Howarti cleverly and cautiously landed his net. It contained a
regular "miraculous draught," including a Nile carp of about nine
pounds.
"That will do, Howarti," I exclaimed; "we have fish enough for all the
people on the diahbeeah, as well as for the officers of 'The Forty.'"
The basket would not contain them; therefore the larger fish were laid
upon grass in the bottom of the boat, and we returned home.
Howarti now divided the fish according to orders, and explained to the
delighted crowd the extraordinary effect of the word "Bismillah," which
insured a netful at every cast.
On the following morning, at sunrise, the now pious Howarti went out as
usual with his casting-net accompanied by a sailor, who carried the
largest basket he could procure.
We had moved our position, and there was no sand-bank in the
neighbourhood.
After an absence of about two hours, Howarti returned, together with his
companion and the large basket. This contained a few small fish hardly
sufficient for our breakfast.
"Ah, Howarti!" I exclaimed, "you are a bad Mussulman - you have
forgotten to say 'Bismillah.'"
"Indeed," replied the dejected fisherman, "I repeated 'Bismillah' at
every cast; but it's of no use saying 'Bismillah' in deep water; nothing
will catch them in the deep, and I can catch them without 'Bismillah' in
the shallows."
Howarti was not a fanatical Mohammedan. Poor fellow he never lived to
return with us to Khartoum: his melancholy death will be described
hereafter.
In fishing in the lake at Gondokoro Howarti had the usual charge of the
proceedings. We dragged a boat across the neck of land from the river,
and having launched it, we first laid a stop net 140 yards in length
along the bank of bulrushes that grew in water about five feet deep;
this was to stop the fish from running into the rushes on the advance of
the drag-net.
We now dragged a portion of the lake towards the stop-net, intending to
land it upon an incline where the water was extremely shallow.
The "Forty Thieves" hauled away steadily enough until the net came close
in. At that moment several immense fish dashed about within the narrowed
inclosure; these created such excitement, that the men rushed into the
water to secure them, which ended in the escape of the greater portion
of the fish.
The next haul was very successful, and after fishing for about two
hours, we caught 434 fine fish, one of which weighed 40 lbs. and another
26 lbs. I sent 200 to head-quarters for the troops.
The greater number of these fish were boulti and baggera, both of which
are species of perch, and are delicious eating. I have never caught a
boulti larger than five pounds, but the baggera grows to an immense
size, and I have seen them about 150 lbs. or more. I once weighed a
baggera upwards of 130 lbs., but they are said to attain a weight of
several hundreds.
I have formerly described the beauty of this salmon-coloured fish in
"The Nile Tributaries of Abyssinia."
It is well known that in all countries the same species of fish differs
in flavour and quality according to the water in which it is caught;
thus the boulti and baggera are almost worthless in the lower Nile,
compared with the same fish of the upper river.
Travellers may often unjustly condemn a fish as worthless, because it
may have been out of season when they had the opportunity of eating it.
I never tasted any fresh-water fish superior to a boulti, slightly
salted, and smoked for twelve or eighteen hours.
In hot climates all fish should be split down the back, and laid open;
they should then be salted and should lie for a few hours to drain;
after which they should be hung over the smoke of a dry-wood fire. This
treatment renders them delicious for immediate use, but if required to
keep, they must be smoked for a couple of days, and then be highly dried
in the sun.
The 14th December was the Mohammedan holiday called the "Ume el Ete," on
which day every person, however poor he or she may be, is supposed to
dress in new clothes.
We had now been upwards of twelve months without communication with
Khartoum. The soldiers' clothes were reduced to rags, as they had
suffered much from hard work and fighting in thorny bush. The whole
force was in despair: they were in arrears of pay, they were without
clothes; the festival was close at hand, and instead of turning out in
finery, they would be dirty, dingy, and ragged.
Every one was downcast. The troops could not possibly start with me to
the interior, to represent the government in a state of rags or nudity.
On 13th December, the day preceding the festival, I summoned the
officers to the magazine, in which I fortunately had all that could be
required. The merchandise and general stores that I had purchased in
England had no connection with the army clothing and stores which should
have been supplied for the troops from Khartoum. This supply had been
impossible owing to the state of the river.
I served out new clothing for the entire expedition. I arranged that 212
officers and men should accompany me to the interior. To these I gave
scarlet flannel shirts and white trousers. The officers received all
that they required, and the men were allowed to purchase from the
government stores any articles that they considered necessary for
themselves or their wives. (There was no cash at Gondokoro; thus, in
the absence of pay, the soldiers were contented with the supplies from
the magazine which furnished all their wants.)
On 14th December the cannons fired at sunrise to proclaim the holiday.
