首页 >出版文学> Ismailia>第68章

第68章

  TheonlyexcitementwasproducedbythesuddenrushofKabbaRega’sguardsbonosoorawithbigsticksamongthecrowd,whomtheybelabouredandchased,generallypossessedthemselvesofthebestgarmentsofthosewhowerecaptured,withwhichtheyreturnedtotheirquarters,aslawfulprizes。
  Thisdaringsystemofthievingwasconsideredasgreatfunbyallthosemembersofthecrowdwhohadescaped;andtheunfortunateswhohadbeenreducedtonuditybythelossoftheirgarmentswerejeeredandridiculedbythemobwithtrueUnyorowantofcharity。
  Thesebonosoorawereanextraordinarycollectionofscoundrels。
  Thereadersof”TheAlbertN’yanza”mayrememberthe”SatanicEscort,”
  withwhichIwasfurnishedbyKamrasiformyjourneyfromM’roolitothelake;thesewerebonosoora。IcouldneverlearntheexactnumberthatformedKabbaRega’scelebratedregimentofblackguards,butIshouldimaginetherewereabove1,000menwhoconstantlysurroundedhim,andgainedtheirlivingbypillagingothers。
  Anyslavewhoranawayfromhismastermightfindanasylumifhevolunteeredtoenlistinthebonosoora。Everymanwhohadcommittedsomecrime,orwhocouldnotpayhisdebts,couldfindarefugebydevotinghimselftothepersonalcareoftheyoungking,andenrollingwithintheranksoftheroyalguards。Thegeneralcharacteroftheseruffiansmaybeeasilyimagined。Theyloungedawaytheirtime,andsimplyrelievedthemonotonyoftheirexistencebyrobbingpassers-byofanythingthatattractedtheircupidity。
  Umbogobelongedtothiscelebratedcorps,andheinformedmethathardlyanightpassedwithoutsomepersonbeingmurderedbythesepeople,whowouldalwayskillamanafterdark,unlessheyieldeduphispropertywithoutresistance。ThegreatnumberofvulturesthatcontinuallyhoveredoverMasindiwereproofsofUmbogo’sstory,asthesebirdsgenerallydenotethepresenceofcarrion。Mymenhad,onseveraloccasions,foundbodieslyinginthehighgrass,neatlypickedtothebone,whichhadonlyrecentlydied。
  TherewasmuchtobedonebeforethebrutalcustomsofUnyorocouldbereformed:andIwasbynomeanssatisfiedwiththeconductexhibitedbyKabbaRega。Hehadpromisedfaithfullythathewouldsendalargeforcetoclearawaythehighgrassbywhichourstationwassurrounded;thiswasneverfulfilled,neithercouldIengagethenativestoworkforhire。
  IhadobservedforsometimepastthathispeoplewererapidlyextendingthetownofMasindi,byerectingnewbuildingsuponbothourflanks,which,althoughonlyafewyardsfromourclearing,werehalfobscuredbythehighgrass;thusitappearedthatwewerebeinggraduallysurrounded。
  Sincethedepartureofthepostwithmyescortandtheirregularlevy,nothingwasdonebythenatives,excepttheusualloungingbyday,anddrinkingandhowling,withdrumsandhornsasanaccompaniment,throughoutthenight。
  KabbaRegahadalwaysdeclaredthatthenativeswouldworkformeandobeyeveryorderwhentheslave-huntersshouldhavebeenexpelledfromthecountry。Althoughthepeoplewhowerelatelyaportionoftheslave-hunter’scompanyhadnowbeenenlistedintheserviceofgovernment,notonemanremainedinMasindi,asIhadsentthemallawaytoFatiko,attheparticularrequestofKabbaRega。
  Therealfactwas,thatsolongastheslave-trader’speoplewereinthecountry,boththekingandhispeopleknewthatwewereindependentofnativeguides,asSuleiman’smenknewallthepaths,fromtheirlongexperienceofthecountrywhenengagedinthecivilwars。Itwasconsideredthatintheabsenceofthenewlevyofirregularsweshouldbeperfectlyhelplesstomove,asweweredependentuponKabbaRegaforguides。
  FromthegeneralconductofthepeoplesincethedepartureofmypartywiththeposttoFatiko,Ihadastrongsuspicionthatsomefoulplaywasintended,andthat,whenthe300nativecarriersshouldhavetakenthepeopleacrosstheVictoriaNile,theywoulddeserttheminthenight,andreturnwiththeboats。Ithereforewrotealetteraddressedtothesecondvakeel,Eddrees,orderinghimtoreturnatoncetoMasindiwiththeentirepartyifhehadanysuspicionoftreachery。
  Iconcealedthisnoteinapacketofbluecloth,togetherwithafewlittlepresentsforShooliandGimoro,atFatiko;butIhadwrittenonthebrownpapercoveroftheparcel,instructionsthatEddreesorMohammed,thedragoman,shouldsearchthecontents,asaletterwashiddenwithin。IgavethispackettoUmbogo,tellinghimthatitwasapresentforShooli,andbegginghimtodespatchamessengerwithoutdelaytoovertakethepartybeforetheyshouldhavecrossedtheVictoriaNile。Thenativemessenger,towhomIgaveasmallgratuity,immediatelystarted;thusIshouldbeabletoforewarnmypeopleintheeventoftrouble。
  IntheafternoonKabbaRegasentformetorepairthesmallmusicalboxthatIhadgivenhim,whichwasslightlyderanged。Irepliedthat,untilhefulfilledhisagreementtoclearthehighgrassfromtheneighbourhood,Icouldnotthinkofattendingtoanyrequest,ashehadbrokenallhispromises。
  Inhalfanhourafterthisanswerhesentfortymen,underKittakara,tocommencetheclearing,ashewasindespairabouthismusicalbox。
  TwonativemerchantsfromthedistantcountryofKaragwe,whohadbeensentbytheirking,Rumanika,topurchaseivoryfromUnyoro,hadarrivedatMasindi。Thesepeoplewerebroughttomeon26thMay,accompaniedbyKittakara,togetherwithUmbogo,theinterpreter。IobservedthatKittakarawasactingthepartofspy,tooverhearandtoreportthesubstanceoftheconversation。SomeexcitementhadbeencausedbythereportthattwotravellerswereresidingwithRumanika,andthatthesepeoplehadarrivedfromtheM’wootanN’zige。IwasinhopesthatoneofthesetravellersmightbeLivingstone。
  TheKaragwemerchantswerewell-dressed,andverycivilized-lookingpeople。Theystareduponarrivalinthedivan,andwereshortlyseateduponamatbeforeme。
  Aftersomeconversation,Iquestionedthemconcerningthetravellers,andIimmediatelywrotebothquestionsandrepliesinmyjournal,whichInowgiveverbatim。”Haveyoupersonallyseenthetravellers?”
  Answer:”Yes;oneistall,withalongbeardandwhitehair。TheotherisaveryblackmananAfrican,andshort。”
  Question:”Howdotheyeat?”
  Answer:”Withaknifeandforkandplate。”
  Question:”Havetheyacompass”Compassexhibited?
  Answer:”No;buttheyhaveasmallmirrorlikethoseinyourpossession。”
  Question:”Dotheypurchaseivory?”
  Answer:”Yes。WearenowsentbyRumanikatobuyivoryforthem。”
  Question:”Havetheyalargequantity?”
  Answer:”Animmensequantity。Theyhavealargehouse,whichisquitefull。”
  Question:”Howwilltheytransportit?”
  Answer:”TheyarebuildingavesselofironontheM’wootanN’zige,uponthebordersofwhichtheyarenowstaying。”
  Question:”DotheyknowthatIamcommandingthisexpedition?”
  Answer:”Yes;theyhavefrequentlyasked`whetheryouhadarrived;’andtheywishtogotoKhartoum。””ThereisnotraceofpoorLivingstoneintheirdescription。IimaginethatsomeenterprisingPortuguesetraderisbuildingashiptotradeuponM’wootanN’zige。Godhelphimifhetriestotransporthisivorybythisroute。”IshallwritetoLivingstonebythefirstopportunity。Likeallotherofmyinformants,thesenativemerchantstoldmethattheM’wootanN’zigeextendedtoKaragwe,afteralongturntothewest。Itvariedmuchinwidth,andatKaragweitwasnarrow。”
  ForsomedaysIhadconversationswiththeseintelligentpeople。Theybroughtmetwoelephants’tuskstosell,astheywishedtoshowRumanikathequalityofgoodsthatwerenowintroducedfromthenorth。Imadethemafewpresents,afterthebargain,tocreateafavourableimpression,andIoncemorecross-examinedthemupongeographicalquestions。
  TheirdescriptionoftheeastshoreoftheM’wootanN’zigewasasfollows:
  GeographicalInformation:”SouthofUnyoroisacountryKabboya;””Kabboyu””Tambooki;””Tambooki””M’Pororo;
  M’Pororo””Ruanda;
  Ruanda””Baroondi;
  Baroondi””Chibbogora;
  Chibbogora””Watuta;””Watuta””Manchoonda;””BeyondtheMachoondatheyknewnothing,exceptthatthelakeextendsforanenormousandunknowndistance。”Onthewestshore,oppositeKabboyuandTambooki,issituatedthecannibalcountryofBooamba。”TheroutetoKaragwefromMasindi,viatheM’wootanN’zigeAlbertN’yanza,is——takeboatfromChiberoaday’slongmarchfromMasindi
  toM’Pororo——atwhichspotyouleavetheboat,andproceedoverlandinonedaytotheKaragwefrontier。”TheKittangideriverpassesthroughM’Pororo,N’Kole,andKishakka,and,afteraverywindingcourse,itcutsthroughKaragwe,andfallsintotheVictoriaN’yanza。”’Baroondi’mustbeSpeke’s’Urundi;’asIfindthatmanynamesthathehasprefixedwith’U’areherepronouncedas’B。’”BySpeke’smapUrundiisinabout3degreessouthlatitude。TheM’wootanN’zigeisthereforeknowntopassthroughRuanda,Baroondi,andtheWatuta——orbeyondthenorthendoftheTanganyikaLake。”ThislooksasthoughtheTanganyikaandtheM’wootanN’zigewereonlyonevastlakebearingdifferentnamesaccordingtothelocalitiesthroughwhichitpasses。”
  Ihaveextractedthisfrommyjournal,asitwaswrittenatthemomentthattheinformationwasgiven。Ihavenotheory,asIdonotindulgeintheluxuryofgeographicaltheories;butIshallgivemyinformationinthesamewordsinwhichIreceiveditfromthenatives。Speculativegeographersmaythenformtheirownopinions。
  FromthedaywhenKabbaRegahaddeniedthepossessionofthegunsandammunitionbelongingtotheirregularlevy,hehadneverappearedathisnewdivan,neitherhadIseenhim。