"At 4.30 P.M. Captain Mohammed Deii returned with his party of fifty
men, together with the vakeels, Suleiman and Eddrees, with six of their
men who had been met upon their road from Masindi, and eight slaves.
"As I had expected, the greater number of Suleiman's people had escaped
with their slaves to Fabbo, when the Colonel, Abd-el-Kader, had suddenly
appeared among them; his arrival had disconcerted all Suleiman's
arrangements, and my detention at Kisoona had completely upset all his
plans respecting an alliance with Rahonka's army. That cunning general
had gone off straight to Kabba Rega after his escape through the wall of
his hut.
"I summoned the great sheiks, Kittakara, Quonga, together with Pittia,
and several others. These men gave their evidence most clearly as
witnesses to the plan arranged by Suleiman for the attack upon Rionga;
and as eye-witnesses to the murder of the prisoner, whom they saw
dragged by Suleiman and his men to the grove of bananas, where he was
beheaded.
"I ordered Suleiman and his people to be disarmed; and secured both him
and Eddrees in shebas.
"The sun had set, and, the sky being over-cast, it had become extremely
dark.
"I proceeded at once to the trial of Suleiman and Eddrees, as the
witnesses were all present.
"The bugler sounded the 'taboor' (assembly), and the officers and troops
quickly appeared, and formed in line two deep, facing the table at which
we sat. I ordered half-a-dozen large port-fires to be brought; these
were lighted and held by six men who stepped forward from the ranks. The
blaze of red light illumined the whole neighbourhood, and cast a
peculiar glow upon the dark foliage of the bananas and the forms of the
dusky chiefs who sat in a line opposite the troops.
"Suleiman and Eddrees were led by the guard, and appeared before the
tribunal. Suleiman, although pinioned, retained the same haughty swagger
that had always distinguished him. The charges against him were as
follows:
"1. For having conspired to attack Rionga, in direct opposition to my
positive orders.
"2. For treasonably speaking against the government of the Khedive to
the native chiefs.
"3. For arranging and abetting the escape of the irregular new levy, who
had enlisted in the government service, together with that of the
slaves.
"4. For having murdered, with his own hands, a native whom I had
confided to his care.
"After a careful trial the prisoner was found guilty upon every charge;
and the second vakeel, Eddrees, was proved to have been an accomplice.
"I immediately sentenced Suleiman to receive 200 lashes upon the spot,
as a first instalment of future punishment.
