ismailia-第32节

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inhabitants　have　been　driven　for　refuge　on　the　numerous　low　islands　of
the　river；　these　are　thronged　with　villages；　and　the　people　are　busily
cultivating　the　soil。

〃I　sent　for　the　chief；　Allorron；　who；　upon　arrival　with　some　other
natives；　explained　that　his　country　had　been　destroyed　by　the　attacks　of
the　people　of　Loquia　at　the　instigation　of　the　traders。　I　promised　him
protection　if　he　and　his　people　would　return　to　the　mainland　and　become
true　subjects　to　the　Khedive。　At　the　same　time　I　informed　him　that；　in
return　for　protection；　his　people　must　cultivate　corn；　and　build　the
huts　required　for　the　troops　upon　arrival。　This　he　promised　to　do；　and　I
arranged　that　he　should　summon　a　general　meeting　of　the　headmen　and
their　people　to…morrow；　or　as　soon　as　possible。

〃I　at　once　cleared　a　small　plot　of　ground　and　sowed　some　garden　seeds　on
the　new　soil　now　annexed　to　Egypt。　My　soldiers　took　a　great　interest　in
the　operation；　and　as　we　covered　the　seeds　with　light　earth；　we
concluded　the　sowing　with　the　usual　ejaculation…'Biamillah！'　（in　the
name　of　God）。

〃I　walked　up　to　the　old　mission　station。　Not　one　brick　remains　upon
anotherall　is　totally　destroyed。　The　few　fruit…trees　planted　by　the
pious　hands　of　the　Austrian　Missionaries　remain　in　a　tangled　wilderness
by　the　river's　bank。　The　beautiful　avenue　of　large　lemon　trees　has　been
defaced　by　the　destruction　of　many　boughs；　while　the　ground　beneath　is
literally　covered　by　many　thousands　of　withered　lemons　that　have　fallen
neglected　from　the　branches　without　a　hand　to　gather　them。　The　natives
will　not　eat　them；　thus　the　delicious　fruit　has　been　wasted；　perhaps
sixty　or　eighty　bushels　have　rotted　on　the　earth。　I　trust　that　the　seeds
I　have　already　sown　will　have　a　more　useful　result　than　the　lost　labour
of　the　unfortunate　missionaries。　It　would　be　heartbreaking　to　them　could
they　see　the　miserable　termination　of　all　their　good　works。

April　16。　The　mileage　from　the　junction　of　the　Bahr　Giraffe　I　have
calculated　at　364　to　this　point　（Gondokoro）；　but　I　deduct　10　per　cent。；
as　we　took　several　wrong　turns　of　the　river。　The　distance　may　be　about
330　miles。


From　Bahr　Giraffe；　junction　to　Gondokoro　　　　　　　　　　　330　miles
Upper　Nile　junction　to　Dubba　on　Bahr　Giraffe　　　　　　　　48　miles
Dubba　to　Lower　Nile　junction　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　300　miles
Lower　Nile　junction　to　Sobat　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　38　miles
Sobat　to　Khartoum　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　693　miles
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1；409　miles　to　Gondokoro。〃

The　chief　Allorron　arrived　with　a　number　of　his　people；　and　asked　for
〃araki　and　cognac！〃　He　is　a　big　and　savage…looking　naked　brute　of　the
lowest　description；　his　natural　vices　having　been　increased　by　constant
associations　with　the　slave…hunters。　This　man　declared　that　his　people
could　not　prepare　materials　for　the　camp；　as　the　neighbouring　tribes
were　hostile；　and　he　could　not　venture　to　collect　bamboos。

I　told　him　that　if　my　orders　were　not　obeyed；　the　troops　would　be
obliged　to　be　sheltered　in　his　villages　upon　arrival；　as　I　could　not
allow　them　to　be　exposed　to　the　rains。

Both　Allorron　and　his　people　looked　extremely　sullen；　and　although　I
always　knew　the　Baris　to　be　the　worst　tribe　in　the　Nile　basin；　I　was　not
prepared　for　such　a　morose　welcome。　I　explained　to　him　the　object　of　the
expedition。　He　seemed　quite　incredulous；　and　made　some　remark　to　his
followers　in　his　own　language　with　a　contemptuous　smile。　He　rather
approved　of　the　idea　that　slave…taking　would　be　suppressed　in　his　own
tribe；　but　he　could　not　sympathize　with　the　general　principle；　and　he
asked　〃What　will　the　slave…traders　do？〃　Colonel　Abd…el…Kader　replied　to
the　question　by　explaining　to　him　my　exact　position；　and　the　relative
position　of　the　traders。　At　this　he　burst　out　laughing　in　the　rudest
manner。　He　had　seen　me　and　my　wife　on　our　former　voyage；　and　he　well
remembered　that　in　those　days　we　had　been　not　only　helpless　in
Gondokoro；　but　that　the　traders　had　spoken　of　all　Europeans　with
contempt。　He　had　already　hoard　from　Abou　＇*＇　Saood's　people　of　my
expected　arrival；　by　whom　he　had　been　incited　against　the　expedition。　It
had　been　explained　to　him；　that　if　baffled；　we　should　soon　become
disgusted；　and　return　to　Khartoum。　He　also　remembered　that　many
Europeans　had　visited　Gondokoro　like　myself；　but　none　had　remained。　It
was　therefore　natural　that　a　brutal　savage；　whose　people　were　allied
with　the　slave…traders；　to　attack　and　pillage　outlying　countries；　should
not　regard　with　favour　a　new　government　that　would　establish　law　and
order。　For　many　years　Allorron's　tribe　had　been　associated　with　the
slavers；　and　now　that　the　entire　country　had　been　leased　to　one　man；
Abou　Saood；　he　had　become　the　vakeel；　or　representative　of　this
individual；　by　whom　he　had　been　thoroughly　prepared　for　our　arrival。　We
had　been　expected　long　ago；　but；　as　already　described；　the　delays
attending　the　opening　of　the　Suez　canal　had　prevented　us　from　starting。

＇*Footnote：　The　agent　of　the　great　company　of　Agad　&　Co。；　who　
farmed　the　district　from　the　government。＇


I　quickly　perceived　the　real　state　of　affairs。　A　great　number　of
Allorron's　people　were　absent　in　the　interior；　employed　by　Abou　Saood's
companies　as　mercenary　soldiers。　The　Baris　are　a　most　warlike　tribe；　and
would　make　excellent　troops；　thus　they　were　valuable　allies　of　the
slave…hunters；　as　the　geographical　position　of　Gondokoro　rendered　it　the
only　spot　that　was　adapted　for　an　important　station。　The　traders　now
possessed　of　the　monopoly　of　the　ivory　trade；　found　no　necessity　for　a
permanent　station　at　Gondokoro；　as　their　interests　were　watched　during
their　absence　in　the　interior　by　their　ally　Allorron；　they　accordingly
only　visited　Gondokoro　when　they　returned　periodically　from　the　interior
with　their　ivory　and　slaves　to　meet　the　vessels　from　Khartoum。

Allorron　was　in　the　habit　of　despatching　messengers　to　their　various
camps　（seven　or　eight　days'　march　for　a　running　negro）　to　give　the
vakeels　notice　of　the　arrival　of　the　expected　vessels。　Many　hundreds　of
his　people　had　been　armed　with　guns　by　the　traders；　therefore　his　tribe
and　the　companies　of　Abou　Saood　were　thoroughly　incorporated；　brigands
allied　with　brigands；　and　Gondokoro　had　become　the　nucleus　to　which　the
spoil　was　concentrated。

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　herbagethat　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：　and　as　a　young　child　may　be　frightened　by　a　ghost　story；　they
also　may　by　a　few　words　be　rendered　suspicious　of　their　best　friend。
Their　interests　were　the　same　as　those　of　the　slave…traders。

My　〃Forty　Thieves〃　＇*＇　were　excellent　fellow