke (formerly condemned to be shot), and Ferritch Baggara; and it

was too much for them even with this precaution. He had observed them like rooks in a large tree at a great distance. The tree grew wild in a field of high dhurra, and while the wily Baris w

d the fall of one of their party, was the first i

ndoned the neighbourhood. They confessed afterwards, that it was useless to attempt to fight with

I explained to them my determination of paying them another visit should we ever be

corn to head-quarters. If our people had worked well, we should have had a supply for twelve months. Inste

l effect was good on all sides. The soldiers had learnt their own superiority to the natives, and had gained experience