The enemy dared not stand upon open
ground; thus, after we had driven them forward for about two miles. we
faced about and returned to the stockade.
We now opened the gateway and drove out the hungry cattle. They looked
very wild, and I rather feared a stampede; it was necessary to leave
them in the hands of our two allies, Sherroom and Morgian, as the cattle
neither understood Arabic nor the manners or customs of the Egyptians.
After a little whistling and coaxing in the Bari language, the herd
started, well protected by troops on both flanks, and an advance guard
at 150 paces' distance. The rear was brought up by the gun and the
"Forty Thieves."
The natives appeared to be under the impression that we were going to
pass the night at the zareeba; thus they had no knowledge of our start,
and we arrived at Gondokoro and entered the station about an hour after
sunset, having been out nineteen hours.
I now learnt that the Baris of Gondokoro had imagined that the greater
portion of the troops had gone to Belinian for an excursion of some
days; they had accordingly beaten their big drums and gathered together
from all quarters to attack the camp, but discretion overcame their
valour when they found a large force still at head-quarters.
On June 9, eight vessels of Agad's hove in sight, and with a fair breeze
they arrived opposite the island at 2.30 p.m.
Abou Saood was in one of these vessels.
June 10, Abou Saood presented himself to me this morning. His vessels,
being without cargoes, benefited much by our work in the sudd. He found
all our cuttings open, therefore he had no difficulty until he arrived
at the dam, through which his people cut a passage. The great rush of
water scoured a deep channel, and his squadron of light vessels came on
without difficulty. I ordered Abou Saood's people to camp on the west
bank of the river, as I did not wish them to be in constant
communication with my troops, who would quickly become contaminated by
their morals.
The news brought by Abou Saood from Khartoum informed me of the death of
Agad; therefore the representation of the firm of Agad & Co. had now
devolved upon Abou Saood, his son-in-law.
I now heard that the people of Abou Saood, who numbered about 500 men,
had brought with them a large herd of cattle which they had driven along
the west bank of the river; thus in direct defiance of the government
authority, he had made a razzia upon some tribe during his voyage, and
he had not scrupled to present himself to me with the herd of stolen
cattle staring me in the face on the other side of the water.
