Although I felt that they were entirely
in my power, as I could bombard their stations with Hale's rockets, if
they should refuse to turn out, the natives would, in the event of a
flight, most assuredly possess themselves of the guns and ammunition.
With 146 men, I could not take more than eighty men to act against 600,
as the small force of sixty-six would be the minimum that I could leave
to protect the Fatiko station. If with eighty men, together with a wild
army of natives, I should attack Fabbo (in which I had heard that Abou
Saood was concentrating his people from the other stations), every one
of the slave-traders would be massacred. It would be impossible for
eighty men to fight, and to secure at the same time the 600 stand of
arms that would be in the hands of the rebels. These, together with the
muskets belonging to the Baris, would all fall into the possession of my
native allies, who would immediately scatter and disappear with their
prize.
Should I attack Fabbo, the result would simply arm the natives with 800
or 900 stand of muskets, together with a large amount of ammunition,
which they might probably use against me at some future time.
