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