These were people by whom the blessings of a good government were hardly
to be understood.
Unfortunately for Allorron, he had joined the slave-hunters of Abou
Saood against neighbours that were unpleasantly close to Gondokoro. The
Loquia, a most powerful tribe, only three days' march to the south-east,
had lost slaves and cattle by these depredations; thus, when the
slave-hunters' parties had quitted Gondokoro and returned to their
station in the interior, Loquia had invaded the unprotected Allorron,
and had utterly destroyed his district on the eastern mainland. For many
miles the country now resembled a very lovely park. Every habitation had
disappeared, and this formerly populous position was quite deserted by
the surviving inhabitants, who had taken refuge in the islands, or on
the west side of the river. At this season the entire country was
covered with a tender herbage - that species of fine grass, called by the
Arabs "negheel," which is the best pasturage for cattle. Allorron's
people dared not bring their herds to pasture upon this beautiful land
from whence they had been driven, as they were afraid that the news
would soon reach Loquia, who would pounce unexpectedly upon them from
the neighbouring forest.
I had therefore arrived in a country from which the original possessors
had been banished by superior force: there was not a single
representative of the tribe upon the mainland, neither could their
cattle venture across the river to pasture upon the beautiful herbage,
that was now entirely neglected except by a few herds of antelopes. At
the same time, the pasturage on the islands, being insufficient for the
large herds of cattle, was consumed, and the animals were dependent upon
the rank grass, which they could only reach by wading into the water;
thus many were taken by crocodiles.
It would have been natural to suppose that Allorron and his people would
have welcomed the protection now offered by the new government. I
invited them to return to their old country, from which they had been
expelled, and to rebuild their villages on their old sites, where they
could recommence their cultivation, and form a new settlement under the
wing of our headquarters.
It was easy to perceive by the manner of the chief, Allorron, and his
people that they had been incited by Abou Saood and his companies
against the expedition. My delay in starting from Egypt had been of
immense advantage to the slave-traders, as it had given them time to
organize a resistance to the expedition. The negroes are easily misled;
naturally vicious and treacherous, they are ready to believe any tales
of evil:
