What I said was meant in earnest, for I must have been carried, owing to the want of beasts of burden; and besides, I did not dare at all to expose my worthy head to the sun’s rays, because, from having remained under it, I had still the feeling as if my hair stood erect, like a conductor of caloric, by every single ray. Mount Korèk will, therefore, for the present, not be explored by me.
I must take advantage of this opportunity to mention a circumstance which may explain my not very great friendship for Arnaud, abstractedly from his general arrogance. Selim Capitan confirmed what the merchant Olivi had communicated to me in Khartùm. My fellow-travellers, in order to make themselves secure against any control, had determined, under the presidency of Vaissière, not to mention my worthy name at all in their journals. But the honest Vaissière had, at the same time, another plan, which was no other than to exclude me from the expedition. He himself offered to provide the biscuit necessary for me and my three servants. This proposal was the more acceptable to me, because all the baking-ovens of Khartùm had been taken possession of by the Government, to provide for the crew of the expedition.
The biscuit arrived safely the day before our departure at my house, just as Doctor Count de Domine, having returned from Kordofàn, was present. Without further investigation, I took the contents and weight to be correct, but my Italian friend thought that Vaissière was a great “baron fututto,” and opened a sack, from which an excellent biscuit peeped forth smilingly. This, however, did not convince him long; I was obliged to order Fadl, who was standing by, to shake out the bag, and then a peal of laughter resounded on every side. Only the uppermost part of the sack was laid over with good biscuit, the lower part being full of spoiled and mouldy ones. The very same result followed with the other sacks.
Armed with my heavy iron stick, I immediately ran along the side of the water to the divan of Vaissière, where I found all the Frenchmen assembled. I said plainly that he wished to force me, by this rascally deception, to desist from the voyage after one or two days’ further progress. In conclusion, I called him a slave-dealer, whose cross of the legion of honour I would tear off; and when he talked of being an officer, and “honour!” I called him a cowardly rascal. None of the Europeans spoke a word in his defence; and I was able to retreat through the numerous attendants, who feared my iron club as well as the Basha; and I went to the governor, who gave orders that the needful biscuit should be provided me from the shune.
Once again, before my departure, Vaissière and I stood suddenly, man to man, on a narrow path by the Blue Nile, where, from fear, because he had not challenged me, or lest I should push him into the water, he only stammered out the words, “Wife and children!” In these countries one must either let oneself be trod under foot, and be able to turn and cringe, or must step forward, like a man in his natural state, breast to breast.
29th January.—Before sunrise we hoist the anchor from the middle of the river, where we had halted for safety during the night, and set sail in a northern direction. Some elephant-trees, with thick foliage, and two villages, are on the left side of the shore, and a shallow long isle, like all the islands of this region. On the right Mount Pelenja, as well as an isle, which another larger one immediately follows. We see two magnificent broad-leaved acacia-trees, to which several more of these beautiful round-headed trees join on directly, and habitations right and left. The sun rises behind clouds. We row E.N.E., and then E. by N. The right shore forms a long durra-field; in its neighbourhood we get aground, and in spite of every exertion, remain fixed until half past nine o’clock. The strong north wind drives our vessel about in all directions, and the tired rowers are no match for my bold countryman. At half past ten o’clock we arrive, in an easterly direction, at the shallow island, separated from the right shore by a narrow arm of the Nile, and lying on a level with it. This island, planted with durra, is the very same one where King Làkono first visited us.
We have the other vessels ahead, waiting for us, and we come up to them at eleven o’clock, with great difficulty; for the men can display but little vigour at the rope in the water. The negroes of the right shore pursue us with several bundles of wood, to sell to us. Feïzulla Capitan is ashamed to make his report, on account of his long delay, and therefore lies down to sleep. We cast anchor also in the middle of the river; for we trust the natives no longer, and fear the wrath of the great Matta.
King Làkono sits on the shore in the centre of his people, who are standing around him; his favourite wife is also standing, and only one of his brothers is sitting near him. I now hear that Làkono had asked Selim Capitan for a musket to shoot the cannibals. The latter feared that the Tubal Cain of Bari might establish a manufactory of guns, and then come as a great conqueror to Sennaar, and therefore flatly refused him. On this account his Majesty is angry, and will not come on board. I am particularly sorry that he does not take leave of us, for I had noted down several questions which I should like to ask him. A drummer close to him is beating very skilfully, from time to time, on his long wooden kettle-drum, and answers quite doughtily the roll of one of our drummers. Another is blowing a wooden trumpet, in which the mouth-piece, or the hole at the upper end, is like that of a flute. They have also a twisted antelope’s horn, from which they manage to elicit several notes.
Notwithstanding the violent north wind, we set out again at half-past one o’clock, without even thinking of a visit of reconciliation to Làkono. What can the man think of us now? We who have got so many weapons, spears, bows, and clubs, from his people, and who certainly, in his eyes, have equally as many guns, do not give him even a single musket! We row at first, but soon tiring of this work, the vessels are allowed to drift with the stream, “Allah kerim,” and be tossed by the wind wherever it may drive them. We therefore knock one against the other, run towards the shore, and go, to my extreme anger, down the river with the stern foremost instead of the bow. This does not seem to Feïzulla Capitan to be any disgrace. To the right shore a shallow island, partly cultivated, and having, at the extremity of its foot, a little village. Another, upon which are several cows, who have only to thank the strong wind that we did not carry away some of them, stretches far downwards for nearly an hour.
Here I must express my surmise that the natives cultivate cotton, although not, perhaps, in large quantities. On the island of Tshanker I had seen already cotton offered for sale, without its existence being a matter of surprise to me; for I had previously met with it in the forests on the White Stream, growing wild. I am in possession even of a specimen of the cotton of this country, and know now how to explain from what the rahàt is made, which I got on that island. I was sitting once on the island of Tshanker, and sketching, when a young woman stationed herself at some distance, and pointed to her neck, which she wished to adorn with beads. I presented her with some to look at, and gave her to understand by dumb-show, that I wanted to have her thread apron for them. When I stepped nearer, however, to make the thing more intelligible to the woman, she drew back timidly. I therefore beckoned to Fadl, because he has more patience, and a darker colour, which must inspire greater confidence. She was no longer afraid when he came, but stopped and gave her consent to the sale by signs, although the men standing in the neighbourhood threatened her by elevating their spears. She motioned to Fadl to remain where he was, ran away, and soon returned with a leathern apron, which she had fetched from behind a rock, whereon men were standing.