”ThisIbelievetobetrue，asafewdaysago，whenspeakingofthetroops，ItoldSuleimanthattheSoudaniswereveryhardysoldiersformarchingandresistingclimate，butthatgenerallytheywerebadshots。Thus，inatreacherousmanner，hehasinformedthenativesthatthesoldiersofthegovernmentcannotshoot。Intheafternoon，freshreportsreachedmethatSuleimanhad，withhisownhands，murderedthenativetowhomIhadgivenprotection。Hehadcommittedthishorribleacttheinstantthatmybackwasturned，andhehadexhibitedthecrimebeforethegreatsheiksinderisionofmyauthority！”At4。30P。M。CaptainMohammedDeiireturnedwithhispartyoffiftymen，togetherwiththevakeels，SuleimanandEddrees，withsixoftheirmenwhohadbeenmetupontheirroadfromMasindi，andeightslaves。”AsIhadexpected，thegreaternumberofSuleiman’speoplehadescapedwiththeirslavestoFabbo，whentheColonel，Abd-el-Kader，hadsuddenlyappearedamongthem；hisarrivalhaddisconcertedallSuleiman’sarrangements，andmydetentionatKisoonahadcompletelyupsetallhisplansrespectinganalliancewithRahonka’sarmy。ThatcunninggeneralhadgoneoffstraighttoKabbaRegaafterhisescapethroughthewallofhishut。”Isummonedthegreatsheiks，Kittakara，Quonga，togetherwithPittia，andseveralothers。ThesemengavetheirevidencemostclearlyaswitnessestotheplanarrangedbySuleimanfortheattackuponRionga；
　　andaseye-witnessestothemurderoftheprisoner，whomtheysawdraggedbySuleimanandhismentothegroveofbananas，wherehewasbeheaded。”IorderedSuleimanandhispeopletobedisarmed；andsecuredbothhimandEddreesinshebas。”Thesunhadset，and，theskybeingover-cast，ithadbecomeextremelydark。”IproceededatoncetothetrialofSuleimanandEddrees，asthewitnesseswereallpresent。”Thebuglersoundedthe’taboor’assembly，andtheofficersandtroopsquicklyappeared，andformedinlinetwodeep，facingthetableatwhichwesat。Iorderedhalf-a-dozenlargeport-firestobebrought；thesewerelightedandheldbysixmenwhosteppedforwardfromtheranks。Theblazeofredlightilluminedthewholeneighbourhood，andcastapeculiarglowuponthedarkfoliageofthebananasandtheformsoftheduskychiefswhosatinalineoppositethetroops。”SuleimanandEddreeswereledbytheguard，andappearedbeforethetribunal。Suleiman，althoughpinioned，retainedthesamehaughtyswaggerthathadalwaysdistinguishedhim。Thechargesagainsthimwereasfollows：”1。ForhavingconspiredtoattackRionga，indirectoppositiontomypositiveorders。”2。FortreasonablyspeakingagainstthegovernmentoftheKhedivetothenativechiefs。”3。Forarrangingandabettingtheescapeoftheirregularnewlevy，whohadenlistedinthegovernmentservice，togetherwiththatoftheslaves。”4。Forhavingmurdered，withhisownhands，anativewhomIhadconfidedtohiscare。”Afteracarefultrialtheprisonerwasfoundguiltyuponeverycharge；
　　andthesecondvakeel，Eddrees，wasprovedtohavebeenanaccomplice。”IimmediatelysentencedSuleimantoreceive200lashesuponthespot，asafirstinstalmentoffuturepunishment。Bluelightshadbeensubstitutedfortheport-firesthathadburnedout，andthehaughtybrigand，Suleiman，waslaiduponthegroundbythereadytroopstoreceivehispunishment。”Myever-presentattendant，Monsoor，volunteeredtobeoneofthewhippers，andtheprideandaudacityoftheprisonerweresoonexchangedforeffeminatecriesforpardon。Itwasthissameman，Suleiman，whohadfloggedapoorboynearlytodeathduringmyformerjourney，andthelifeofthechildhadwithdifficultybeensavedbythekindattentionofmywife。Whenhenowcriedformercy，IrecalledtohisrecollectiontheunfortunateboywhoseposteriorhehadliterallyCUTOFFwithawhipofhippopotamus’hide……”Eddreeswassentencedtoreceive100lashes，butwhenthirtystrokeshadbeenadministered，thenativechiefsintercededinhisbehalf，sayingthatthegreatblameresteduponSuleiman，andthatEddreeswasnotabadman，butthathewasobligedtoobeytheordersofhissuperior。”Theynowcontinued，’thatSuleimanhadruinedthecountry，thathehadkidnappedallthewomenandchildren，andthatthenativeshadfledfromtheirhomesastheresult。’”Iwasmuchstruckwiththestraightforward，atthesametimemoderatebehaviourofthenativechiefs。IaccordinglysparedEddrees，whoatonceturnedevidenceagainstSuleiman，togetherwithtwoofhisownsoldiers。”TheysignedadeclarationaswitnessesofthemurderofthenativebySuleiman。ThispaperwasformallywitnessedandsignedbyLieutenantBaker，ColonelAbd-el-Kader，andCaptainMohammedDeii。”Thepunishmenthavingbeenawardedandtheprisonerswithdrawn，butsecuredinshebasbytheguard，Iaddressedthenativechiefs，assuringthemofmyprotection；andthatinfuturethecountryshouldbegovernedwithperfectjustice；thatpropertyandtherightsofwomenandchildrenwouldberespected，andthatanytransgressorofthelawwouldbepunished。Iexplainedthattheobjectoftheexpeditionwastobringprosperity；but，ontheotherhand，IshouldexpectfidelityfromKabbaRegaandhispeople。ItoldthemthatIshouldleadtheprisonersinshebastoKabbaRega，hemustthensummonageneralassemblyofhischiefstohearandwitnessthetruth。”Inoworderedthebuglertosoundthe’destoor’retreat，andthetroopsmarchedbacktotheirquarters。”Thetrialwasover；thebluelightshadburntout，andwewerenowincomparativedarknessbeneaththebananafoliage，withafeeblelampglimmeringonthetable。”Thenativechiefsdeclaredtheirperfectconfidenceinthegovernment，andthatweshouldstartonthefollowingmorningdirectforMasindi。”
　　CHAPTERXVIII。
　　MARCHTOMASINDI。”Aprill5——ThelatitudeofKisoonawas2degrees2minutes36secondsN。Westartedat11A。M。till1P。M。，reachingKasiga——eightmiles——
　　throughinterminableforestfulloffineripeyellowplumsandunripecustardapples。”April16——Startedat8。20A。M。till12——arrivingatKoki——thickforestthroughoutthemarch。Wepassedseveralsmallvillages，andmadetwelvemiles，N。lat。1degree59minutes。IgavevariousseedsofEuropeanvegetablestotheheadman；andImyselfsowedtheseedsofwater-melonsandsweetmelonsinhisgarden，andexplainedtheircultivation。”April17——Allthecarriershaveabsconded。Thereisextensivecultivationinthisdistrict，andthetobaccoiswellattended，asthetopsoftheplantsarecarefullynippedofftopreventthemfromrunningtoomuchintostalk。”Thechief，Kittakara，whoisakindofprimeministertoKabbaRega，gavemethisafternoonthehistoryofthecountry。”KabbaRegaisthesixteenthkingsincetheoriginalconquestofUnyorobytheGallas。TheseinvadersarrivedfromtheEast，beyondthecountryoftheLanggos。”Tothisdayapeculiarcustomisobserved。Beforeanewkingcanascendthethrone，heiscompelledtosleepduringtwonightsontheeastoftheVictoriaNile。HethenmarchesalongthepathbywhichhisvictoriousancestorinvadedUnyoro，anduponreachingtheriver，hetakesboatandcrossestotheexactlanding-placewheretheoriginalconquerorfirstsethisfootuponthefrontier。”April18——Ipurchasedaquantityofexcellenttobaccoanddivideditamongthesoldiersasarewardfortheirhavingrespectedthenativegardensduringthemarch。”KittakaraistheonlygentlemanthatIhaveseeninthecountry，andheneverasksforpresents，thusforminganextraordinaryexceptiontotheruleofUnyorosociety。”Igavehimablueblanket，azincmirror，aspoon，comb，andfourredandyellowhandkerchiefs。ToQuongaIgaveatarbooshfez，andfouryardsofturkeyredcloth。”April19——Freshcarriersarrived，andwestartedat10。45A。M。，andhaltedat4P。M——twelvemiles。Forestandhighgrassasusualthroughouttheroute，whichwouldrenderthiscountryhighlydangerousincaseofhostilities。”TheloftymountainsonthewestshoreoftheAlbertN’yanzaarenowinviewaboutfiftymilesdistant。Wehaltedatapopulousdistrict，andoccupiedavillageatChorobeze。”Thereisanimpressionofgeneralruininpassingthroughthiswonderfullyfertilecountry。Theslave-huntersandtheirallieshaveproducedthisfrightfulresultbyransackingthedistrictforslaves。”ThecivildissensionsafterKamrasi’sdeathwerefavourableforthetraders’schemes。Thetwosons，KabbaRegaandKabkaMiro，contendedforthethrone。Thelatterwasroyallybornbysireandmother，butKabbaRegawasasonbyashepherdessoftheBahoomas。ThethronebelongedbyinheritancetoKabkaMiro，who，notwishingtocauseacivilwar，andthusdestroythecountry，challengedhisbrothertosinglecombatinthepresenceofallthepeople。Thevictorwastobeking。”KabbaRegawasacoward，andrefusedthechallenge。ThechivalrousKabkaMiroagainofferedterms：——KabbaRega，asthesonoftheshepherdess，shouldtakealltheflocksandherds；andKabkaMirowouldoccupythethrone。”KabbaRega，likemostcowards，wasexceedinglycunningandtreacherous，and，withtheallianceofSuleiman’speople，heshothisgallantbrother，andsecuredboththethroneandhisfather’sflocks。”
　　April20——Allthenativecarriershave，asusual，absconded。Wearenowabouttwenty-sevenrilesfromMasindi，thehead-quartersofKabbaRega，andyettherearenosignsofcontrol。”Iascendedasmallhillnearthevillage，andsightedthewatersoftheAlbertN’yanza，duewest，abouttwentymilesdistant。”April21——Aboutfiftynativescollected。IsentoffColonelAbd-el-KaderwiththeprisonerstoKabbaRegatocomplainofthewantofcarriersandprovisions。Iorderedhimtodisarmallthetraders’
　　people，andtheBarisintheiremploy，whomightbeatMasindi；asthenewshasarrivedthatthemenbelongingtoSuleimanhavereturnedtoFoweeraandareactuallytakingslavesintheneighbourhood。”April22——Morenativescollected。Isentoff140loadsinchargeofMorgianAgha，withanescortoftwentysoldiers，andtheherdofcattle。
　　ThelatitudeofChorobezewas1degrees57minutesN。”April23——Thenativeshavingcollected，westartedat10。5a。m。Iwasobligedtowalk，asmygoodhorse，’GreedyGrey，’issick。”Theroutewasthroughforestandhighgrassasusual。Wemarchedseventeenmiles，andhaltedatimmensegrovesofbananasataplacecalledJonJoke。”Thebaggageandcattlearrivedaftersunset，MorgianAghahavingbeendesertedyesterdaybyallthecarriers。Asusual，throughouttheroutethewaterisbad。”Alas！mypoorhorse，`GreedyGrey，’diedto-day。HewasthemostperfectofallthehorsesIhadbroughtfromCairo。”April24-Asusual，thenativecarriershaveallbolted！LastnightasergeantarrivedwithaletteraddressedtomefromAbd-el-Kader，whohascarriedoutmyordersatMasindibydisarmingthetraders’party。