A Scarcity Of Corn Stared Them In The Face.
The Officers And Men Were Well Aware That We Could Not Hope For Regular
Supplies Of Corn And Reinforcements Of Troops From Khartoum In The
Dreadful State Of The River:
Thus they felt their position keenly, as
sick, dispirited, in the midst of enemies, with approaching famine of
corn, and no communication with the Soudan.
All these difficulties were
to be endured for the sake of an object which they detested - "the
suppression of the slave trade."
CHAPTER IX.
NEW ENEMIES
Our enemies were not confined to the land only: the crocodiles in the
neighbourhood of Gondokoro were exceedingly ferocious. As the natives
were so much in the habit of swimming to and fro with their cattle,
these wily creatures had been always accustomed to claim a toll in the
shape of a cow, calf, or nigger. Two of Abou Saood's sailors were
carried off on two consecutive days. One of my soldiers, while engaged
with many others in water, only hip deep, was seized by a crocodile. The
man, being held by the leg below the knee, made a good fight, and thrust
his fingers into the creature's eyes; his comrades at the same time
assisted and rescued him from absolute destruction; but the leg-bone was
so mashed and splintered in many places that he was obliged to submit to
amputation.
One of my sailors had a narrow escape. He and many others were engaged
in collecting the leaves of a species of water-convolvulus that make an
excellent spinach; this plant is rooted on the muddy bank, but it runs
upon the surface of the water, upon which its pink blossoms are very
ornamental.
The sailor was stooping from the bank to gather the floating leaves,
when he was suddenly seized by the arm at the elbow-joint; his friends
immediately caught him round the waist, and their united efforts
prevented him from being dragged into the water. The crocodile, having
tasted blood, would not quit its hold, but tugged and wrenched the arm
completely off at the elbow-joint, and went off with its prize. The
unfortunate man, in excruciating agony, was brought to the camp, where
it was necessary to amputate another piece slightly above the lacerated
joint.
I made a point of carrying a rifle at all times, simply to destroy these
terrible reptiles. There never was a better rifle than "the Dutchman,"
made by Holland, of Bond Street. This little weapon was a
double-barrelled breechloader, and carried the Boxer bullet of
government calibre, with a charge of three drachms of powder. The
accuracy of both barrels was extraordinary; it was only sighted up to
250 yards, but by taking the head very full, it carried with great
precision up to 300. I could generally make certain of crocodiles if
basking on a sandbank within a hundred yards, as I could put the bullet
exactly in the right place, either behind the eye, or right through the
centre of the shoulder.
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