ismailia-第68部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


concealed　in　the　interior　of　the　country　until　I　should　have　returned　to
England；　after　which　he　had　no　doubt　that　affairs　would　continue　in
their　original　position。

It　may　be　imagined　that　my　sudden　arrival　at　Fatiko　had　disconcerted　all
his　plans。

In　spite　of　his　extreme　cunning；　he　had　over…estimated　his　own　power　of
intrigue；　and　he　had　mismanaged　his　affairs。

According　to　the　agreement　with　Agad　&　Co。；　the　representative　of　that
firm；　Abou　Saood；　had　contracted　to　supply　the　government　troops　with
all　provisions　at　a　given　price；　including　even　sheep　and　butter；　as　he
declared　that　he　was　in　possession　of　these　articles　in　his　various
stations。　He　was　also　to　assist　the　government　expedition　in　every
manner；　and　to　supply　not　only　carriers；　but　even　troops；　should　they　be
necessary。

I　read　this　contract　to　some　of　his　principal　men；　who　fairly　laughed
outright　at　the　audacity　of　Abou　Saood　in　subscribing　to　such　utter
falsehoods。

Not　only　had　he　secretly　fraternized　with　the　enemy；　instead　of
assisting　the　government；　but　he　had　cautioned　the　Baris　not　to　carry
our　loads；　and　he　had　incited　the　Fatiko　natives　to　attack　us。　The
supply　of　food　was　too　ridiculous。　Instead　of　giving　to　the　troops；　he
had　been　obliged　to　borrow　corn　from　the　government　magazines　at
Gondokoro　for　his　own　people；　and　I　had　given　him　200　cattle　to　save　his
men　from　famine。

The　deceit　and　treachery　of　this　man　were　beyond　belief。　He　now　came　to
me　daily　at　Fatiko；　and　swore　by　the　eyes　of　the　Prophet；　eternal
fidelity。　He　wished　to　kiss　my　hand；　and　to　assure　me　how　little　his
real　character　had　been　understood；　and　that　he　felt　sure　I　had　been
influenced　against　him　by　others；　but　that　in　reality　I　had　no　servant
so　devoted　as　himself。　He　declared　that　he　had　only　attacked　the　Shir
and　stolen　their　cows　in　order　to　supply　the　government　troops　with
cattle　according　to　contract。　（Thus　he　had　the　audacity　to　assert　that
the　government　would　become　the　purchaser　of　cattle　stolen　expressly　for
their　use。）

In　spite　of　these　protestations；　he　could　not　explain　his　reason　for
having　returned　the　ivory　to　store；　instead　of　transporting　it　to
Gondokoro。　He　therefore　met　the　difficulty　by　a　flat　denial；　as　usual；
calling　upon　the　Prophet　as　a　witness。

Only　a　few　days　of　his　contract　remained；　at　the　expiration　of　which　he
should　have　withdrawn　his　establishments　from　the　country；　according　to
my　written　orders　that　had　been　given　many　months　ago。

He　had　entirely　ignored　these　orders；　as　he　had　never　expected　my
arrival；　therefore　he　had　concealed　all　such　instructions　from　his
people；　in　the　hope　that　my　terms　of　service　would　expire　fruitlessly　at
Gondokoro；　and　that；　after　my　departure；　he　would　have　little　difficulty
in　arranging　for　the　future　with　his　friend　Raouf　Bey；　who　would　most
probably　succeed　to　the　command。

I　at　once　issued　written　orders　to　the　vakeels　of　his　different
stations；　that；　at　the　end　of　the　month　Mohurram；　the　contract　with　Agad
would　cease；　and　that　all　future　action　would　be　illegal。

I　gave　all　employees　of　Abou　Saood　due　notice；　that　they　must　either
quit　the　country；　or　become　respectable　subjects。

I　granted　them　permission　to　settle　at　Gondokoro；　and　to　commence　farms
on　the　fertile　islands　of　the　Nile　free　of　all　taxation。

Or；　should　they　wish　to　enter　the　government　service　as　irregular
troops；　I　offered　the　same　pay　as　the　regulars；　with　the　advantage　of　an
annual　engagement。

I　met　several　headmen　whom　I　had　known　in　my　former　journey。　These　men
found　fault　with　Abou　Saood　for　having　left　them　in　the　dark　respecting
the　contract　with　the　government；　and　they　at　once　declared　that　they
should　be　happy　to　serve　as　irregulars　at　the　expiration　of　the
agreement。

There　was　a　great　difficulty　respecting　the　ivory；　which　comprised　in
all　the　stations　3；200　tusks。

The　cattle　that　had　been　given　to　the　native　carriers　for　the　transport
of　the　ivory　to　Gondokoro　had　only　partially　been　returned　by　the
disappointed　Madi。　Many　of　these　people　had　killed　and　eaten　the　beasts；
and　had　declared　that　they　had　died；　when　they　found　the　necessity　of
restoring　them。

It　was　now　necessary　to　move　the　ivory；　together　with　all　the
establishments；　to　Gondokoro。　This　would　require　at　least　6；000　cows。　It
was　a　complete　fix。　There　were　no　cattle　in　any　of　Abou　Saood's
stations；　they　had　all　been　consumed；　and　he　now　came　to　me　with　a
request　that　I　would　lend　him　eighty　oxen；　as　his　people　had　nothing　to
eat。

It　was　clearly　impossible　to　move　the　ivory。　Thus；　in　spite　of　my　orders
given　to　Abou　Saood　about　ten　months　previous；　the　opportunity　of　moving
had　been　lost；　and　the　time　of　departure　was　reduced　to　sine　die。　This
was　a　hopeless　condition　of　affairs。　There　were　no　cattle　in　Abou
Saood's　possession；　and　without　cows　the　ivory　could　not　be　moved。　At
the　same　time；　it　would　be　impossible　for　me　to　permit　him　to　make
razzias　upon　distant　countries；　as　I　had　arrived　to　establish
government；　and　to　afford　protection　to　all　tribes　that　would　declare
their　allegiance。

I　now　discovered　that　the　principal　vakeel　of　Abou　Saood；　named　Mohammed
Wat…el…Mek；　had　only　recently　started　with　a　large　force；　by　Abou
Saood's　orders；　to　invade　the　Kooshi　country　on　the　west　side　of　the
White　Nile；　close　to　its　exit　from　the　Albert　N'yanza。

This　was　a　tribe　that　could　not　possibly　have　interfered　with　Abou
Saood；　but　as　the　cattle　had　been　exhausted　on　the　east　bank　of　the
river；　he　had　commenced　a　series　of　razzias　upon　the　west。　The　Koshi
were　people　with　whom　friendship　should　have　been　established；　as　they
were　on　the　navigable　Nile　that　would　eventually　be　traversed　by　the
steamer；　when　constructed　at　Ibrahimeyah。　It　was　thus　that　all　tribes
were　rendered　hostile　by　the　slave…hunters。

Mohammed　Wat…el…Mek　（son　of　the　king）　was　the　man　who　had　first
discovered　and　opened　up　the　countries　south　of　Gondokoro。　This　person
was　a　curious　but　useful　character　that　I　had　always　wished　to　employ；
as　he　had　great　power　with　the　natives；　and　he　knew　every　nook　and
corner　of　the　country。

I　had　known　him　during　my　former　journey；　and　it　appears　that　he　had
always　wished　to　serve　me　in　the　present　expedition。　The　slave…traders
of　Khartoum　had　been　determined　to　prevent　Wat…el…Mek　from　communicating
with　me；　thus；　when　I　had　arrived　in　Khartoum；　this　important　personage
was　actually　there；　but　he　was　quickly　sent　by　Abou　Saood　under　some
frivolous　pretext　up　the　Blue　Nile；　to　keep　him　out　of　the　way。

On　arrival　at　Gondokoro；　he　had　studiously　been　retained　on　the　west
bank　of　the　river；　and　his　name　had　been　kept　so　secret；　that　I　had
never　heard　it　mentioned。　Thus；　although　both　at　Khartoum　and　at
Gondokoro　Wat…el…Mek　had　been　within　a　few　hundred　paces　of　me；　I　had
always　supposed　that　he　was　in　Central　Africa。

Abou　Saood　now　declared　that　Wat…el…Mek　had　started　many　days　ago　from
Fatiko　to　Koshi；　but　I　subsequently　discovered　that　he　had　only　left
Fatiko　on　the　morning　of　my　arrival；　and　that　he　was　kept　waiting　at
Fabbo　station；　only　twenty…two　miles　west　of　Fatiko；　for　several　days；
while　I　had　been　told　by　Abou　Saood　that　he　had　gone　to　Koshi。

Mohammed　Wat…el…Mek　was　the　son　of　a　petty　king　far　away　up　the　Blue
Nile；　beyond　Fazokle。

He　had　in　early　life　been　a　serjeant　or　choush　in　the　Egyptian　army；　but
having　an　adventurous　disposition；　he　had　taken　to　the　White　Nile；　as
the　vakeel　of　Andrea　Debono；　a　Maltese　ivory　merchant。

Mr。　Debono；　being　a　British　subject；　retired　from　the　trade　when　the
slave…hunting　arrived　at　such　a　pitch　that　it　became　impossible　for
Europeans　to　continue　business　on　the　White　Nile。　（The　slave　trade
arrived　at　such　a　maximum　that　all　European　traders　in　ivory　were　driven
from　the　White　Nile；　including　Mr。　Petherick；　British　Consul。）

Debono　had　amassed　a　considerable　fortune　entirely　through：　the　energy
of　Wat…el…Mek；　who　had　pushed　into　the　interior；　and　had　established　his
stations　with　considerable　forethought　and　skill　throughout　the　formerly
unvisited　Madi　country。

Wat…el…Mek　was　an　exceedingly　black　man；　about　the　middle　height；　and
much　pitted　with　the　small…pox。　While　in　the　service　of　Debono；　he　had
commanded　the　station　of　Faloro；　where　he　had　most　hospitably　received
Speke　and　Grant　on　their　arrival　from　Zanzibar。　These　great　travellers
were　entertained　at　Faloro　during　many　weeks；　and　were　afterwards
conducted　by　their　host　to　Gondokoro；　where　I　had　the　good　fortune　to
meet　them。

Wat…el…Mek　was　a　very　courageous　fellow；　and　although　he　would　not
perhaps　have　been　considered　a　good　character　at　London　police　court；　he
was　a　man　who　would　be　most　useful　to　an　expedition　in　Central　Africa；
where　his　vicious　propensities　could　be　restrained　by　the　discipline　of
government。

When　Speke　parted　from　him　at　Gondokoro；　he　presented　him　with　a
beautiful　double…barrelled　gun　by　Blissett；　in　addition　to　other
articles。

The　worst　vice　of　this　man　was　drinking。　When　drunk；　he　could　be　induced
to　yield　to　any　absurdity。

However；　with　all　his　faults；　I　should　have　been　glad　of　Wat…el…Mek　to
command　the　irregular　force。

In　the　days　when　Debono　was　the　proprietor　of　the　Madi　station；
Wat…el…Mek　had　been　the　sole　vakeel；　and　although　he　was　a　tyrant；　he
was　not　disliked　by　the　natives。　Since　Debono　had　sold　his　stations　to
the　firm　of　Agad　&　Co。；　every　separate　camp　was　governed　by　an
independent　vakeel；　thus　there　were　many　tyrants　instead　of　one。

These　numerous　agents　acted　in　opposition　to　each　other　in　the　purchase
of　ivory。　If　a　native　of　Fatiko　should　take　a　tusk　to　sell　at　the
station　of　Fabbo；　he　would　run　the　chance　of　being　shot　upon　his　return。
This　system　of　attempted　monopoly　was　carried　out　throughout　the
country；　and　naturally　resulted　in　anarchy。　Although　all　the　vakeels　and
companies　belonged　to　one　firm；　they　acted　as　rival　traders。　Thus；　if
slaves　ran　away　from　one　station　and　took　shelter　with　the　natives　of　a
village　belonging　to　the　people　of　another　vakeel；　an　attack　would　be
made　upon　the　village　that　harboured　the　runaways；　and　their　women　and
children　would　be　immediately　captured。

This　onslaught　on　the　vil