Some of these girls were
rather pretty, and they knew it. In moral character Dam Zeneb and
Sallaamto were the best. Fad-el-Kereem was the most intelligent, but she
was a young woman of strong passions, either for love or war, and
required peculiar management.
They were all dressed in similar uniforms to the boys, with only a
slight difference in the length of their blouses.
We had sent little Mostoora to the care of Djiaffer Pacha at Khartoum to
be educated, before we left Tewfikeeyah. That clever little creature had
learnt English and Arabic sufficiently to converse, and although not far
removed from infancy, she was more intelligent than any of the adults.
She was much too young for a long voyage . . . Everything was ready for
the start. I left written instructions with the colonel, Raouf Bey, also
with Mr. Higginbotham, respecting the conduct of the works during my
absence. I also gave the necessary orders to Mr. Marcopolo; thus all
heads of departments knew their positions.
I sent off a detachment of 150 men to drive a herd of several thousand
cattle and sheep to a well-known rocky ravine, about six miles south,
which was to be the rendezvous.
Before leaving, I made rather a pretty shot with the "Dutchman" from the
poop-deck of my diahbeeah at a crocodile basking on a sand-bank. The
first shot through the shoulder completely paralyzed it. A second bullet
from the left-hand barrel struck only three inches from the first.
Lieutenant Baker determined to measure the distance; thus he took the
boat with the end of a long line, and we found it exactly 176 yards.
The "Dutchman" was the best rifle I ever shot with, and was quite
invaluable throughout the expedition.
I had served out a month's rations to the men, and my last instructions
to Raouf Bey were to look well after Livingstone, and provide for his
comfort should he appear during my absence.
On 22nd January, 1872, we started at 8 a.m., when I took leave of my
good friend and excellent engineer-in-chief, Mr. Edwin Higginbotham. I
little thought that we should never meet again.
The wind was light and variable, and my diahbeeah soon overtook the
heavier vessels. In the evening we all joined and concentrated our
forces at the rocky ravine, with the detachment that protected the
cattle.
On the following day, the 23rd January, we all started in excellent
spirits. The soldiers knew the country, and every one appeared to share
the enjoyment of adventure. The people had learnt to depend upon my
guidance, and although the interior of the country was unknown to them,
they were quite contented that I had had a personal experience of the
far south, and they were safe in my hands.
