ismailia-第36节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


rendered　wholesome　by　a　quantity　of　pure　filtered　water　from　the　river
Nile；　which　was　included　in　the　annexation；　and　was　represented　in　the
Nile　Basin　mixed　with　Jamaica　rum；　sugar；　nutmeg；　and　lemon…juice　from
the　fruit　of　the　trees　planted　by　the　good　Austrian　missionaries　at
Gondokoro。　Little　did　they　think；　poor　fellows；　of　the　jollification　to
which　their　lemons　would　subscribe　when　they　first　sowed　the　good　seeds。

When　dinner　was　over；　we　repaired　to　the　large　divan　tents；　where
refreshments　were　arranged；　and　the　magic　lantern　was　prepared　for　the
amusement　of　officers　and　men。　This　was　an　admirable　machine；　and　was
well　explained　by　Lieutenant　Baker。　No　one　had　ever　seen　such　an
exhibition　before；　therefore　it　caused　immense　satisfaction。　One　of　the
representations　that　was　most　applauded；　was；　Moses　going　through　the
Red　Sea　with　the　Israelites；　followed　by　Pharaoh。　The　story　being　well
known　to　all　Mohammedans；　the　performance　was　encored　with　such　energy
that　Moses　had　to　go　through　the　Red　Sea　twice；　and　they　would　have
insisted　upon　his　crossing　a　third　time；　had　the　slide　not　been　rapidly
exchanged　for　another　subject。

The　formal　ceremony　of　annexation　was　over；　and　it　was　necessary　to
decide　upon　the　future。

I　had　issued　the　following　Camp　Regulations：

1。　〃No　person　shall　cut　or　in　other　ways　destroy　any　tamarind　or　oil
tree　under　any　pretext　whatever。　Neither　shall　any　tree　whatsoever　be
either　cut　or　damaged　within　a　distance　of　2；000　paces　from　the
flag…staff　or　camp。

2。　〃No　person　shall　stray　beyond　2；000　paces　of　the　flag…staff　or　camp
without　permission　either　from　the　Pacha　or　Raouf　Bey。

3。　〃No　person　shall　trade　in　ivory；　neither　shall　any　person　accept
ivory　as　a　present　or　in　exchange；　neither　shall　any　person　shoot；　or
cause　to　be　shot；　elephants：　all　ivory　being　the　property　and　monopoly
of　the　government　of　His　Highness　the　Khedive　of　Egypt。

4。　〃No　person　shall　either　purchase　or　receive　slaves　as　presents　or　in
exchange。

〃Any　person　transgressing　by　disobedience　of　the　above　laws　will　be
punished　as　the　will　of　Baker　Pacha　may　direct。　〃S。　W。　BAKER。〃

My　men　were　hard　at　work　erecting　magazines　and　building　the　station；
and　had　I　not　issued　the　above　regulations；　they　would　have　cut　down
every　ornamental　tree　in　the　neighbourhood。　Although　the　mission…house
had　disappeared；　the　foundations　remained；　I　dug　them　up　and　procured
sufficient　sound　bricks　to　build　a　powder…magazine；　which　I　covered　with
a　galvanized　iron　roof　and　protected　my　ammunition。

Several　of　the　Egyptian　soldiers　deserted。　These　people；　who　were　for
the　most　part　convicts；　although　professing　Islamism　preferred　to　live
with　the　natives；　to　the　steady　discipline　of　military　life。

One　evening；　the　sentry；　on　guard　before　the　house　of　Lieutenant　Baker
and　Mr。　Higginbotham；　was　observed　by　Mr。　Baker's　soldier　servant　（a
black）　to　lay　his　rifle　on　the　ground　and　to　enter　stealthily　the
doorway　of　his　hut。　Abdullah　Maseri；　the　servant；　lost　no　time　in
running　towards　the　hut；　which　he　quietly　entered　in　the　dusk；　without
being　perceived　by　the　thief　within；　who　in　the　absence　of　Mr。　Baker　was
pillaging　his　boxes。

Abdullah　quietly　crept　up　behind　him；　pinned　him　by　the　back　of　the
neck；　and　held　him　until　he　obtained　assistance。　There　was　no　escape
from　conviction；　therefore　I　sentenced　the　thief　to　receive　100　lashes
and　to　be；　confined　in　irons。

While　he　was　undergoing　the　punishment　he　yelled　for　mercy；　saying；　〃I
will　confess…I　will　confess　all。　It　was　I　who　entered　the　Pacha's　room
at　Tewfikeeyah。　It　was　at　me　that　the　Pacha　fired　the　pistol！　Put　me　in
irons；　but　don't　flog　me；　I　will　confess　all。〃

This　man　was　an　Egyptian　belonging　to　the　〃Forty　Thieves；〃　and　he　now
confessed　his　former　delinquency。　He　was　secured　in　irons　and　placed
under　a　guard。　The　fellow　had　been　a　professional　thief；　and　during　the
night　he　managed　to　slip　off　his　irons　and　make　his　escape；　no　doubt
with　the　connivance　of　the　sentry。

The　fact　of　the　natives　receiving　the　deserters　was　enough　to　suggest
the　suspicion　that　they　were　tampering　with　the　troops。　Although　the
Baris　would　neither　work　nor　assist　in　any　manner；　they　continued；　in
spite　of　my　warning；　to　swim　their　cattle　across　to　the　pasturage　on　the
mainland　occupied　by　the　troops。

I　again　gave　the　sheik　Allorron　notice；　that　if　he　continued　to　drive
his　cattle　to　the　forbidden　pasture；　they　would　be　confiscated。

On　the　following　morning　they　returned　to　the　mainland　as　usual；　not　the
slightest　notice　having　been　taken　of　my　repeated　and　official　warning。

I　gave　orders　to　secure　them。　About　ten　men　of　the　〃Forty　Thieves〃
quietly　explained　the　order　to　the　natives　who　guarded　the　cattle；　and
without　any　remonstrance　they　drove　them　to　my　station；　and　stood　guard
around　the　herd。

The　natives　returned　to　the　island；　and　reported　the　affair　to　the　sheik
Allorron　and　his　people。

Early　on　the　following　morning；　the　sheik；　accompanied　by　fifteen
headmen　of　villages　and　a　number　of　natives；　together　with　Tomby　the
interpreter；　attended　and　formed　a　deputation。　I　received　them　beneath
the　shady　tree　near　my　diahbeeah。　They　looked　very　sheepish；　and　asked
me；　〃Why　had　I　confiscated　their　cattle？〃

I　explained　the　reason：　and　they　at　length　acknowledged　that　they　had　no
positive　right　of　pasturage；　as　they　had　been　driven　from　their　country
by　the　Loquia；　and　were　it　not　for　my　presence　they　could　not　venture　to
drive　their　cattle　to　the　mainland。　At　the　same　time　they　explained；
that　the　extreme　dryness　of　the　season　had　exhausted　the　grass　upon　the
island　after　the　close　grazing　of　the　large　herds；　thus　they　had
imagined　I　should　not　have　any　real　objection　to　their　pasturing　upon
the　east　banks；　which；　as　I　had　no　cattle；　would　otherwise　be　neglected。

I　explained　that　the　government　must　be　obeyed；　and　that；　as　they　had
disobeyed　every　order；　I　should　take　charge　of　their　cattle　（about　200）
until　they　showed　a　disposition　to　accept　the　Khedive's　authority。　At
the　same　time；　if　the　natives　would　bring　thatch　grass　and　assist　the
troops　in　forming　the　station　（a　work　which　they　had　always　performed
annually　for　Abou　Saood's　people）；　I　would　return　them　their　cattle。

A　long　conversation　ensued　among　the　headmen；　several　of　whom　rose　in
succession；　and　addressed　the　meeting　with　great　energy　and　fluency。
They　declared　that　there　had　been　a　general　misunderstanding；　but　that
they　now　began　to　comprehend　their　position。　I　informed　them　that　they
must　themselves　appoint　a　responsible　sheik　or　headman；　as　many　had
refused　to　obey　Allorron。　I　should　regard　one　chief　as　their
representative；　and　they　as　headmen　must　elect　him　at　the　present
assembly。　I　should　also　place　the　power　in　the　hands　of　the　chief；　whose
orders　must　be　obeyed　by　the　headmen　of　the　villages。　This　chief　would
be　responsible　to　me　for　the　acts　of　those　beneath　him；　and　I　should
punish　all　those　who　refused　to　acknowledge　his　authority。

The　meeting　ended　most　satisfactorily。　The　natives　explained；　that；
although　Allorron　had　been　the　ostensible　sheik　for　a　great　length　of
time；　the　true　sheik　by　actual　descent　was　a　chief　named　Morbe；　but　as
his　cattle　had　been　carried　off　by　the　Loquia；　he　had　lost　his　property；
and　also　his　influence　among　the　people。　In　those　savage　countries　the
possession　of　property　is　considered　absolutely　necessary　to　a　man　in　a
high　position。

Morbe　was　elected　unanimously　as　the　sheik　responsible　to　the
government。　All　headmen　declared　they　would　obey　his　orders；　even
Allorron　appeared　pleased　that　he　had　shifted　his　responsibility　upon
the　shoulders　of　another。　The　headmen　all　promised　that　they　would　beat
their　drums　and　summon　their　people　on　their　return　to　their　villages；
and　that　on　the　morrow　they　would　collect　bamboos　and　thatch…grass　for
any　purpose　we　might　require。　The　meeting　ended　by　their　agreeing　to
deliver　a　certain　number　of　bundles　in　a　given　period：　they　also
promised　to　supply　the　troops　with　oxen　at　a　stipulated　price。　Morbe；
the　new　sheik；　then　addressed　me　in　the　name　of　the　assembly；　and　begged
me　to　establish　confidence　and　goodwill　by　returning　them　their　cattle。
I　had　expected　this　request。　I　therefore　replied；　that　as　they　had
attended　my　summons　and　promised　obedience；　I　would　test　their　sincerity
by　returning　them　not　only　their　own　cattle；　but　I　would　trust　them　with
the　care　of　my　three　large　breeding　cows　which　I　had　brought　from　the
Rohr　country；　at　the　same　time；　I　gave　them　fair　warning；　that　if　they
broke　the　agreement　now　entered　upon；　I　should　not　be　in　a　hurry　to
return　their　cattle　on　a　future　occasion。　They　seemed　to　be；　quite
satisfied；　and　the　meeting　broke　up。

They　drove　off　the　herd；　together　with　my　three　cows；　while　my　soldiers
looked　on　with　utter　amazement　and　regarded　me　as　thought　I　had　lost　my
senses。

Although　I　had　entered　into　this　agreement；　the　natives　had　not　the
slightest　idea　of　carrying　out　their　promises。　A　few　bundles　of　bamboos
were　brought；　also　some　thatch…grass；　but　not　an　ox　was　given　to　the
troops。　The　sheik　of　Belinian　had　refused　to　appear；　and　he　alleged　as
an　excuse　tha