第64章
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  TheAlbertN’yanzalaydistantabouttwentymilesonthewest,inthedeepbasinwhichcharacterizesthisextraordinarysheetofwater。

  Immensevolumesofcloudroseintheearlymorningfromthevalleywhichmarkedthecourseofthelake,astheevaporationfromthegreatsurfaceofwatercondensedintomist,whenitrosetothecooleratmosphereoftheplateau1,500feetabovethelevel。

  TheproposaloffarmingdidnotappeartopleaseKabbaRega。Itwasexplainedthatthemenwerenotaccustomedtolabourinthefields,asagriculturalworkwasperformedbythewomen,allofwhomwerenowabsentandengagedinpreparingtheirownland。

  AlthoughMasindiwasalargetown,Iwasstruckbytheabsenceoffemales。TheonlywomenthatIsawweretwo,oneofwhomwastheprettywifeofUmbogothedragoman。Ithasalreadybeenexplained,thattheabsenceofwomengenerallydenoteshostility,butastherainyseasonnecessitatedhardwork,Iacceptedtheexplanation。

  ThecornforthesupplyofMasindiwasbroughtfromadistanceoftwodays’journey,andnumbersofpeopleweredailyemployedingoingtoandfroforthegeneralprovisionsofthestation。

  Theslave-huntersbelongingtoSuleiman,whowerenowprisonersunderaguard,numberedtwenty-fivemen:Iemployedthesepeopledailytoclearawaythehighgrass,whichwaspiledandburnt,theasheswerethenspread,andthegroundwashoedupandthoroughlypreparedbythetroops。

  ItwasinvainthatIurgeduponKabbaRegaandhischiefsthenecessityofcultivationforthesupplyofcornrequisiteforthetroops。Everydaytheypromisedtoclearawaythegrass,providedthesoldierswouldthendigandpreparetheground。ThisIagreedtodo,butthenativesshowednointentionofworking。

  IbegantosuspectthatKabbaRegahadanobjectiontoalargeopenclearing。Thetacticsofallnativesareconcealment;ifamanisfrightened,hehidesinthegrass;incaseofhostilities,thehighgrassisafortresstothenegro。Itbecameevidentthatweweretoremainsurroundedbythisdenseherbage,whichnotonlyobstructedtheview,butrenderedthestationdampanddreary。

  IexplainedtothechiefsthefollyofKabbaRegainthusneglectingsuchmagnificentsoil,which,withalittlelabour,wouldproduceallthatwecouldrequire,andwouldsavebothhimandhispeoplethetroubleoffeedingus。AtthesametimeIsetallhandsofmyownpeopletoclearalargespaceandtomakegardens。

  Unyorohadalwaysbeenacountryofcowardiceandsuspicion,andIcouldplainlyseethatwewerenarrowlywatched。KabbaRegausuallysatinhispublicdivanfromabouttwop。m。till4daily,totransactpublicbusiness。Thislargecircularbuildingwasextremelyneat,andthegroundwascarefullystrewedwiththelongfringesofthepapyrusrush,afterthefashionofourancestorsinEngland,who,beforetheintroductionofcarpets,strewedthefloorwithrushes。

  Theyoungkinginformedmethat,ashewishedtobeinconstantcommunicationwithmepersonally,heshouldbuildanewdivanwithinafewyardsofmyresidence,sothatwecouldconverseuponalloccasionswithoutbeingwatchedbyhispeople。

  Thiswasmerelyanexcuseforerectingabuildingwithinfiftyyardsofmyhouse,fromwhichhisguardscouldwatchallthathappened,andreporteverythingtotheirmaster。

  Thenewbuildingwasconstructedwithwonderfulquickness,andprettilywalledwithcanesinsidetoresemblebasket-work。

  KabbaRegacametohisnewdivan,attendedbyanumberofhisguards,orbonosoora,armedwithguns。Togivehimconfidence,Iwenttoseehimunattended,exceptbyLieutenantBakerandmyever-faithfulattendant,Monsoor,whodidnotatallapproveofmygoingunarmed。

  Theconversationquicklyturneduponguns。KabbaRegawasdelightedwiththemechanismofMonsoor’ssniderrifle,whichheatonceunderstoodandexplainedtohisbody-guard。Heappearedtohavequitelosthisshyness;

  andhebeggedmetoconsiderhimsimplyinthelightofmyownson,andtogivehimallthemerchandiseATONCEthatIhadbroughtwithmetoestablishanewtrade。

  Itoldhimthatfathersdidnotgivetheirsonsalltheirpropertyatonce;butthatifIsawthatheperformedhisdutytotheKhedive,heneednotfear。Ihadboththepowerandthegood-willtorewardhim。

  HecontinuedtheconversationpreciselyaccordingtohislatefatherKamrasi’sstyle:”Ihavenoonebutyourselftoregard。Doesnotafatherconsidertheinterestsofhisson?Youweremyfather’sfriend;

  andIhavealwayslookedforyourreturn。IknewthatAbouSaoodwasaliarwhenhespokeagainstyou;Iknewthathewasanimpostorwhenheannouncedhimselfasthesonofasultan。Wouldthesonofasultanonlygivemeapresentofanoldcarpetandadirtywashing-basin?Ialwayssaid,’WaittillthePachacomes’,Mallegge,Mallegge,ortheManwiththeBeard,wasmynicknameinUnyoroduringmyformerjourney。myfather’sfriend。Heistrulyagreatman,whodoesnottravelempty-handed;andhewillbringmepresentsworthmyacceptance——thingsthattheimpostor,AbouSaood,doesnotunderstandtheuseof。’Bytheby,therewasamagicinstrumentwithwhichyoucouldfindyourwaywithoutaguideinstrangecountries,thatyouPROMISEDtosendtomyfather;youhave,ofcourse,broughtitforme?”

  Thisdemandamusedmemuch,asIwellrememberedhowKamrasihadbotheredmeformycompass。Ipretendedthathemeantawatch,whichI

  hadalreadygivenhim。

  AtlengthIwasobligedtopromisethatifhewouldclearawaythegrassandcultivatetheneighbouringground,Iwouldgivehimacompass。

  Inowexplainedtheadvantagesoffreetrade,andIbeggedhimtoorderhismentocompletethegovernmenthousewithoutdelay,asIcouldnotunpackmynumerousboxesuntilIhadsomeplacewhereIcouldexhibitthecontents。IdescribedthedifficultiesoftheroutefromKhartoum,andtheexpenseoftransportfromGondokoro,owingtotheunwillingnessoftheBaristocarryloads,andIexplainedmyintentionoferectingsteamersontheNilewhichwouldbringallkindsofmerchandisetoUnyoroviatheAlbertN’yanzainexchangeforivory,thustheZanzibartradewouldturntowardsthenorthandtheelephants’tusksthatwerenowpurchasedbyM’tese,wouldremaininUnyoro,untildeliveredtotheKhedive’sgovernmentinbarterformanufacturedgoods。

  ThenameofM’teseseemedtomakehimuncomfortable。Hereplied:”Youaremyfather,andyouwillstandbyyoursonagainsthisenemies。ThisM’tesetroublesme。InmyfatherKamrasi’slifetimehefrequentlyattackedus,andcarriedoffourherdstogetherwithourwomenandchildren。Heistoostrongtoresistsingle-handed,butnowthatyouareheroIshallhavenofear。Don’tletustalkaboutmerchandise,thatwillcomeinduetime;nevermindtrade;letustalkaboutgunsandgunpowder。Youmustgivememusketsandammunitioninlargequantities;

  IwillthenarmallmybonosoorasoldiersandwithyourassistanceI

  willfightM’tese。IwillthenfillyourlargenewhousewithivoryfortheKhedive。””Thereisnotimetolose;youPROMISEDtofightRionga;mytroopsareallready,yourmenhavenothingtodo。Keepafewhere,andsendthemainforcewithmyarmytoattackhimatonce,beforehehastimetoescapetotheLanggos。”

  IcouldalmosthaveimaginedthatIhadbeenspeakingwithKamrasi,sothoroughlydidhissonresemblehiminhisdiplomacy。

  Iansweredhimwithcaution,declaringthatIcouldnotallowanyrecklessactsthatwouldplungethecountryinconfusion。HeKabbaRegahadnothingtofear;buttimewasrequiredtoripenmyplans。I

  hadpromisedthatIwoulddismissSuleimanandhispeoplefromUnyoro:

  atthesametimeIshouldliberatealltheslavesthathadbeenstolenbyAbouSaood’scompanies,andrestorethemtotheirhomes。Thiswasmyfirstduty,thatwouldassurethenativesofmysincerity,andestablishgeneralconfidenceinthegovernment。

  Fatikowas160milesdistant。IshouldthereforesendSuleimanandhispeopleunderanescortdirecttoMajorAbdullah,thecommandant,withorderstorecoverfromAbouSaoodalltheslavesthathadbeencapturedfromUnyoro。

  MajorAbdullahwouldthenbreakuphiscampatFatiko,andmarchinchargeoftheslaves,withhisdetachmentof100men,togetherwithalleffects,andjoinmeatUnyoro。Hewould,uponarrivalattheVictoriaNile,occupythenowdesertedstationofSuleimanatFoweera;thushewouldbewithinamarchofRionga。

  TheoldenemyofthefamilyRiongawouldthenhaveanopportunity,eitherofdeclaringhisallegianceandremainingatpeace,or,shouldhebecometurbulent,agovernmentforcewouldbeathandtocontrolhim。

  IthereforearrangedthatKabbaRegashouldsupplymewith300carriers,whowouldaccompanymyescorttoFatikoandtransportallstores,ammunition,&c。,&c。,soastoconcentratemyforceinUnyoro。

  ThisplanseemedtodelightKabbaRega;hedeclaredthatthefirststepnecessarywasthebanishmentofSuleimanandhispeoplefromthecountry。ThenextmovewouldbetheattackuponRionga。Iexplainedtohimthatitwouldbequiteuselessforanyenemytoretreatforsecuritytotheriverislands,astherocketswouldsearchthemoutinthemiddleofthedensecanes,andtheywouldbeonlytoogladtoescape;butatthesametime,IshouldhopethatRiongawouldcometotermsandavoidthenecessityofaresorttoforce。

  Thatevening,afterwehaddined,andIwassmokingmycustomarychibouque,KabbaRegaastonishedmebyanimpromptuvisit;hewasasusualattendedbysomeofhisfollowersarmedwithmuskets。Hesatdownatthetable,andhavingfeltthetable-cloth,hewishedtoknow”whythetablewascovered;”hethenexaminedthetumblers,andeverythingthatwaspresent,allofwhichheseemedtoadmire。Iofferedhimsomeginandwater。Thishesmeltbutwouldnottaste,ashesuspectedpoison;accordinglyhepoureditintowineglasses,anddivideditamongthreeofhispeople,whowereobligedtodrinkit,whiletheirmasterwatchedthemattentively,inexpectationofsomeilleffects。Hispeopleratherapprovedofthepoison,andaskedformore。KabbaRegaseemedtothinkthatalargerdosewasnecessary;butaswecouldnotaffordtowasteGenevabyexperimentsuponnumerousattendants,allofwhomweretobepoisonedwithourgoodliquorfortheamusementoftheking,I

  sentthebottleawayandturnedthesubject。

  KabbaReganowminutelyexaminedthelampsandglassshades。Theprinciplewasexplainedtohim,andthecandlewaswithdrawnfromthetubeandspring,andagainreplaced。Heexpressedawishtohaveone,sayingthatheintendedtohaveeverythingpreciselyasIhad。

  Iassuredhimthatthiswasmyobject;Iwishedtocreatenewwantsamonghispeopleandhimself,whichwouldtendtodevelopcommerce。HemighthaveeverythinginEuropeanstyle,andliveinacivilizedmanner,nowthattheroutewasopenfromthenorth。Ivorywasabundantinthiscountry,andthiswouldprovidehimwiththemeansofpurchasingallthathecoulddesire。

  IhadorderedMonsoortoarrangeastakeintheground,withalargenaildriveninthetopatrightanglestoformarocket-stand。InowaskedKabbaRegaifhewouldliketoseearocketfired。

  Theideadelightedhim,andafewrocketshavingbeenbrought,togetherwithport-firesandbluelights,weexhibitedthefireworks。Therewasnowind,thustherocketsdidnodamage,astheywereinclinedtowardsthenorth,inwhichdirectiontherewerenobuildings。

  KabbaRegahimselfignitedarocketwithaport-fire,andalthoughrathernervousatthegreatrushoffire,heseemedinterestedatthefactthatatowncomposedofstrawhutscouldbedestroyedfromadistance……

  Onthefollowingmorning,Umbogo,thedragoman,toldmethatthenativeshadbeenverymuchfrightenedattherockets,astheysaid,”thePachawasgoingtosettheskyonfire。”

  Thestationwasprogressingrapidly。Thesoilwasofsuchextraordinaryrichnessthattheseedsspranguplikemagic。Onthethirddayaftersowing,thecucumbers,melons,pumpkins,andcottonseeds,showedthemselvesaboveground。

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