During this march we had only one man wounded.
We were now within Rionga's country, but I nevertheless made a defence
of thorns and branches of trees for the night.
On 24th June we started at 6.5 A.M., and after a march of seven miles,
during which we were undisturbed, we arrived at the old camp of
Suleiman's company at Foweera on the Victoria Nile, where we had
expected to find shelter and good houses.
Everything had been destroyed by fire! Nothing remained but blackened
ashes.
CHAPTER XXIII
BUILD A STOCKADE AT FOWEERA.
MY losses from the 8th June to the 24th had been ten killed and eleven
wounded. Every officer and soldier had thoroughly done his duty, having
displayed admirable coolness and courage upon many trying occasions.
None but black troops could have endured the march of about eighty miles
with heavy weights upon their heads, in addition to their usual
accoutrements.
I at once set to work to build a new station, and with the old wood that
had formed the fence of Suleiman's zareeba, I commenced a defensive
arrangement.
There was very little heavy timber that was adapted for a stockade. I
therefore formed a protection by sinking deep in the ground, at
intervals of three feet, two strong posts about seven feet above the
surface. These upright timbers, standing opposite to each other at a
distance of about ten inches, were filled with long poles laid one over
the other horizontally. At two corners of the square fort were flanking
works of the same construction, which would sweep each face of the
defence.
In a few days my men had completed a strong and neat stockade around a
number of small temporary huts which formed our new station.
Having thus housed my troops, it was necessary to prepare for the
future. I fully expected that Major Abdullah had fallen into the snare
prepared for him by Kabba Rega: thus I should have no other force to
rely upon, except the few men that now formed my small but tough little
party. If so terrible a calamity should have occurred as the destruction
of Abdullah's detachment, I should not only have lost my men, but I
should become short of ammunition; as my stores and arms would have
fallen into the hands of the enemy. This doubt caused me much grave
anxiety.
It was strange that we had not received some communication from Rionga,
whose island was only fifteen or sixteen miles above stream from
Foweera. Our side of the river appeared to be quite uninhabited, and
simply consisted of the interminable groves of bananas, that had
belonged to the inhabitants at a time when the district had been thickly
populated.
