第 16 节
作者:
巴乔的中场 更新:2021-02-20 18:11 字数:9322
the No。 8 steamer with ten soldiers as an escort to bring him to my
station。
〃April 30。We commenced erecting the iron magazines。 Lieutenant Baker;
Mr。 Higginbotham; and the Englishmen all actively employed; while Raouf
Bey and his officers; instead of attending to the pressing work of
forming the permanent camp; sit under a tree and smoke and drink coffee
throughout the day。
〃The artillerymen are nearly all ill; likewise many of the Egyptian
regiment; while the black troops are well and in excellent spirits。
There is no doubt that for this service the blacks are very superior to
the Egyptians: these are full of religious prejudices combined with
extreme ignorance; and they fall sick when deprived of the vegetable
diet to which they are accustomed in Egypt。
〃In the evening the steamer returned with the true Shillook king;
accompanied by two of his wives; four daughters; and a retinue of about
seventy people。〃
CHAPTER IV。
THE CAMP AT TEWFIKEEYAH。
〃May 1。The camp is beginning to look civilized。 Already the underwood
has been cleared; and the large trees which border the river have their
separate proprietors。 There is no home like a shady tree in a tropical
climate; here we are fortunate in having the finest mimosas; which form
a cool screen。 I have apportioned the largest trees among the higher
officers。 The English quarter of the camp is already arranged; and the
whole force is under canvas。 A few days ago this was a wilderness; now
there are some hundred new tents arranged in perfectly straight rows so
as to form streets。 This extensive plot of white tents; occupying a
frontage of four hundred yards; and backed by the bright green forest;
looks very imposing from the river。
〃The English quarter was swept clean; and as the surface soil on the
margin of the river was a hard white sand; the place quickly assumed a
neat and homely appearance。 I had a sofa; a few chairs; and a carpet
arranged beneath a beautiful shady mimosa; where I waited the arrival of
the true king of the ShillooksQuat Kare。
〃In a few minutes he was introduced by an aide…de…camp; accompanied by
two wives; four daughters; and a large retinue。 Like all the Shillooks;
he was very tall and thin。 As his wardrobe looked scanty and old; I at
once gave him a long blue shirt which nearly reached to his ankles;
together with an Indian red scarf to wear as a waistband。 When thus
attired I presented him with a tarboosh (fez); all of which presents he
received without a smile or the slightest acknowledgment。 When dressed
with the assistance of two or three of the soldiers who had volunteered
to act as valets; he sat down on the carpet; upon which he invited his
family to sit near him。 There was a profound silence。 The king appeared
to have no power of speech; he simply fixed his eyes upon myself and my
wife; then slowly turned them upon Lieutenant Baker and the officers in
attendance。 The crowd was perfectly silent。
〃I was obliged to commence the conversation by asking him ‘whether he
was really Quat Kare; the old king of the Shillooks? as I had heard his
death reported。'
〃Instead of replying; he conferred with one of his wives; a woman of
about sixty; who appeared to act as prime minister and adviser。 This old
lady immediately took up the discourse; and very deliberately related
the intrigues of the Koordi governor of Fashoda; which had ended in the
ruin of her husband。 It appeared that the Koordi did not wish that peace
should reign throughout the land。 The Shillooks were a powerful tribe;
numbering upwards of a million; therefore it was advisable to sow
dissension amongst them; and thus destroy their unity。 Quat Kare was a
powerful king; who had ruled the country for more than fifty years。 He
was the direct descendant of a long line of kings; therefore he was a
man whose influence was to be dreaded。 The policy of the Koordi
determined that he would overthrow the power of Quat Kare; and after
having vainly laid snares for his capture; the old king fled from the
governor of Fashoda as David fled from Saul and hid in the cave of
Adullam。 The Koordi was clever and cunning in intrigue; thus; he wrote
to Djiaffer Pacha; the governor…general of the Soudan; and declared that
Quat Kare the king of the Shillooks was DEAD; it was therefore necessary
to elect the next heir; Jangy for whom he requested the firman of the
Khedive。 The firman of the Khedive arrived in due course for the
pretender Jangy; who was a distant connexion of Quat Kare; and in no way
entitled to the succession。 This intrigue threw the country into
confusion。 Jangy was proclaimed king by the Koordi; and was dressed in a
scarlet robe with belt and sabre。 The pretender got together a large
band of adherents who were ready for any adventure that might yield them
plunder。 These natives; who knew the paths and the places where the vast
herds of cattle were concealed; acted as guides to the Koordi; and the
faithful adherents of the old king; Quat Kare; were plundered;
oppressed; and enslaved without mercy; until the day that I had
fortunately arrived in the Shillook country; and caught the Koordi in
the very act of kidnapping。
〃I had heard this story a few days before; and I was much struck with
the clear and forcible manner in which the old wife described the
history。
〃Here we have an average picture of Soudan rule。 In a country blessed
with the most productive soil and favourable climate; with a population
estimated at above a million; the only step towards improvement; after
seven years of possession; is a system of plunder and massacre。 Instead
of peace; a series of intrigues have thrown the country into hopeless
anarchy。 With a good government; this fertile land might produce
enormous wealth in the cultivation of corn and cotton。 I arranged with
the king that he should wait patiently; and that I would bring the
affair before the proper authority; in the mean time; his people should
return to their villages。
〃After a feast upon an ox; and the entertainment of the magnetic battery
and the wheel of life; I gave Quat Kare; and the various members of his
family; an assortment of presents; and sent them back rejoicing in the
No。 8 steamer。 I had been amused by the stoical countenance of the king
while undergoing a severe shock from the battery。 Although every muscle
of his arms was quivering; he never altered the expression of his
features。 One of his wives followed his example; and resisted a shock
with great determination; and after many attempts she succeeded in
extracting a necklace from a basin of water so highly charged; that her
hand was completely cramped and paralysed。
〃I have thoroughly gained the confidence of the natives; as vast herds
of cattle are now fearlessly brought to graze on the large island
opposite the camp。 The natives assure me that all the male children that
may be born this year will be called the ‘Pacha;' in commemoration of
the release given to the captives。
〃A soldier was caught this afternoon in the act of stealing a fowl from
a native。 I had him flogged and secured in irons for five days。 I have
determined upon the strictest discipline; in spite of the old prejudice。
As the greater portion of the Egyptian regiment is composed of felons;
convicted of offences in Cairo; and transported to the White Nile; my
task is rather difficult in establishing a reformation。 The good taste
of the authorities might be questioned for supplying me with a regiment
of convicts to carry out an enterprise where a high state of discipline
and good conduct are essential to success。〃
I gave the name Tewfikeeyah '*' to the new station; which rapidly grew
into a place of importance。 It was totally unlike an Egyptian camp; as
all the lines were straight。 Deep ditches; cut in every necessary
direction; drained the station to the river。 I made a quay about 500
yards in length; on the bank of the river; by which the whole fleet
could lie; and embark or disembark cargo。 A large stable contained the
twenty horses; which by great care had kept their condition。 It was
absolutely necessary to keep them in a dark stable on account of the
flies; which attacked all animals in swarms。 Even within the darkened
building it was necessary to light fires composed of dried horse…dung;
to drive away the these persecuting insects。 The hair fell completely
off the ears and legs of the donkeys (which were allowed to ramble
about); owing to the swarms of flies that irritated the skin; but in
spite of the comparative comfort of a stable; the donkeys preferred a
life of out…door independence; and fell off in condition if confined to
a house。 The worst flies were the small grey species; with a long
proboscis; similar to those that are often seen in houses in England。
'*Footnote: After the Khedive's eldest son; Mahomed Tewfik Pacha'
In an incredibly short time the station fell into shape。 I constructed
three magazines of galvanized iron; each eighty feet in length; and the
head storekeeper; Mr。 Marcopolo; at last completed his arduous task of
storing the immense amount of supplies that had been contained in the
fleet of vessels。
This introduced us to the White Nile rats; which