第61章

”April25-Itrainedthroughoutthenight。ThecarrierssentbyKabbaRegaarrivedearly。Westartedat8。15a。m。，andmarchedtenmiles，arrivingatlastatthecapitalofUnyoro——Masindi。”Thislargetownissituatedonhighundulatinglandwithanextensiveview，boundedonthewestbytherangeofmountainsborderingtheAlbertN’yanza，aboutfiftymilesdistant。Thecountryisopen，butcoveredwithhighgrass。Asuccessionofknolls，allmoreorlessornamentedwithpark-liketrees，characterizethelandscape，whichslopesgraduallydowntowardsthewest，anddrainsintotheAlbertN’yanza，whichisabouttwentymilesdistant。”ThetownofMasindiis，asusualthroughoutUnyoro，exceedinglyneglected，andiscomposedofsomethousandlargebeehive-shapedstrawhuts，withoutanyarrangementorplan。”Iselectedapositionbeneathalargebanian-tree，fromthebaseofwhichIclearedtheherbage，andhavingpitchedthetent，thenativestoreupaboutanacreofthehighgrass，andweencampeduponthecleanground。”KabbaRegasentapresentoftwenty-nineloadsoftullaboon(asmallseed，EleusineCoracan)，aquantityofplantainsandpotatoes，andsixgoats。”ThisspotisinN。lat。1deg。45min。，andisseventy-ninemiles，byourroute，fromtheriveratFoweera。Wearethus322milesbyroutefromIsmailia(Gondokoro)。”April26-IvisitedKabbaRegaofficially，withtheofficersandtroopsinfulluniform，andthebandplaying。”Ifoundhimsittinginhisdivan；thiswasalargeneatly-constructedhut，ornamentedwithsomeverycommonprintedcottoncloths，whichhadarrivedviaZanzibar。KabbaRegawasverywellclad，inbeautifullymadebark-clothstripedwithblack；hewasexcessivelyneat，andappearedtobeabouttwentyyearsofage。HegavemethesameaccountoftheatrociousproceedingsofAbouSaood’scompaniesthatIhadalreadyreceivedfromhischiefs，andheexpressedhisdelightatmyarrival，andthatIhadcapturedSuleimanandsomeofhispeople。”IexplainedtheintentionsoftheKhediveofEgypt，atthesametimeIlamentedtheterriblechangethathadoccurredthroughouthiscountrysincemyformervisit。Iassuredhimthatthefuturewouldbeprosperous，andthat，undertheprotectionofEgypt，hewouldneverhavefurthercauseforalarm。IthensummonedtheprisonersthathadbeencapturedanddisarmedbyColonelAbd-el-Kader；andhavingexplainedthechargesagainstthem，theywerepubliclyfloggedinthepresenceofamultitudeofKabbaRega’speople，whileSuleimanandEddreeswereledawayinshebas，totheastonishmentanddelightofallbeholders。”TheslavesthathadbeendiscoveredinthepossessionofSuleiman’speoplewerenowbroughtforward，andhavingbeenidentifiedbyKabbaRegaandhispeopleasbelongingtoUnyoro，theywereatoncereleased，andIreturnedbothyounggirlsandboystotheircountry。Onewomandidnotwishtoleavethetraders，asshehadbeenmarriedtooneofthecompanyforsomeyears，andhadseveralchildren。”IexplainedthattheywereactuallyFREE——toremainwiththeircaptors，ortoreturntotheirhomes，astheythoughtproper。”ThiswasagoodopportunityforassuringbothKabbaRegaandthispeoplethatIshouldrestorealltheslavesthathadbeencarriedoutoftheircountrytothevariousstationsofAbouSaoodatFatiko，Fabbo，Faloro，&c。”IdescribedtotheyoungkingandhischiefsthatIwasdeterminedtosuppresstheslavetrade，andthatIhadhithertoforbornetointerfereinthereleaseoftheslavesatthevariousstations，asitwouldhavebeenimpossibletohavereturnedthemtotheirdistanthomes，neithercouldIhavesuppliedthemwithfood。IwasnowatMasindi，beyondthefartheststationofAbouSaood，andIshouldcertainlyinsistuponthereturnofeveryslavethathadbeenkidnappedfromthiscountry。ThiswouldatonceprovetotheinhabitantsofUnyorothebenefitoftheKhedive’sprotection。(Thesubsequentattackmadebytheslave-tradersuponthegovernmenttroopsandmyselfatFatikowasduetothisdeclarationthatallslavesshouldbetakenawayfromtheircaptorsandreturnedtotheirhomes。ItwillbeseenlaterthatIsentorderstothecommandantofmystationatFatikotoreleaseallslaves，andthiscommandwasresistedbyAbouSaoodandhispeople。)”April27-KabbaRegahadarrangedtoreturnmyvisit。”IhadorderedabroadroadwaytobeclearedfromKabbaRega’sdivantomytent，whichwaspitchedbeneathanenormousfig-treeorbanian(FicusIndica)。Thetroopswerelinedoneithersideofthisapproachintheirbestuniforms。”Thebandwasstationednearthetent，whichwasspreadwithskinsandsmallcarpets，allthesidesbeingopen。”Anhourandahalfpassedaw

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