Leaves Kagehyi with Half his Expedition — Arrival at Refuge Island — Brings up the Rest — Encamped on Refuge Island — Interviewed by Iroba Canoes — Stanley’s Friendship Scorned — The King of Bumbireh a Hostage — The Massacre of the Kytawa Chief and his Crew — The Punishment of the Murderers — Its Salutary Effect upon their Neighbors — Arrival in Uganda — Life and Manners in Uganda — The Emperor — The Land — En-route for Muta Nzigé — The White People of Gambaragara — Lake Windermere — Rumanika, the King of Karagwé — His Country — The Ingezi — The Hot Springs of Mtagata — Ubagwé — Msené — Across the Malagarazi to Ujiji — Sad Reflections.
On the 20th of June, Stanley again sailed from Kagehyi with his expedition, having procured the loan of fifty canoes from Lukongeh, the amiable King of Ukerewe, and arrived safely at Refuge Island, half way to Uganda and two days’ sail from Bumbireh. This latter place was where the savages had made the treacherous attack upon his expedition, so graphically described in the previous chapter.
After a few days’ rest on Refuge Island they proceeded on their voyage, and remembering the bitter injuries he had received from the natives of Bumbireh, and the death by violence and starvation he and his party had so narrowly escaped, Stanley resolved that, unless they should make amends for their cruelty and treachery, he would attack them and administer such punishment as would prove a salutary lesson, and teach them the duty of hospitality to travellers in the future.
Stanley first sent a message to the natives of Bumbireh to the effect that if they would deliver their King and the two principal chiefs under him into his hands, he would make peace with them. This ultimatum was received with contempt; but by a stratagem Stanley succeeded in getting the King of Bumbireh brought to him, who was at once heavily chained. Being in want of supplies for his party, Stanley sent to Bumbireh to procure food; but the natives, instead of giving any, attacked his men, wounding eight and killing a friendly chief, which was another reason why Bumbireh should be punished.
Accordingly Stanley started off, on the following morning, with a force of two hundred and eighty men—fifty muskets, two hundred and thirty spearsmen—in eighteen canoes, and reached the island of Bumbireh about two in the afternoon. The natives had evidently been anticipating some trouble, for as they approached messengers were observed running fast to a plantain grove that stood on a low hill commanding a clear open view of a little port at the southern end of the island, from which they concluded that the main force of the savages was hidden behind the grove.
Perceiving that they were too strong to attack them in the plantain grove, Stanley steered for the opposite shore, intending to disembark his force there; but as soon as the natives saw this, they rose from their coverts, and ran along the hill slopes to meet Stanley, which was precisely what he wished they would do, and accordingly he ordered his force to paddle slowly, so as to give them time. In half an hour the savages were all assembled on the slope of a hill in knots and groups, and after approaching within one hundred yards of the shore Stanley formed his line of battle, the American and English flags waving as their ensigns. Having anchored each canoe so as to turn its broadside to the shore, he ordered a volley to be fired at one group which numbered about fifty, and the result was ten killed and thirty wounded. The savages, perceiving the danger of standing in groups, separated themselves along the lake shore, and advanced to the water’s edge, slinging stones and shooting arrows. Stanley then ordered the canoes to advance within fifty yards of the shore, and to fire as if they were shooting birds. After an hour the savages saw that they could not defend themselves at the water’s edge, and retreated up the hill slope, where they continued still exposed to the fire from the boats.
NATIVES CORALLING WILD GAME.
Another hour was spent in this manner, after which Stanley caused the canoes to come together, and told them to advance in a body to the shore as if they were about to disembark. This caused the enemy to make an effort to repulse their landing, and, accordingly, hundreds came down with their spears ready on the launch. When they were close to the water’s edge the bugle sounded a halt, and another volley was fired into the dense crowd, which had such a disastrous effect on them that they retired far up the hill, and the work of punishment had been consummated.
The loss of the savages was very great, as might naturally be expected, considering they were so exposed on a shore covered only with short grass. Forty-two were counted lying dead on the field, and over one hundred were seen to retire wounded. Stanley’s spearsmen were very anxious that he should allow them to land and utterly destroy the Bumbirehs; but this he refused, saying that he had not come to destroy the island, but to punish them for their treachery and attempted murder of himself and party when they had put faith in their professed friendship.