This man had been discovered in company with two others who had escaped
to the other side of the river in a canoe.
I ordered his arms to be released, and cross-examined him, Molodi acting
as interpreter.
The prisoner seemed quite confident upon seeing my wife and myself.
"Don't you remember me" he exclaimed; "was it not I who many years ago
carried the travelling-bag for the lady on your journey to Fatiko? Was
it not you that shot the antelopes on the march, and gave me meat to eat
when I was hungry?"
Here was an extraordinary piece of good luck! My men had actually
captured an old friend in the thickets, who had formerly marched with us
in the reign of Kamrasi!
This fellow now gave us the news. Rionga wished to see me, but he had
been so cheated and deceived by the slave-hunting companies of Abou
Saood, that he was afraid to trust himself among us; he was friendly
disposed, but he did not know my intentions concerning himself.
The prisoner declared that the treachery of Kabba Rega had been planned
from the beginning. The 300 natives who had accompanied my party from
Masindi, with the post to Fatiko, had attacked and killed some of my
men, but he knew no particulars; only that they had not gone on to
Fatiko with my people. This was a great relief to my anxiety, as in that
case Abdullah must be safe with his detachment. I ordered the prisoner
to be retained, but to be well treated.
We had rain nearly every day.
At daybreak on 1st July, after a heavy night's rain, a voice from the
high wet grass, about a hundred yards distant, cried out to the sentries
in Arabic, "Don't fire! I am a messenger from Rionga to Malegge!" (my
former nick-name).
The man, cold and shivering, was brought before me. He had travelled by
canoe during the night, but had been afraid to approach the sentries
until daylight.
Being assured of my good-will, he informed me that a nephew of Rionga's
was in the grass waiting for my reply. He immediately ran out, and soon
returned to the camp with his companion.
As these people spoke Arabic, I now explained the whole affair, and
assured them of my repeated refusal to attack Rionga, when I had been
pressed to do so both by Kamrasi, and by his son, Kabba Rega. There
could be little doubt that, had I allied with him against Rionga, the
battle of Masindi would never have taken place; and the lives of some of
my best men would have been spared.
I would now depose Kabba Rega, and appoint Rionga as the vakeel or
representative of the Egyptian government, provided he would swear
allegiance.
I sent a present to Rionga of entire pieces of Turkey red cloth, blue
twill, and four handkerchiefs; at the same time I explained that we were
very hungry, and required cattle and corn.
Before the messengers returned, I inspected the troops, who marched
round the camp in their best scarlet uniforms, to the sound of the drums
and bugles. This exhibition appeared to create quite an impression on
Rionga's people, who would report us fit for service on their return to
their chief.
Thirty of the men were suffering from ulcerated legs, caused by the
sharp, poisonous edges of the high grass.
In a couple of days, two large canoes arrived from Rionga with presents
of some corn, sweet potatoes, and a cow and sheep. We killed the beef
immediately, as we were ravenously hungry.
On 16th July, we started, in nine canoes that had been supplied by
Rionga, to visit him at his station. The troops marched by land on the
south bank.
After paddling for about fifteen miles along the grand Victoria Nile,
which in the narrowest part was at least 300 yards wide, we arrived at 5
P.M. at a desolate spot, exactly opposite to the tail of the large
island upon which Rionga resided.
Nothing had been prepared for our reception, therefore we landed in the
forest, and my men set to work to collect firewood for the night. The
troops who had marched overland had not arrived. Fortunately we had some
flour and a bottle of curry-powder; therefore we dined off
dhurra-porridge and curry, and lay down on our camp-sheets to sleep.
This was a thorough negro welcome; nothing to eat!
The next morning, at about 7 A.M., the troops with Colonel Abd-el-Kader
arrived; they had suffered much from high grass and thorns, as they had
been obliged to break their way through the jungle, in the total absence
of a path.
A number of Rionga's natives now arrived to assist in making our camp.
All hands set vigorously to work building huts, in an excellent position
that I had selected on the river's bank.
On 18th July, messengers came early to inform me that Rionga would
arrive that morning to give me a warm welcome.
I had already sent him, from Foweera, a beautiful cloak of gold brocade,
together with a new tarboosh and sky-blue turban.
At about 8 A.M., drums were beating on the island, and horns were
blowing in all directions; these were signals that the renowned Rionga
was on the move. We shortly perceived numerous large canoes pushing off
from the island, and making for our landing place, which I had already
cleared.
A cow, sheep, and a load of corn were first delivered as a present.
These were followed by Rionga, and a large staff of his principal
headmen.
He was a handsome man of about fifty, with exceedingly good manners. He
had none of the stiffness of Kamrasi, nor the gauche bearing of Kabba
Rega, but he was perfectly at his ease.
