On24thJunewestartedat6。5A。M。，andafteramarchofsevenmiles，duringwhichwewereundisturbed，wearrivedattheoldcampofSuleiman’scompanyatFoweeraontheVictoriaNile，wherewehadexpectedtofindshelterandgoodhouses。
Everythinghadbeendestroyedbyfire！Nothingremainedbutblackenedashes。
CHAPTERXXIII
BUILDASTOCKADEATFOWEERA。
MYlossesfromthe8thJunetothe24thhadbeentenkilledandelevenwounded。Everyofficerandsoldierhadthoroughlydonehisduty，havingdisplayedadmirablecoolnessandcourageuponmanytryingoccasions。
Nonebutblacktroopscouldhaveenduredthemarchofabouteightymileswithheavyweightsupontheirheads，inadditiontotheirusualaccoutrements。
Iatoncesettoworktobuildanewstation，andwiththeoldwoodthathadformedthefenceofSuleiman’szareeba，Icommencedadefensivearrangement。
Therewasverylittleheavytimberthatwasadaptedforastockade。I
thereforeformedaprotectionbysinkingdeepintheground，atintervalsofthreefeet，twostrongpostsaboutsevenfeetabovethesurface。Theseuprighttimbers，standingoppositetoeachotheratadistanceofaboutteninches，werefilledwithlongpoleslaidoneovertheotherhorizontally。Attwocornersofthesquarefortwereflankingworksofthesameconstruction，whichwouldsweepeachfaceofthedefence。
Inafewdaysmymenhadcompletedastrongandneatstockadearoundanumberofsmalltemporaryhutswhichformedournewstation。
Havingthushousedmytroops，itwasnecessarytoprepareforthefuture。IfullyexpectedthatMajorAbdullahhadfallenintothesnarepreparedforhimbyKabbaRega：thusIshouldhavenootherforcetorelyupon，exceptthefewmenthatnowformedmysmallbuttoughlittleparty。IfsoterribleacalamityshouldhaveoccurredasthedestructionofAbdullah’sdetachment，Ishouldnotonlyhavelostmymen，butI
shouldbecomeshortofammunition；asmystoresandarmswouldhavefallenintothehandsoftheenemy。Thisdoubtcausedmemuchgraveanxiety。
ItwasstrangethatwehadnotreceivedsomecommunicationfromRionga，whoseislandwasonlyfifteenorsixteenmilesabovestreamfromFoweera。Oursideoftheriverappearedtobequiteuninhabited，andsimplyconsistedoftheinterminablegrovesofbananas，thathadbelongedtotheinhabitantsatatimewhenthedistricthadbeenthicklypopulated。
TheVictoriaNile，oppositetheFoweerastation，wasabout500yardswide。Atthisseasontheriverwasfull。Thehutsthatwehaderectedonthenorthside，uponourarrivalfromFatiko，hadbeendestroyedbythenatives。Thisdidnotlookasthoughmuchfriendshipexisted。
UponhearingourdrumsandbuglesonthedayofourarrivalatFoweera，afewnativeshadcometothehighrockopposite，andhadcommenced，bawlingconversation，andthatwasonlyslightlyunderstoodbyoneofourwomenandMoloditheMadi。
MolodiknewRionga，ashehadvisitedhimataformertime，togetherwithapartyofAbouSaood’speople。HisveryslightknowledgeofthelanguagewassufficienttoexplaintothenativesacrosstheriverthatIwishedtocommunicatewithRionga。
ThepeopleonthenorthhappenedtobelongtoKabbaRega，andtheywereenemiesofRionga；thuswewereaddressingthewrongparties。
Itwashighlynecessarytomakesomearrangementsforcrossingtheriver。Therearenocanoesonthisside，anditwouldbedangeroustotrusttorafts，astherewerewaterfallsaboutthreeorfourhundredyardsbelowuponourleft。Ideterminedtoconstructboats。
WefelledthreelargedolapepalmsBorassusethriopicus，whichweretheonlytreesofthatspeciesinthisneighbourhood。Thesepalmsarewelladaptedforcanoes，asthebark，orrathertheoutsidewood，isintenselyhardforaboutaninchandahalf，beneathwhichthetreeissimplyapithy，stringysubstance，thatcanberapidlyscoopedout。
Twoofthelogs，whenshaped，wereeachtwenty-sixfeetinlength；thethirdwassmaller。
ThroughoutthemarchfromMasindiwehadmanagedtocarryanadze，ahammer，andacoldchisel。Theadzenowcameintoplay，togetherwiththeBandylittleaxesofthe”FortyThieves”。
AmongmytroopswasaBaggaraArab，whowasa”canoe-builder”。Thiswasoneofthebestmenof”TheForty”，anditwasnowforthefirsttimethatIheardofhisabilitiesasaboat-builder。Thisman，SaidBagara，hassinceaccompaniedColonelLongwithgreatfidelitytothecourtofKingM’Tese。
Thementookanimmenseinterestinthework；butastoomanyvolunteersmightinterferewiththeprincipalshipwright，Isentthemallintotheforesttocollectplantains。Igaveordersthateverymanshouldprepare14lbsofplantainflourforthejourney，incaseitshouldbenecessarytomarchtoFatiko。
Thecanoesprogressed，andasliceofaboutafootwidehavingbeentakenoffhorizontallyfromstemtostern，thesoftinsidewasscoopedoutwithanadze，andwithlance-headsbenttoformahalfcircle。
Inafewdaysthelogswereneatlyhollowed，andwerethencarrieddownandlaunchedupontheriver。Thelong，narrowcanoeswouldhavebeenverydangerouswithoutoutriggers，thereforeIdeterminedtoadopttheplanthatIhadseeninCeylon；andasLieutenantBakerwellrepresentedtheomniscienceofnavalmenineverythingthatconcernsboats，nauticalstratagems，incomprehensibleformsofknots，rigging，&e。，&e。，Ileftallthedetailsofthecanoestohischarge。Inashorttimewepossessedthreeadmirablevesselsthatitwasquiteimpossibletoupset。
Inowrequiredafewraftsforthetransportofbaggage，asitwouldbeawkwardtocrosstheriverbysmallsectionsshouldanenemyopposeourlandingontheprecipitousbankontheoppositeshore。Ithereforearrangedthatweshouldcrossintwojourneys。Thepartynowconsistedof97soldiersincludingofficers，5natives，3sailors，51women，boys，andservants，and3Europeans；total，158persons。
Therewasnoambatchwood，butIthoughtwemightformraftsbycuttingandthendryinginthesunthelongtoughstemsofthepapyrusrush。
These，iflashedtogetherinsmallbundles，couldbeshapedintoraftssimilartothoseusedbytheShillooktribe。
LieutenantBakertookthethreesailorsandafewintelligentsoldiers，andsettowork。
The29thJunehadarrivedwithoutanynewsofRionga。Thecountryappearedtobequitedevoidofinhabitantsonthesouthbanks，neitherdidthenativesshowthemselvesonthenorth。Weweremastersofthesituation，buttherewasanuncomfortablefeelingoflonelinessinourpositionofoutcasts。Wewereveryhungry，aswehadnottastedanimalfoodsincethe14thinst。；therewasnogame，neitherwerethereanydovesorbirdsofanykind，exceptoccasionalvultures，which，aftersittinguponadeadtreeandregardingusforsometime，wentoffwithalowopinionofourrespectability。
Weliveduponboiledplantainsandredpeppers，togetherwithvariouswildplantsthatarewholesome，butnotnice，whenboiledasspinach。
Unfortunately，oursmallsupplyofsaltwasexhausted，thereforewewereobligedtoburngrassandmakepotashfromtheashesasasubstitute。
Wehadasmallquantityofbrandy，butwereservedthisincaseofillnessorothernecessity。
Mymengenerallymadetwojourneysdaily，togetherwiththewomen，tocollectgreenplantains，andtheyimmediatelycommencedpeelinganddryingtheminthesunupontheirreturntocamp。
Ontheeveningofthe29ththeycamehomeingreatspirits，havingcapturedaprisoner。Theyhadtiedhisarmscruellybehindhislack，andhadledhimtocampbyacordsecuredtohisneck。
Thismanhadbeendiscoveredincompanywithtwootherswhohadescapedtotheothersideoftheriverinacanoe。
Iorderedhisarmstobereleased，andcross-examinedhim，Molodiactingasinterpreter。
Theprisonerseemedquiteconfidentuponseeingmywifeandmyself。”Don’tyourememberme”heexclaimed；”wasitnotIwhomanyyearsagocarriedthetravelling-bagfortheladyonyourjourneytoFatiko?Wasitnotyouthatshottheantelopesonthemarch，andgavememeattoeatwhenIwashungry?”
Herewasanextraordinarypieceofgoodluck！Mymenhadactuallycapturedanoldfriendinthethickets，whohadformerlymarchedwithusinthereignofKamrasi！
Thisfellownowgaveusthenews。Riongawishedtoseeme，buthehadbeensocheatedanddeceivedbytheslave-huntingcompaniesofAbouSaood，thathewasafraidtotrusthimselfamongus；hewasfriendlydisposed，buthedidnotknowmyintentionsconcerninghimself。
TheprisonerdeclaredthatthetreacheryofKabbaRegahadbeenplannedfromthebeginning。The300nativeswhohadaccompaniedmypartyfromMasindi，withtheposttoFatiko，hadattackedandkilledsomeofmymen，butheknewnoparticulars；onlythattheyhadnotgoneontoFatikowithmypeople。Thiswasagreatrelieftomyanxiety，asinthatcaseAbdullahmustbesafewithhisdetachment。Iorderedtheprisonertoberetained，buttobewelltreated。
Wehadrainnearlyeveryday。
Atdaybreakon1stJuly，afteraheavynight’srain，avoicefromthehighwetgrass，aboutahundredyardsdistant，criedouttothesentriesinArabic，”Don’tfire！IamamessengerfromRiongatoMalegge！”myformernick-name。
Theman，coldandshivering，wasbroughtbeforeme。Hehadtravelledbycanoeduringthenight，buthadbeenafraidtoapproachthesentriesuntildaylight。
Beingassuredofmygood-will，heinformedmethatanephewofRionga’swasinthegrasswaitingformyreply。Heimmediatelyranout，andsoonreturnedtothecampwithhiscompanion。