第 31 节
作者:
巴乔的中场 更新:2021-02-20 18:11 字数:9322
all hands turned in to sleep。
On the following morning I made a post…mortem examination。 He had
received three shots in the flank and shoulder; four in the head; one of
which had broken his lower jaw; another through his nose had passed
downward and cut off one of his large tusks。 I never witnessed such
determined and unprovoked fury as was exhibited by this animalhe
appeared to be raving mad。 His body was a mass of frightful scars; the
result of continual conflicts with bulls of his own species; some of
these wounds were still unhealed。 There was one scar about two feet in
length; and about two inches below the level of the surface skin; upon
the flank。 He was evidently a character of the worst description; but
whose madness rendered him callous to all punishment。 I can only suppose
that the attack upon the vessels was induced by the smell of the raw
hippopotamus flesh; which was hung in long strips about the rigging; and
with which the zinc boat was filled。 The dead hippopotamus that was
floating astern lashed to the diahbeeah had not been molested。
We raised the zinc boat; which was fortunately unhurt。 The dingy had
lost a mouthful; as the hippopotamus had bitten out a portion of the
side; including the gunwale of hard wood; he had munched out a piece
like the port of a small vessel; which he had accomplished with the same
ease as though it had been a slice of toast。
I sent the boat to the English shipwrights for repair; and these capital
workmen turned it out in a few days nearly as good as new。
The success of the dam was most complete。 The river rose so as to
overflow the marshes; which enabled us to push all the vessels up the
channel without the necessity of deepening it by spade labour。
〃March 14。Should we succeed in reaching Gondokoro without serious
loss; it will be the greatest possible triumph over difficulties; which
no one can understand who has not witnessed the necessities of the
journey。
〃A diahbeeah arrived in the lake; breaking her yard in a sudden shift of
wind; and giving a man a fall from aloft; which was fatal。
〃The steamer and fleet are coming through the sudd as fast as the troops
clear the channel。
〃March 15。The steamer arrived in the lake at 3。30 P。M。
〃March 16。Thermometer; 6 A。M。; 61 degrees; noon; 82 degrees。 Eleven
vessels entered the lake last night。 The wind has been very variable for
the last few days; and the true north wind appears to have deserted us;
the absence of a fair breeze delays us sadly in pushing through the
narrow channels against the stream。
〃Dysentery and scurvy are prevalent among the Egyptians。 Four Egyptian
soldiers and two Soudanis have deserted。 Where these wretched fools
intend to wander is quite a speculation;they appear to have yielded
to a temptation to run away upon the first dry land that they have seen
for months。
〃The fleet assembled in the lake。 The Egyptian troops cut a passage for
fifty yards through a sudd in a channel through which the fleet must
pass; as there is a shallow that will prevent them from taking the main
course of the lake。
〃To…morrow the whole force will turn out and cut the remaining portion
of about 300 yards; there will then be no difficulty except a sudd of
about three quarters of a mile between the lake and the White Nile。
〃March 17。We cut through the sudd; and all the vessels entered the
broad waters of the lake and anchored in the evening opposite some
native huts; close to the channel that we must open to…morrow。 These
huts are the first habitations that we have seen for more than two
months;they are now deserted by the frightened fishermen who had
occupied them。
〃March 18。The diahbeeah led the way at 7。30 A。M。 through the channel
that is closed by grass and the Pistia Stratiotes。 At 10。15 we arrived
in the White Nile。 There is plenty of water throughout the closed
channel; but there was some heavy work to clear the vegetation。
〃March 19。All the vessels came through into the White Nile; and there
was great rejoicing throughout the fleet。 At length the men really
believed that a country of dry land might lie before them; and that they
were delivered from the horrible chaos or 'Slough of Despond' in which
they had now laboured for sixty days。
〃I served out new tow…ropes to the fleet; and ordered No。 13 transport
to discharge and divide her cargo among other vessels; and to take on
board thirty soldiers to accompany the steamer to…morrow。 We remounted
the steamer's paddles and tautened all the rigging of the diahbeeah;
mended sails; and thoroughly repaired for a start to…morrow。 No。 31
being a rotten vessel; I ordered her cargo to be divided among the
lighter boats。 I gave stringent orders to the officers to protect all
ammunition and bales of goods with galvanized iron plates in case of
rain。
〃March 20。All the vessels got away by 9 A。M。 with a rattling breeze。
The steamer started at 10。8 A。M。; but was delayed one hour and twenty
minutes by her stupidly dragging the nogger ashore in rounding a sharp
corner。
〃At 5。15 P。M。 we arrived at a forest on the west bank。 At 6。45 P。M。 we
stopped; as I was afraid we might pass the station of Wat…el…Shambi in
the dark。
〃March 21。At 8。25 A。M。 we started。 Three natives came to the vessel
and reported the zareeba to be close ahead。
〃I served out fifteen rounds of snider ammunition per man to the 'Forty
Thieves;' thus filling up their pouches to thirty rounds。 The banks are
now dry; and about two feet six inches above the river's level。 The
country is as usual flat; but covered with forest on the west。 Cattle
numerous; and bellowing in all directions。
〃At 9。15 A。M。 we arrived at Wat…el…Shambi。 The forest is distant from
the river; therefore at 10 we started with light south…east wind; and at
10。30 we returned to a good station for cutting fuel in the forest about
four miles below Wat…el…Shambi。
〃The few representatives of Ali Amouri; the trader at the latter
station; declared that they could not supply us with cattle; they being
hard up for provisions themselves。 Their looks belied the excuse。 Wind
south all day; but changed to north at 6。30 P。M。 The boat of the French
trader; Jules Poncet; that had accompanied the fleet; arrived in the
evening。
〃A number of natives; stark naked; and smeared with wood ashes; came as
usual to beg for corn。 I have given strict orders that on no account
shall corn be exchanged in purchases from the nativesotherwise our
supply will be stolen wholesale。 This order was broken through by
Mustapha Ali; who therefore received a hundred lashes; as I was
determined to enforce obedience。
〃March 22。Much lightning and wind from the south during the night。 I
fear rain。 At daybreak we found Raouf Bey's vessel close up; and many
others near。 The north wind of last night must have aided them。 The
natives came in some numbers。
〃March 23。All hands yesterday and to…day busied in cutting wood for
steamer。
〃March 24。Poor Jusef; one of the horsekeepers; died。
〃March 25。Started; with the steamer towing a noggur and my diahbeeah
with about fifty hours' fuel on board; at 12。50 P。M。
〃There has been wholesale theft of stores on No。 50 noggur。 I caught and
punished the captain in the act of selling our ammunition to the slave
traders' people in their zareeba。
〃March 26。We travelled throughout last night; the stream is nearly
three miles per hour。 We lost an hour last evening in taking wood from
the noggur in tow; as she leaks dangerously。 I took six men and their
effects from her; and placed them on the steamer; as she is quite
unsafe。
〃Arrived at the station of Abou Kookah at 10。25 A。M。; having travelled
badly against the strong south wind; and our bottom dirty。 At 3。10 P。M。
we left Abou Kookah; and at 9。50 P。M。 we arrived at the forest; close to
the deserted mission station of St。 Croix; where we halted for the
night。 There were vast herds of cattle and many natives on the east
bank。〃
CHAPTER VII。
ARRIVAL AT GONDOKORO。
After the usual voyage upon the White Nile; during which we passed the
Bohr and the Shir tribes; and had excellent sport in antelope shooting
when the steamer stopped at forests to cut fuel; we arrived opposite the
old mission station at Gondokoro on April 15; 1871。
I found a great change in the river since my last visit。 The old
channel; which had been of great depth where it swept beneath the
cliffs; was choked with sand…banks。 New islands had formed in many
places; and it was impossible for the vessels to approach the old
landing…place。 We therefore dropped down the stream to a spot where high
ground and a few trees invited us to the east bank。 At this place the
traders had founded a new settlement that was now without in habitants;
and was represented by half…a…dozen broken…down old huts。
〃The country is sadly changed; formerly; pretty native villages in great
numbers were dotted over the landscape; beneath shady clumps of trees;
and the land was thickly populated。 Now; all is desolate: not a village
exists on the mainland; they have all been destroyed; and the
inhabitants have been driven for refuge on the numerous low islands of
the river; these are thronged with vil