Fatikowasinnorthlatitude3degrees01minutes，and165milesfromheadquarters。HadIattemptedtoreleasesomethousandslavesfromthedifferentstations，Ishouldhaverequiredalargemilitaryforcetohaveoccupiedthosestations，andtohavedrivenoutthewholeoftheslave-huntersbodily。
Iftheslaveshadbeenreleased，itwouldhavebeenimpossibletohavereturnedthemtotheirhomes，astheyhadbeencollectedfromeveryquarterofthecompassandfromgreatdistances。IfIhadkeptthem，I
couldnothaveprocuredfoodforsolargeanumber：asthestationscontainedseveralthousand。
Underthecircumstances，Itookthewisercourseofnon-interferencewiththestockinhand，butIissuedthemostsevereordersrespectingthefutureconductofAbouSaood’scompanies。Iarrangedtoleaveadetachmentof100men，underthecommandofMajorAbdullah，toformastationadjoiningthatofAbouSaoodinFatiko，togetherwiththeheavierbaggageandthegreaterportionoftheammunition。
Thegovernmentwouldbethusrepresentedbyamostrespectableandcivilizedofficer，whowouldgiveconfidenceandprotectiontothecountry；asIconcludedthattheprestigeoftheKhedivewouldbesufficienttoestablishorderamonghissubjects，bytherepresentationofoneofhisofficersandadetachmentof100troops。
IgaveorderstoGimoroandShoolitopreparecarriersforthejourneytoUnyoro。
AnuntowardoccurrencehadtakenplaceshortlyafterourarrivalatFatiko。
Ashasalreadybeendescribed，theLoborenativeshadnotonlycheatedusoutofmanycowsthathadbeenreceived，forwhichthecarriershadnotbeenforthcoming，butnumbershaddesertedontheroad，whichhadcausedthetroopsgreattroubleandfatigue，astheyhadbeenobligedtodivideamongthemtheabandonedloads。UponourarrivalatFatiko，thesonofsheikAbbio，ofLobore，wouldhaveabscondedwithallhispeople，hadhenotbeenretainedbythetroops。Thismanwasresponsibleforthenativeswhohadengagedthemselvesforthejourney。
ItwouldhavebeentheheightofimprudencetohavepermittedtheimmediatedepartureofourcarriersbeforeIhadarrangedforthefuture，thusabouteightyweresecuredbythesoldiers，includingthesheik’sson，fromageneralstampedethattookplace。
Iorderedthemtobedisarmed，asIconsideredthatifunarmed，theywouldnotventurealonethroughtheMadicountry。
Intheeveningtheyweresecuredbyaslightlinetiedroundeachman’sneck，andconnectedingangsoffive。Aguardwasplacedovertheminadditiontotheusualsentries。
Atabout4a。m。asignalwasgivenbyoneoftheirpeople。Everymanhadgnawedthroughhiscordwithhisteethduringthedarkness，andattheconcertedcryinalanguagethatnooneunderstood，theentireparty，ofupwardsofeightymen，knockeddowntheastonishedguard，alsothesentries，andrushedheadlongovertherocksinthedirectionofLobore。
Itwasanaturalimpulseandasoldier’sdutytofireinthedirectionoftheassailants，astheoverturnedsentriesquicklyrecoveredandjoinedtheguardinavolley。
Iwasupinaninstant，anduponarrivalatthespotIwasinformedoftheoccurrence。Itwaspitchdark，thereforealanternwasbrought，andafterasearch，threebodieswerediscoveredoftherashandunfortunateLobore。Iwasexceedinglysorrythatsuchaneventhadhappened，atthesametimeIcouldhardlyblamethesentries。Iwasmuchafraidthatifthreewereshotdead，othersmusthaveescapedwounded，andaltogethertheaffairwouldhaveabadeffectatLobore。
ThesheikofFatikowasnamedWat-el-Ajoos。Thisnamehadbeengivenhimbytheslave-hunters，meaning”Sonoftheoldman。”Hisvillagewasnotquitehalfamilefromourcamp，andhefrequentlycametoseemewithhisinterpreter，accompaniedbyhiswives。
UponhisfirstvisitIgavehimalongblueshirt，togetherwithsomeyardsofTurkeyredcambric，toformawaistsash；alsoaredfezandtworazors，withaquantityofbeadsforhiswives。
FatikoismerelyadistrictofthegreatcountryofShooli，whichisgovernedbythesheik，RotJarma。Thispersonhadsentwordthatheintendedtovisitme，totenderhisallegiancetothegovernment。
On16thMarch，awildsoundofmanyhornswasthefirstintroduction，andshortlyafter，anumberofhispeopleadvancedchantingapeculiarlowsong，anddancingasolemnslowstep。Thegreatsheikcamebehindthem。Hewasquicklyusheredintomypresencebeneathashadyacacia，closetomytentdoor。Hewasperfectlyredfromheadtotoes，havingbeenfreshlysmearedwithredochreandgreasefortheinterview。A
well-dressedskinofanantelopewasslungacrosshisshoulder，anddescendingacrosshisloinsitconstitutedhisscantyclothing。
Hisconversationwasmerelyarepetitionoftheoldstorybeingaseriesofcomplaintsagainsttheslave-hunters。HedeclaredthathehadnevervisitedAbouSaoodoranyofhispeople，butthatwhenhehadheardofmyarrival，hehaddeterminedatoncetoofferhisallegiance，andheandalladjacentcountrieswouldservethegovernmentfaithfully，inreturnforprotectionandjustice。
Iassuredhimthathehadnothingtofearfromtheslave-huntersinfuture，asIshouldleaveMajorAbdullahandadetachmentoftroopstorepresentthegovernmentduringmyabsence。Hewastosupplythemwithcorn，andtoyieldthesameobediencetoMajorAbdullahashewouldtome。Igavehimnineyardsofredcottoncloth，sixpoundsofbeads，tworazors，onecomb，twohornsnakesinboxes，oneknife，oneburningglass，onezincmirror，twonickelspoons，threerodsofthickbrasswire，twofingerrings，twopairofear-rings，tworedandyellowcottonhandkerchiefs。
Thetotalvalueofthisextensivepresentwasabouttwenty-oneshillings。
Beforehehadarrived，hehadrequestedthatagoatmightbesenttobeslaughteredatastreambeforeheshouldcrossover；otherwisebadluckwouldattendhisvisit。Ofcoursethiswasaccededto，andthegoatwassacrificedandeatenbyhispeople。
Igavehim，accordingtomyusualcustomwithallsheiksandheadmen，seedsofthebestEgyptiancotton，tomatoes，pumpkins，cucumbers，water-melons，sweet-melons，barmian，maize，&c。，&c。
Beforeparting，Iamusedandshockedhimwiththemagneticbattery，andhewentawaysurprisedanddelighted。
Isubsequentlydiscoveredthatalargequantityofflour，togetherwithsomefowlswhichhehadforwardedtome，hadbeenstoppedandappropriatedbytherenownedAliHussein。Theintriguingspiritoftheseslave-hunterswasextraordinary。Itistheircustomnevertoreceiveasheikunlesshebringsapresent。HethereforeconsideredthatifRotJarmashouldappearforthefirsttimebeforemeempty-handed，Ishouldeithernotadmithim，orperhapsbeprejudicedagainsthim；thushehadstolenthecustomarygiftofintroductioninordertocreateill-willonmyparttowardsRotJarma，whohadneveryetcondescendedtovisitthestationofAbouSaood……
Wat-el-Ajoos，withtheassistanceofShooliandGimoro，hadcollected200carriers，allofwhomhadreceivedeachacow。
Ihadassortedtheluggage，andalthoughIhadnottheslightestsuspicionofanyfighting，neverthelessmyammunitionformedaconsiderableportionoftheheavierbaggage。
MajorAbdullahhadreceivedhisinstructions，andasitehadbeenchosenforhisstationwithinahundredyardsofthesouthextremityofthatofAbouSaood。Thispositionwasbackedbyahighrock，uponwhichIhadalreadycommencedtobuildapowdermagazineofsolidmasonry。
AbouSaoodhavingasusualswornupontheeyesandheadoftheProphettodoallthatwasrightandvirtuous，andthenativesthroughoutthecountrybeingconfidentofprotection，IpreparedforthejourneytoUnyoro——adistanceacrosstheuninhabitedprairiesofseventy-eightmilesfromFatiko，duesouth。
OurexcellentandtrustyfriendShooliwastobeourguide。Gimorowaspreventedfromaccompanyingusowingtoawoundedfoot。
CHAPTERXVII。
THEMARCHTOUNYORO。
On18thMarch，1872，wewereallinorderforthemarchtothesouth，underthedirectionofourguide，Shooli。
HavingtakenleaveofMajorAbdullah，Ilefthimagoodsupplyofsheepandcattleforhisdetachment，andat2p。m。westartedfortheprairiemarchtoUnyoro。
ThedescentfromthetablelandofFatikowasrapidforthefirstsevenmiles，atwhichpointwereachedastreamofclearrunningwater，whichisoneofthechannelsoftheUn-y-Ameriver。
ThelimitoftheinhabitedcountryisaboutthreemilesfromthecampatFatiko，afterwhichalliswildernesstoUnyoro。
Thisfertilecountryhasbeenleftuninhabited，onaccountofthedisturbanceoccasionedbythediversityoftribes。OntheeastitisboundedbyUmiro，onthesouthbyUnyoro，andonthewestbyMadi。Thislargetractofland，abouteightymilesfromnorthtosouth，isaccordinglytheresortofwildanimals，anditformsthefavouritehunting-groundofthevarioustribes，whogenerallycomeintoconflictwitheachotherduringtheirexcursionsinpursuitofgame。
WehaltedforthenightattheclearstreamoftheUn-y-Ame，asthenativecarriersexpectedtheirwivestobringthemprovisionsforthejourney。Itwasonlyfiveo’clock，thereforeIstrolledalongthebanksofthestreamaccompaniedbyShooli，andshortlycameupongame。
Atthisseasonthecountrywasverylovely，astheyounggrasswashardlyafoothigh。Stalkingwasextremelydifficult，asthelandwasclearoftrees，andthelongsweepingundulationsexposedeveryobjecttoviewwhenuponthefaceoftheinclines。ImanagedatlengthtogetatolerableshotatoneofthebeautifulteelantelopesLeucotis，bycreepingupthebrokenbedofawater-courseuntilIarrivedatawhite-anthill。OnmywayhomeIshotagazelle，thusthenativesallhadfleshfromthetwoanimalsonthefirstnightofthemarch。
Thewivesappearedtobeexcellentwomen，astheyarrivedingreatnumberswithaquantityofhardporridgemadeofdhurraflour，whichwastoformthecommissariatforajourneyofnearly160milestoUnyoroandback。
Ifanativetravelsthroughwilderness，hewillalwaysmakeforcedmarches，thustheFatikoswouldonlysleeponenightupontheroadofseventy-eightmileswhenonthereturnjourney。
Onthefollowingmorning，wewereratherlateinstarting，asmorewomenarrivedwithfood，andcertainfarewellstookplace。TheFatikonativesappearedtobeverysuperiortotheLobore，asnotonemanabsconded。Infact，onenativewhohadaswollenlegwhichpreventedhimfromwalking，actuallysentbackhiscowwithanexplanationofthecauseofabsence。
On19thMarchwestartedat6。50a。m。，allourcarriersbeingwellprovidedwithfood。Thecountrywasasusualawell-wateredundulatingprairie，aboundingingame。Atthisseasonthejourneywasverydelightful，butwhenthegrassisaboutninefeethighitissimplydetestabletravelling。
Onthemarch，we，asusual，ledtheway。LieutenantBakerdismountedforashotatasplendidbuckLeucotis，whichhewoundedsomewherebehind，andtheanimalmadeoffinevidentdiscomfort。Thiswasasignalforthenatives，whoimmediatelyputdowntheirloadsandstartedoffinpursuit，likeapackofhounds。
Althoughtheanimalwasbadlyhit，thepacewasverygreat，anditwentalongthefaceoftheoppositeundulationfollowedbytheextraordinaryrunners，who，withtheirlongspringingstrides，keptupaspeedforaboutthree-quartersofamilethatatlengthbroughttheleadingnativesufficientlynearforthrowinghislance。Thenextmomentacrowdofhungryfellowsfelluponthewelcomenamelikestarvingwolves。
Afteramarchoftwelvemileswearrivedatarockystreamofclearwater，whichisanotherchanneloftheUn-y-Ameriver，thatcarriesoffthemaindrainageofthiscountry。Wehaltedtorefreshthepeopleandtohaveourbreakfastonthecleanrockthatborderedthestream，andstartedfortheafternoonmarchat2p。m。
DuringthemarchIendeavouredtostalkalargebulltetelAntelopebubulis，buttherewasverylittlechanceinsoopenacountry。Theanimalgallopedoffexactlyinastraightlinefrommeatabout200
yards。Iputupthelastleafofthesight，andIdistinctlyheardthebulletstrike。ThenextmomentIsawtheanimalwaswounded。Itwasjustdisappearingoverthenextundulation，anduponarrivingatthespot，I
sawthewoundedbullstandingabout200yardsbeforeme。
Iapproachedfrombehinduntilwithin100paces，withoutbeingobservedbythetetel，whowasevidentlyverybad。Movingslightlytomyright，I
wasquicklyseen，andtheanimalturneditsflankpreparatorytomakingoff。Ashotfromthe”Dutchman”throughtheshoulderkilleditonthespot。
Inowfoundthatmyfirstbullethadstruckthespineexactlyabovetherootofthetail。Thislargeanimalwasagoodsupplyforthepeople，whoquicklydivideditandcontinuedthemarch，until，havingcrossedanotherstream，welefttheopenprairiegadenteredalowforest。
Haltedforthenight。Themarchduringthisdaybadbeennineteenmiles。