According to circumstances, at his own
discretion, while I left the steamer in the dingy, accompanied by
Lieutenant Baker and six soldiers of the "Forty Thieves," with the
intention of joining the two companies under Lieutenant-Colonel
Abd-el-Kader, who were marching down the island from south to north.
We rowed down the stream for forty-five minutes along the west bank of
the island. I had calculated the distance by time, and having allowed
for the delay on the steamer and the pace at which the troops under
Abd-el-Rader would march, I concluded that we should now land somewhere
near them. This turned out correct, as we joined his party a few minutes
after we had left the boat. I immediately detached a sergeant and
nineteen men to march along the east bank until they should meet my
boat, which had been ordered to continue along the west bank until it
should turn round the tail of the island, when it was to return home by
the east channel, that would lead direct to my station.
We had not seen any Baris upon the island, which appeared to be quite
deserted. The character of the ground had changed. We had left the dry
portion, which had been lately sown with dhurra, and we had arrived
among scattered masses of tall reeds growing from mud lately hardened by
the sun and full of deep cattle-ruts.
I threw out skirmishers, as we shortly entered a bad piece of country.
At this moment wo heard shots fired at the tail of the island, about two
miles in our front.
We pushed on at the double, until stopped by a deep channel of the river
about thirty yards wide. On the other side we now heard the horns of the
natives and the lowing of cattle. It was necessary to skirt the banks of
the channel through thick forest; thus, following the stream, we shortly
arrived at the main river, just in time to see the natives at a distance
of a quarter of a mile swimming a large herd of cattle across the stream
to the east shore, where they landed and safely gained the forest. They
were quickly pursued by the troops who, having landed at the tail of the
island, were in chase; and being supplied with boats, they crossed over
the river and followed hard upon the track of the retreating cattle.
The Baris did not suspect that they would be followed to the main shore;
thus upon reaching the forest they continued their retreat leisurely. My
black troops were wonderful runners; thus, when once upon the track of
the herd, they went along like hounds and overtook the Baris, who had no
idea of the pursuit until the soldiers were among them.
