The 3,000 Makkarika cannibals were left
with the remainder of his company on the west bank of the Nile to feed
upon the natives of Koshi until his return.
Every day people arrived at Fatiko with horrible reports of the
cannibals, who were devouring the children in the Koshi district. Spies
went across the river and brought me every intelligence. It appeared
that the 3,000 Makkarikas had been engaged by Ali Emmeen under the
pretence that they were "to go to Fatiko and fight a chief called 'the
Pacha,' who had enormous flocks and herds, together with thousands of
beautiful women and other alluring spoil;" but they had not heard that
they were to carry 3,000 elephants' tusks to the station of Atroosh.
My spies now told them the truth. "Fight the Pacha!" they exclaimed:
"do you not know who he is? and that he could kill you all like fowls,
as he did the people of Ali Hussein? He has no cows for you to carry
off, but he has guns that are magic, and which load from behind instead
of at the muzzle!"
This was a terrible disappointment to the deluded Makkarikas, which at
once spread dissension among them, when they found that they had been
cajoled in order to transport the heavy loads of ivory.
A providential visitation suddenly fell upon them. The small-pox broke
out and killed upwards of 800 bloodthirsty cannibals who had been
devouring the country.
The Nile was reported to be about six miles in width opposite their
station, in about 3 degrees latitude, which is only a few miles from the
Albert N'yanza. This visitation of small-pox created a panic which
entirely broke up and dispersed the invading force, and defeated their
plans.
We were now in frequent communication with Rionga, who was always
represented in my Fatiko camp by the presence of one of his sheiks and
several men.
Ali Genninar had made a combined attack upon Kabba Rega, together with
Rionga and the Langgo tribe, and had utterly defeated him. His people
were now deserting him in great numbers, and were flocking to the
winning side. Kabba Rega had taken to flight, and was supposed to be
hiding in the neighbourhood of Chibero, on the borders of the Albert
N'yanza.
M'tese, the king of Uganda, had invaded Unyoro from the south, and
having heard of Kabba Rega's treachery towards myself, he had sent an
army of 6,000 men under his general, Congow, to be placed at my
disposal.
This friendship was the result of my diplomacy in having sent him
valuable presents from Masindi, together with a letter warning him
against Kabba Rega, who wished to prevent the goods of the north from
reaching Uganda, in order that he might monopolize the trade in Unyoro.
