Abou Saood had four stations throughout this lovely district, i.e.,
Fatiko, Fabbo, Faloro, and Farragenia. I was now steering for Fatiko, as
it was a spot well known to me, and exactly on my proposed road to
Unyoro.
On 3rd March, we marched at 6 A.M., and continued along the plain
towards the rising ground that led to Shooa. At six miles from the
halting place we took bearings:
Shooa hill, about 35 miles distant, bearing 162 1/2 degrees Akiko hill
about 16 miles distant, bearing 321 1/2 degrees Gebel Kuku about 9 miles
distant, 299 1/2 degrees
Our course lay towards the S.S.E., beneath a wall-like range of
precipitous rocky hills upon our left, in no place higher than 200 feet.
The guides were at fault, and no water could be found upon the road.
A herd of tetel (Antelope Bubalis) upon our right tempted me, and,
jumping off my horse, I made a fair stalk and killed a fine beast with
the "Dutchman" at 210 yards.
Every one was thirsty, as the sun was hot, and the wall-like, rocks upon
our left reflected the heat. At length we discovered natives squatting
upon the very summits of the perpendicular cliffs, and after some
trouble we succeeded in coaxing them down. Two of these people
volunteered to lead us to water, and they took us to a steep rocky
ravine, in the bottom of which was a pool of dirty liquid that had been
bathed in by wild buffaloes. My men quickly began to dig sand-wells with
their hands, until the main body of the troops and cattle arrived.
In about an hour, I heard a great hubbub, with a noise of quarrelling
and shouting; every one was running towards the spot. It appeared that a
wild buffalo, being ignorant of our arrival, had suddenly visited his
drinking-place, and had thoughtlessly descended the deep and narrow
gorge to drink his evening draught. The Lobores had espied him, and they
immediately rushed down and overwhelmed him with lances from the cliffs
above. There was now an extraordinary scene over the carcase; four
hundred men scrambling over a mass of blood and entrails, fighting and
tearing with each other, and cutting off pieces of flesh with their
lance-heads, with which they escaped as dogs may retreat with a stolen
bone.
On 4th March we started at 6.25 A.M. The advent of the buffalo was a sad
misfortune, as it had supplied the natives with sufficient flesh to feed
them on the road home; thus thirty Lobores had absconded during the
night.
Fortunately we had already consumed many loads of flour.
