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。