AT length the explorers reached Magungo, situated
inside an
immense bed of reeds, at the top of a hill, above the
mouth of a
large river. Passing up a channel amidst a perfect wilderness
of
vegetation, they reached the shore below the town. Here
they
were met by their guide, who had brought their riding
oxen from Vako-
via, and reported them all well.
The chief of Magungo and a large number of natives were
also on the
shore waiting for them, and brought them down a plentiful
supply of
goats, fowls, eggs, and fresh butter. Proceeding on foot
to the height on
which Magungo stands, they thence enjoyed a magnificent
view, not only
over the lake, but to the north, towards the point where
its waters flow
into the Nile.
Baker's great desire was to descend the Nile in canoes,
from its exit
from the lake to the cataracts in the Madi country, and
thence to march
direct. with only guns and ammunition, to Gondokoro.
This plan he
found impossible to carry out.
We will let Baker continue the thrilling narrative in
his own words :
The boats being ready, we took leave of the chief, leaving
him an
acceptable present of beads, and we descended the hill
to the river, thank-
ful at having so far successfully terminated the expedition
as to have
traced the lake to that important point, Maguno, which
had been our
clue to the discovery even so far away in time and place
as the
distant country of Latooka. We were both very weak and
ill, and my
knees trembled beneath me as I walked down the easy descent.
I, in
my enervated state, endeavoring to assist my wife, we
were the "blind
leading the blind ;" but had life closed on that day
we could have died
most happily, for the hard fight through sickness and
misery had ended
in victory ; and, although I looked to home as a paradise
never to be
regained, I could have lain down to sleep in contentment
on this spot,
with the consolation that, if the body had been vanquished,
we died with
the prize in our grasp.
Voyage Up the Victoria Nile.
On arrival at the canoes we found everything in readiness,
and the
boatmen already in their places. A crowd of natives pushed
us over the
shallows, and once in deep water we passed through a
broad canal which
led us into the open channel without the labor of towing
through the
narrow inlet by which we had arrived. Once in the broad
channel of
dead water we steered due east, and made rapid way until
the evening.
The river as it now appeared, although devoid of current,
was an average
of about 500 yards in width.
Before we halted for the night I was subjected to a most
severe attack
of fever, and upon the boat reaching a certain spot I
was carried on a
litter, perfectly unconscious, to a village, attended
carefully by my poor
sick wife, who, herself half dead, followed me on foot
through the
marshes in pitch darkness, and watched over me until
the morning. At
daybreak I was too weak to stand, and we vere both carried
down to
the canoes, and, crawling helplessly within our grass
awning, we lay down
like logs while the canoes continued their voyage. Many
of our men
were also suffering from fever. The malaria of the dense
masses of float-
ing vegetation was most poisonous; and, upon looking
back to the
canoe that followed our wake, I observed all my men sitting
crouched
together sick and dispirited, looking like departed spirits
being ferried
across the melancholy Styx.
The river now contracted rapidly to about two hundred
and fifty yards
in width about ten miles from Magungo. We had left the
vast flats of
rush banks, and entered a channel between high ground,
forming steep
forest- covered hills, about 200 feet on either side,
north and south : never-
theless there was no perceptible stream, although there
was no doubt
that we were actually in the channel of a river. The
water was clear and
exceedingly deep. In the evening we halted, and slept
on a mud bank
close to the water. The grass in the forest was very
high and rank : thus
we were glad to find an open space for a bivouac, although
a nest of
mosquitoes and malaria.
Off in tlie Early Morning.
On waking the next morning, I observed that a thick fog
covered the
surface of the river; and as I lay upon my back, I amused
myself before
I woke my men by watching the fog slowly lifting from
the river. While
thus employed I was struck by the fact, that the little
green water-plants,
like floating cabbages, were certainly, although very
slowly, moving to
the west. I immediately jumped up and watched them most
attentively;
there was no doubt about it ; they were travelling towards
the Albert
Lake. We were now about eighteen miles in a direct line
from Magun-
go, and there was a current in the river, which, however
slight, was never-
theless perceptible.
Our toilette did not take long to arrange, as we had thrown
ourselves
down at night with our clothes on ; accordingly we entered
the canoe at
once, and gave the order to start.
The woman Bacheeta knew the country, as she had formerly
been to
Magungo when in the Service of Sali, who had been subsequently
mur-
dered by Kamrasi ; she now informed me that we should
terminate our
canoe voyage on that day, as we should arrive at the
great waterfall of
which she had often spoken. As we proceeded, the river
gradually nar-
rowed to about 180 yards, and when the paddles ceased
working we
could distinctly hear the roar of water. I had heard
this on waking in
the morning, but at the time I had imagined it to proceed
from distant
thunder.
Thunder of the Cataract.
By ten o'clock the current had so increased as we proceeded,
that it
was distinctly perceptible, although weak. The roar of
the waterfall was
extremely loud, and after sharp pulling for a couple
cf hours, during
which time the stream increased, we arrived at a few
deserted fishing-
huts, at a point where the river made a slight turn.
I never saw such an
extraordinary show of crocodiles as were exposed on every
sandbank on
the sides of the river; they lay like logs of timber
close together, and
vpon one bank we counted twenty- seven, of large size;
every basking
place was crowded in a similar manner. From the time
we had fairly
entered the river, it had been confined by heights somewhat
precipitous
on either side, rising to about 180 feet. At this point
the cliffs were
still higher, and exceedingly abrupt. From the roar of
the water, I was
sure that the fall would be in sight if we turned the
corner at the bend of
the river; accordingly I prdered the boatmen to row as
far as they could:
to this they at first objected, as they wished to stop
at the deserted fisli-
ing village, which they explained was to be the limit
of the journey, fur-
ther progress being impossible.
A Magrnificent View.
However, I explained that I merely wished to see the fall,
and they
rowed immediately up the stream, which was now strong
against us.
Upon rounding the corner, a magnificent sight burst suddenly
upon us.
On either side of the river were beautifully wooded cliffs
rising abruptly'
to a height of about 300 feet; rocks were jutting out
from the intensely
green foliage : and rushing through a gap that cleft
the rock exactly be-
fore us, the river, contracted from a grand stream, was
pent up in a nar-
row gorge of scarcely fifty yards in width ; roaring
furiously through the
rock-bound pass, it plunged in one leap of about 120
feet perpendicular
into a dark abyss below.
The fall of water was snow-white, which had a superb effect
as it con-
trasted with the dark cliffs that walled the river, while
the graceful
palms of the Tropics and wild plantains perfected the
beauty of the view.
This was the greatest waterfall of the Nile, and, in
honor of the distin-
guished President of the Royal Geographical Society,
I named it the
Murchison Falls, as the most important object throughout
the entire
course of the river.
The boatmen, having been promised a present of beads to
induce them
to approach the fall as close as possible, succeeded
in bringing the canoe
within about 300 yards of the base, but the power of
the current and the
whirpools in the river rendered it impossible to proceed
farther. There
was a sand-bank on our left which was literally covered
with crocodiles
lying parallel to each other like trunks of trees prepared
for shipment ;
they had no fear of the canoe until we approached within
about twenty
yards of them, when they slowly crept into the water;
all excepting one,
an immense fellow who lazily lagged behind, and immediately
dropped
dead as a bullet struck him in the brain.
Startling Shock.
So alarmed were the boatmen at the unexpected report of
the rifle that
they immediately dropped into the body of the canoe,
one of them losing
his paddle. Nothing would induce them to attend to the
boat, as I had
fired a second shot at the crocodile as a " quietus,"
and the natives did
not know how often the alarming noise would be repeated.
Accordingly
we were at the mercy of the powerful stream, and the
canoe was whisked
round by the eddy ; hardly had we realized our peril
when a tremendous
commotion took place, and in an instant a great bull
hippopotamus
charged the canoe, and with a severe shock striking the
bottom he lifted
us half out of the water. The natives in the party positively
yelled with
terror, not knowing whether the shock was in any way
connected with
the dreaded report of the rifle; the black women screamed;
and we
began to make use of our rifles.
The hippopotamus, proud of having disturbed us, but doubtless
think-
ing us rather hard of texture, raised his head to take
a last view of his
enemy, and then sank rapidly. Hippopotamus heads of enormous
size
were on all sides, appearing and vanishing rapidly as
they rose to survey
us ; at one time we counted eighteen upon the surface.
Having recovered
the lost paddle, I prevailed upon the boatmen to keep
the canoe steady
while I made a sketch of the Murchison Falls, which being
completed,
we drifted rapidly down to the landing-place at the deserted
fishing-village,
and bade adieu to the navigation of the lake and river
of Central Africa.
The few huts that existed in this spot were mere ruins.
Clouds had
portended rain, and down it came, as it usually did once
in every twenty-
four hours. However, that passed away by the next morning,
and the
day broke, discovering us about as wet and wretched as
we were accus-
tomed to be. I now started off four of my men with the
boatmen and
the interpreter Bacheeta to the nearest village, to inquire
whether our
guide, Rabonga, had arrived with our riding oxen, as
our future travel-
ling was to be on land, and the limit of our navigation
must have been
well known to him. After some hours the people returned,
minus the
boatmen, with a message from the head-man of a village
they had visited,
that the oxen were there, but not the guide Rabonga,
who had remained
at Magungo, but that the animals should be brought to
us that evening,
together with porters to convey the luggage.
In the evening a number of people arrived, bringing some
plantain
cider and plantains as a present from the head-man ;
and promising that,
upon the following morning, we should be conducted to
his village.
The next day we started, but not until the afternoon,
as we had to
await the arrival of the head-man, who was to escort
us. Our oxen were,
brought, and if we looked wretched, the anamals were
a match. They
had been bitten by the fly, thousands of which were at
this spot. Their
coats were staring, ears drooping, noses running, and
heads hanging
down ; all the symptoms of fly-bite, together with extreme
looseness of
the bowels. I saw that it was all up with our animals.
Weak as I was myself, I was obliged to walk, as my ox
could not carry
me up the steep inclination, and I toiled languidly to
the summit of the
cliff It poured with rain. Upon arrival at the summit
we were in pre-
cisely the same park-like land that characterizes Chopi
and Unyoro, but
the grass was about seven feet high ; and from the constant
rain, and the
extreme fertility of the soil, the country was choked
with vegetation.
Arrival at a Chief's Island.
We were now above the Murchison Falls, and we heard the
roaring of
the water beneath us to our left. We continued our route
parallel to the
river above the Falls, stearing east ; and a little before
evening we arrived
at a small village belonging to the head-man who accompanied
us. I was
chilled and wet ; my wife had fortunately been carried
in her litter, which
was protected by a hide roofing. Feverish and exhausted,
I procured
from the natives some good acid plums, and refreshed
by these I was
able to boil my thermometer and take the altitude.
On the following morning we started, the route, as before,
parallel to
the river, and so close that the roar of the rapids was
extremely loud.
The river flowed in a deep ravine upon our left. We continued
for a
day's march along the Somerset, crossing many lavines
and torrents,
until we turned suddenly down to the left, and arriving
at the bank, we
were to be transported to an island called Patooan, that
was the residence
of a chief. It was about an hour after sunset, and being
dark, my riding
ox; who was being driven as too weak to carry me, fell
into an elephant
pitfall. After much hallooing, a canoe was brought from
the island,
which was' not more than fifty yards from the mainland,
and we were
ferried across. We were both very ill with a sudden attack
of fever ;
and my wife, not being able to stand, was, on arrival
on the island, car-
ried in a litter I knew not whither, escorted by some
of my men, while I
lay down on the wet ground quite exhausted with the annihilating
dis-
ease. At length the remainder of my men crossed over,
and those who
had carried my wife to the village returning with firebrands,
I managed to
creep after them with the aid of a long stick, upon which
I rested with
both hands.
In a Wretched Hut for Shelter.
After a walk, through a forest of high trees, for about
a quarter of a
mile, I arrived at a village where I was show^n a wretched
hut, the stars
being visible through the roof In this my wife lay dreadfully
ill, and I
fell down upon some straw. About an hour later, a violent
thunderstorm
broke over us, and our hut was perfectly flooded , we,
being far too ill
and helpless to move from our positions, remained dripping
wet and shiv-
ering with fever until the morning. Our servants and
people had, like
all natives, made themselves much more comfortable than
their employ-
ers ; nor did they attempt to interfere with our misery
in any way until
summoned to appear at sunrise.
The foregoing is Baker's narrative. Within a few days
the boats in
which they had hoped ta» return down the Nile would
leave Gondokoro.
It was, therefore, of the greatest importance that they
should set out at
once, and take a direct route through the Shooa country.
The natives, not to be tempted even by bribes, positively
refused to
carry them. Their own men were also ill, and there was
a great scarcity
of provisions. War, indeed, was going on in the country
to the east,
Patooan being in the hands of Kamrasi's enemies. It was
on this
account that no Unyoro porters could be found.
On the Verge of Starvation.
They might have starved had not an underground granary
of seed
been discovered, by the means of Bacheeta, in one of
the villages burned
down by the enemy. This, with several varieties of wild
plants, enabled
them to support existence. The last of their oxen, after
lingering for
some time, lay down to die, affording the men a supply
of beef, and Saati
and Bacheeta occasionally obtained a fowl from one of
the neighboring
islands, which they visited in a canoe.
At length both Mr. and Mrs. Baker fully believed that
their last hour
was come, and he wrote various instructions in his journal,'
directing his
head-man to deliver his maps and observations to the
British Consul at
Khartoum.
The object, it appeared, of Kamrasi in thus leaving them,
was to
obtain their assistance against his enemies, and at length
their guide,
Rehonga, made his appearance, having been ordered to
carry them to
Kamrasi's camp. The journey was performed, in spite of
their weak
state ; and on their arrival they found ten of the Turks
left as hostages
with Kamrasi by Ibrahim, who had returned to Gondokoro.
The Turks
received them with respect and manifestations of delight
and wonder at
their having performed so difficult a journey. A hut
was built for their
reception, and an ox, killed by the Turks, was prepared
as a feast for their
people.
The next day the king announced his readiness to receive
the traveller,
who, attiring himself in a Highland costume, was carried
on the shoulders
of a number of men into the presence of the monarch.
The king
informed him that he had made arrangements for his remaining
at
Kisoona.
Stirring Events.
As now all hope of reaching Gondokoro in time for the
boats had
gone, Mr. Baker, yielding to necessity, prepared to make
himself at
home. He had a comfortable hut built, surrounded by a
court-yard
with an open shed in which he and his wife could spend
the hot hours
of the day. Kamrasi sent him a cow which gave an abundance
of milk,
also amply supplying him with food.
Here the travellers were compelled to spend many months.
Their
stay was cut short, in consequence of the invasion of
the country by
Fowooka's people, accompanied by a large band of Turks
under the
trader Debono. Kamrasi proposed at once taking to flight
; but Baker
promised to hoist the flag of England, and to place the
country under
British protection. He then sent a message to Mahomet,
Debono's
guide, warning him that should a shot be fired by any
of his people, he
would be hung, and ordering them at once to quit the
country ; inform-
ing them, besides, that he had already promised all the
ivory to Ibrahim,
so that, contrary to the rules of the traders, they were
trespassing in the
territory.
This letter had its due effect. Mahomet deserted his allies,
who were
immediately attacked by Kamrasi's troops, and cut to
pieces, while the
women and children were brought away as captives. Among
them,
Becheeta, who had once been a slave in the country, recognized
her
former mistress, who had been captured with the wives
and daughters of
their chief, Rionga.
After this Ibrahim returned, bringing a variety of presents
for Kam-
rasi, which, in addition to the defeat of his enemies,
put him in excellent
humor. Mr. Baker was able to save the life of an old
chief, Kalloe, who
had been captured; but some days afterwards the treacherous
Kamrasi
shot him with his own hand.
Adventurous March.
At length the Turkish traders, having collected a large
supply of
ivory, were ready to return to Shooa; and Mr. Baker,
thankful to leave
the territory of the brutal Kamrasi, took his leave,
and commenced the
journey with his allies, who, including porters, women,
and children
amounted to a thousand people.
At the break of day, says Baker, we started. It would
be tedious to
describe the journey, as, although by a diffrent route,
it was through the
same country that we had traversed before. After the
first day's march
we quitted the forest and entered upon the great prairies.
I was aston-
ished to find after several days' journey a great difference
in the dryness
of the climatei In Unyoro we had left the grass an intense
green, the
rain having been frequent : here it was nearly dry, and
in many places it
hdd been burnt by the native huntmg parties. From some
elevated
points in the route I could distinctly make out the outline
of the moun-
tains running from the Albert Lake to the north, on the
west bank of the
Nile; these would hardly have been observed by a person
who was
ignorant of their existence, as the grass was so high
that I had to ascend
a white ant-hill to look for them; they were about sixty
miles dis-
tant, and my men, who knew them well, pointed them out
to their
companions.
The entire party, including women and children, had to
be provided
for daily. Although they had abundance of flour, there
was no meat,
and the grass being high there was no chance of game.
On the fourth
day only I saw a herd of about twenty tetel (hartebeest)
in an open space
that had been recently burnt. We were both riding upon
oxen that I had
purchased of Ibrahim, and we were about a mile ahead
of the flag in the
hope of getting a shot; dismounting from my animal I
stalked the game
down a ravine, but upon reaching the point that I had
resolved upon for
the shot, I found the herd had moved their position to
about 250 paces
from me.
They were all looking at me, as they had been disturbed
by the oxen
and the boy Saat in the distance. Dinner aepended on
the shot. There
was a leafless bush singed by the recent fire ; upon
a branch of this I took
a rest, but just as I was going to fire they moved off
a clean miss !
whizz went the bullet over them, but so close to the
ears of one that it
shook its head as though stung by a wasp, and capered
round and round ;
tlic others stood perfectly still, gazing at the oxen
in the distance.
Hungry as Wolves.
Crack went the left-hand barrel of the little rifle, and
down went a tetel
like a lump of lead, before the satisfactory sound of
the bullet returned
from the distance. Off went the herd, leaving a fine
beast kicking on the
ground. It was shot through the spine, and some of the
native porters
having witnessed the sport from a great distance, threw
down their loads
and came racing towards the meat like a pack of wolves
scenting blood.
In a few minutes the prize was divided, while a good
portion was carried
by Saat for our own use : the tetel, weighing about 500
lbs. vanished
among the crowd in a few minutes.
On the fifth day's march from the Victoria Nile we arrived
at Shooa ;
the change was delightful after the wet and dense vegetation
of Unyoro ;
the country was dry, and the grass low and of fine quality.
We took
possession of our camp, that had already been prepared
for us in a large
court-yard well cemented with manure and clay, and fenced
with a
strong row of palisades. A large tree grew in the centre.
Several huts
were erected for interpreters and servants, and a tolerably
commodious
hut, the roof overgrown with pumpkins, was arranged for
our mansion.
That evening the native women crowded to our camp to welcome
my
wife home, and to dance in honor of our return ; for
which exhibition
they expected a present of a cow.
Much to my satisfaction I found that my first rate riding
ox that had
been lamed during the previous year by falling into a
pitfall, and had been
returned to Shooa, was perfectly recovered ; thus I had
a good mount for
my journey to Gondokoro.
Some months were passed at Shooa, during which I occupied
my time
by rambling about the neighborhood, ascending the mountain,
making
duplicates of my maps, and gathering information, all
of which was simply
a corroboration of what 1 had heard before, excepting
from the East.
Death In the Air.
As they were marching thence through the country inhabited
by the
Bari tribe, they were attacked in a gorge by the natives.
We continue
the interesting narrative in Baker's own words :
The level of the country being about 200 feet above the
Nile, deep
gullies cut the route at right angles, forming the natural
drains to the
river. In these ravines grew dense thickets of bamboos.
Having no
native guide, but trusting solely to the traders' people,
who had travelled
frequently by this route, we lost the path, and shortly
became entangled
amongst the numerous ravines.
At length we passed a village, around which were assembled
a num-
ber of nat'ves. Having regained the route, we observed
the natives
appearing in various directions, and as quickly disappearing
only to
gather in our front in increased numbers. Their movements
exciting
suspicion, in a country where every man was an enemy,
our party closed
together; we threw out an advance guard ten men on
either flank
the porters, ammunition, and effects in the centre ;
while about ten men
brought up the rear. Before us lay two low rocky hills
covered with
trees, high grass and brushwood,, in which I distinctly
observed the
bright red forms of natives painted according to the
custom of the Bari
tribe.
We were evidently in for a fight. The path lay in a gorge
between
the low rocky hills in advance. My wife dismounted from
her ox, and
walked at the head of our party with me, Saat following
behind with the
gun that he usually carried, while the men drove several
riding-oxen in
the centre.
Arrows Whizzing Overhead.
Hardly had we entered the pass, when whizz went an arrow
over our
heads. This was the signal for a repeated discharge.
The natives ran
among the rocks with the agility of monkeys, and showed
a consider-
able amount of daring in standing within about eighty
yards upon the
ridge, and taking steady shots at us with their poisoned
arrows. The
flanking parties now opened fire, and what with the bad
shooting of both
the escort and the native archers, no one was wounded
on either side for
the first ten minutes. The rattle of musketry and the
wild appearance
of the naked vermilion-colored savages, as they leapt
along the craggy
ridge, twanging their bows at us with evil but ineffectual
intent, was a
charming picture of African life and manners.
Fortunately, the branches of numerous trees and intervening
clumps
of bamboo frustrated the gcod intentions of the arrows,
as they glanced
from their aim ; and although some fell among our party,
we were as yet
unscathed. One of the enemy, who was probably a chief,
distinguished
himself in particular, by advancing to within about fifty
yards, and stand-
ing on a rock, he deliberately shot five or six arrows,
all of which missed
their mark ; the men dodged them as they arrived in their
uncertain
flight; the speed of the arrows was so inferior, owing
to the stiffness of
the bows, that nothing was easier than to evade them.
Any halt was
unnecessary, We continued our march through the gorge,
the men
keeping up an unremitting fire until we entered upon
a tract of
grass and forest; this being perfectly dry, it would
have been easy to set
it on fire, as the enemy were to leeward; but although
the rustling in
the grass betokened the presence of a great number of
men, they were
invisible.
A Savage Fatally Wounded.
In a few minutes we emerged in a clearing, where corn
had been
planted ; this was a favorable position for a decisive
attack upon the
natives, who now closed up. Throwing out skirmishers,
with orders
that they were to cover themselves behind the trunks
of trees, the Baris
were driven back. One was now shot through the body and
fell ; but
recovering, he ran with his comrades, and fell dead after
a few yards.
What casualties had happened during the passage of the
gorge, I
cannot say, but the enemy were now utterly discomfited.
I had not
fired a shot, as the whole affair was perfect child's-play,
and anyone who
could shoot would have settled the fortune of the day
by half a dozen
shots ; but both the traders' people and my men were
" shooters, but not
hitters." We now bivouacked on the field for the night.
During the march on the following day, the natives watched
us at a
distance, following in great numbers parallel with our
route, but fearing
to attack. The country was perfectly open, being a succession
of fine
downs of low grass, with few trees, where any attack
against our guns
would have been madness.
In the evening we arrived at two small deserted villages
; these, like
most in the Bari country, were circular, and surrounded
by a live and
impenetrable fence of euphorbia, having only one entrance.
The traders'
people camped in one, while I took up my quarters in
the other. The
sun had sunk, and the night being pitch dark, we had
a glorious fire,
around which we placed our couches opposite the narrow
entrance of
the camp, about ten yards distant.
Surrounded toy Hostile Natives.
I stationed R.icharn as sentry outsidd the gateway, as
he was the most
reliable of my men, and I thought it extremely probable
that we might
be attacked during the night ; three other sentries I
placed on guard at
various stations. Dinner being concluded, Mrs. Baker
lay down on her
couch for the night. I drew the balls from a doubled-barrelled
smooth
bore rifle, and loaded with cartridge containing each
twenty large mould
shot (about a hundred to the pound) ; putting this under
my pillow I
went to sleep. Hardly had I begun to rest, when my men
woke me,
saying that the camp was surrounded by natives. Upon
inquiry I found
this to be correct : it was so dark that they could not
be seen without
stooping to the ground, and looking along the surface.
I ordered the
sentries not to fire unless hostilities should commence
on the side of the
natives, and in no case to draw trigger without a challenge.
Returning to the couch I laid down, and not wishing to
sleep, I smoked
my long Unyoro pipe. In about ten minutes bang ! went
a shot,
quickly followed by another from the sentry at the entrance
of the camp.
Quietly rising from my bed, I found Richarn reloading
at his post.
" What is it, Richarn ? " I asked. " They are shooting
arrows into the
camp, aiming at the fire, in hopes of hittfng you who
are sleeping there,"
said Richarn. " I watched one fellow," he continued,
" as I heard the
twang of his bow four times. At each shot I heard an
arrow strike the
ground between me and you, therefore I fired at him,
and I think he is
down. Do you see that black object lying on the ground?"
I saw
something a little blacker than the surrounding darkness,
but it could
not be distinguished. Leaving Richarn with orders not
to move from
his post, but to keep a good look-out until relieved
by the next watch, I
again went to sleep.
Poisoned Arrows.
Before break of day, just as the grey dawn slightly improved
the
darkness, I visited the sentry ; he was at his post,
and reported that he
thought the archer of the preceding night was dead, as
he had heard a
sound proceeding from the dark object on the ground after
I had left.
In a few minutes it was sufficiently light to distinguish
the body of a
man lying about thirty paces from the camp entrance.
Upon examina-
tion, he proved to be a Bari ; his bow -was in his
hand, and two or
three arrows were lying by his side ; thirteen mould
shot had struck
him dead ; one had cut through the bow. We now searched
the camp
for arrows, and as it became light, we picked up four
in various places,
some within a few feet of our beds, and all horribly
barbed and poisoned,
that the deceased had shot into the camp gateway.
This was the last attack during our journey. We marched
well, gen-
erally accomplishing fifteen miles of latitude daily
from this point, as the
road was good and well known to our guides. The country
was generally
poor, but beautifully diversified with large trees, the
tamarind predomi-
nating. Passing through the small but thickly-populated
and friendly
little province of Moir, in a few days we sighted the
well-known moun-
tain Belignian, that we had formerly passed on its eastern
side when we
had started on our uncertain path from Gondokoro upwards
of two years
ago. We had a splendid view of the Ellyria Mountain,
and of the dis-
tant cone, Honey Mountain, between Ellyria and Obbo.
All ihese curiously-shaped crags and peaks were well knows
to us, and
we welcomed them as old friends after a long absence;
they had been
our companions in times of doubt and anxiety, when success
in our under-
taking appeared hopeless. At noon on the following day,
as we were as
usual marching parallel with the Nile, the river, having
made a slight
bend to the west, swept round, and approached within
half a mile of our
path ; the small conical mountain, Regiaf, within twelve
miles of Gondo-
koro, was on our left, rising from the west bank of the
river. We felt
almost at home again, and marching until sunset, we bivouacked
within
three miles of Gondokoro.
Back at Gondokoro.
That night we were full of speeulations. Would a boat
be waiting for
us with supplies and letters? The morning anxiously looked
forward to
arrived. We started; the English flag had been mounted
on a fine
straight bamboo with a new lance-head specially arranged
for the arrival at
Gondokoro. My men felt proud, as they would march in
as conquerors;
according to White Nile ideas such a journey could not
have been accom-
plished with so small a party. Long before Ibrahim's
men were ready to
start, our oxen were saddled and we were off, longing
to hasten into Gon-
dokoro and to find a comfortable vessel with a few luxuries,
and the post
from England. Never had the oxen traveled so fast as
on that morning;
the flag led the way, and the men in excellent spirits
followed at double-
quick pace.
" I see the masts of the vessels ! " exclaimed the boy,
Saat. " El hambd
el lUah ! " (thank God !) shouted the men, " Hurrah !
" said I " Three
cheers for old England and the Sources of the Nile !
hurrah!" and my
men joined me in the wild, and to their ears, savage
English yell. " Now
for a salute ! Fire away all your powder if you like,
my lads, and let the
people know that we're alive !
This was all that was required to complete the happiness
of my people,
and loading and firing as fast as possible, we approached
near to Gondo-
koro. Presently we saw the Turkish flag emerge from Gondokoro,
at
about a quarter of a mile distant, followed by a number
of the traders'
people, who waited to receive us. On our arrival, they
immediately
approached and fired salutes with ball cartridge, as
usual advancing close
to us and discharging their guns into the ground at our
feet. One of my
servants, Mah'omet, was riding an ox, and an old friend
of his in the
crowd happening to recognize him, immediately advanced
and saluted
him by firing his gun into the earth directly beneath
the belly of the ox
he was riding ; the effect produced made the crowd and
ourselves
explode with laughter. The nervous ox, terrified at the
sudden dis-
charge between his legs, gave a tremendous kick, and
continued madly
kicking and plunging, until Mahomet was pitched over
his head, and lay
sprawling on the ground ; this scene terminated the expedition.
Frightful Ravages of a Plague.
The foregoing account, given in Baker's most graphic language,
shows
what hardships his expidition encountered, all of which
were shared by
his heroic wife, who is the most celebrated woman traveller
known to
Tropical exploration.
On reaching Gondoko, only three boats had arrived, while
the trading
parties were in consternation at hearing that the Egyptian
authorities
were about to suppress the slave trade and with four
steamers had
arrived at Khartoum, two of which had ascended the White
Nile and
had captured many slavers. Thus the three thousand slaves
who were
then assembled at Gondokoro would be utterly worthless.
The plague also was raging at Khartoum, and many among
the crews
of the boats had died on the passage. Mr. Baker, however,
engaged
one of them belonging to Koorshid Pacha.
Bidding farewell to his former opponent, Ibrahim, who
had since,
however, behaved faithfully, Mr. Baker and his devoted
wife commenced
their voyage down the Nile. Unhappily the plague, as
might have been
expected, broke out on board, and several of their people
died among
them. They chiefly regretted the loss of the faithful
little boy, Saat.
At Khartoum, which they reached on the 5th of May, 1865,
they
were welcomed by the whole European population, and hospitably
entertained.
Here they remained two months. During the time the heat
was in-
tense, and the place was visited by a dust-storm, which
in a few minutes
produced an actual pitchy darkness. At first there was
no wind, and
when it came it did not arrive with the violence that
might have been
expected. So intense was the darkness, that Mr. Baker
and his com-
panions tried in vain to distinguish their hands placed
close before their
eyes ; not even an outline could be seen. This lasted
for upwards of
twenty minutes, and then rapidly passed away. They had,
however, felt
such darkness as the Egyptians experienced in the time
of Moses.
The plague had been introduced by the slaves landed from
two vessels
which liad been captured, and n ulilch thj pestilence
had broken out
They cont;iined upwards of eiq^ht hundred and fifty human
beings.
Nothing could be more dreadful tl:an tlie condition in
which the unhappy
beings were put on shore. The women had afterwards been
di^^tributed
among the soldiers, and, in consequence, the pestilence
had been dissemi-
nated throughout the place.
Mr. Baker had the satisfaction of bringing Mahomet Her,
who had
instigated his men to mutiny at Latooka, to justice.
He was seized and
carried before the governor, when he received one hundred
and fifty
lashes. How often had the wretch flogged women to excess
! What
murders had he not committed! And now how he had howled
for
mercy ! Mr. Baker, however, begged that the punishment
might be
stopped, and that it might be explained to him that he
was thus punished
for attempting to thwart the expedition of an English
traveller by insti-
gating his escort to mutiny.
The Nile having now ri^en, the voyage was recommenced
; but their
vessel was very nearly wrecked on descending the cataracts.
On reaching Berber, they crossed the desert east to Sonakim
on the
Red Sea. Hence, finding a steamer, they proceeded by
way of Suez to
Cairo, where they left the faithful Richarn and his wife
in a comfortable
situation as servants at Shepherd's Hotel, and Mr. Baker
had the satis-
faction of hearing that the Royal Geographical Society
had awarded him
the Victoria Gold Medal, a proof that his exertions had
been duly appre-
ciated. He, also, on his arrival in England, received
the honor of
knighthood.
Sir Samuel and Lady Baker, after a short stay at home,
returned to
Egypt; Sir Samuel there having received the fank of pacha
from the
Khedive.
It is gratifying to know that the heroic sacrifices and
brilliant services
in Tropical exploration rendered by Mr. and Mrs. Baker
were appreciated
in their own home, and were recognized by the government
of Great
Britain. From an ordinary personage Mr. Paker rose to
the rank of
Baronet, had the title conferred upon him by which he
is now known to
the world, and this was given solely as a reward fur
meritorious services.
Few explorers in Africa have done more for the benefit
of that benighted
region than he, and if his own ideas and plans had been
carried out, and
the great changes had taken place which he contemplated,
Africa to-day
would be centuries nearer enlightenment than she is.
CHAPTER XXIII.
A RENOWNED EXPEDITION.
http://www.erbzine.com/mag60/6099_23.html
BACK TO
INTRODUCTION
:: CONTENTS
William
Hillman
Visit
our thousands of other sites at:
BILL
and SUE-ON HILLMAN ECLECTIC STUDIO
ERB
Text, ERB Images and Tarzan® are ©Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.-
All Rights Reserved.
All
other Original Work ©1996-2017 by William Hillman and/or Contributing
Authors/Owners
No
part of this web site may be reproduced without permission from the respective
owners.
