Monday, Feb. 6th.—Started about 4 A.M. Stopped for wood on the west side; went ashore and looked about. The Captain will not go on shore, nor allow us to do so, without being well armed. Some Shillooks came down to the shore apparently to barter. We were warned to be on our guard. They were absolutely naked, and a wild looking set. We were off as soon as we got wood enough. Passed a small island, one end of which was literally covered with crocodiles. There is almost a continuous stretch of Shillook villages on both banks along here. The men are all naked. The language strikes one as very peculiar. There are a number of palm trees in this vicinity with a bulge or swelling in the middle of the stem. Passed several villages of considerable size. Saw the village called O-Gawdie, where the late King of the Shillooks, who was killed by Mohammed Achmet, resided. The natives in many places are burning the grass and getting ready to plant their farms. We notice also various methods of fishing, which for a wonder seem to be quite successful. Some large flies came on board along here, and we found that they could bite. At 7:30 we cast anchor in the Sobat, at a point some distance above its mouth, and opposite the deserted military station. We chose the middle of the stream as a matter of safety, for although there are but a handful of people living near here, yet they will swarm from the White Nile, and other parts, at very short notice. Relays of three men each were placed on watch all night. Now that the military station is abandoned the country about here is not considered at all safe. But here we are in the Sobat at last! After all our hopes and fears, after all our journeyings over sea and land, up the old Nile and across the burning sands of the Desert, here we are at last! We are twenty-five hundred miles up the Nile. We are more than eight thousand miles from home. We are in Central Africa.
Dr. Ladd and his party went up the Sobat as far as was practicable, and took a number of photographs of the country and the people. They also went beyond the Sobat junction of the White Nile. Having successfully accomplished their mission, they were obliged to return as speedily as possible on account of the increasing dangers that surrounded them. They stopped at “Tawfikeeyeh,” where Sir Samuel Baker had his camp, and at the towns of Melacan and Waw, and took many interesting photographs of all these places. They also visited with a guard among the Shillook villages in the vicinity of Fashoda.
We rode around Fashoda outside of the zeriba of thorn bushes, which had been put up as a protection to the place, and then we struck across the plain to the village of Hegag. Here we had a pleasant interview with the natives, and saw a man who had received a bad bullet wound in the last fight with Mohammed Achmet. I took a photograph of this village and of the chief’s family. After we had had quite a chat with these people we again mounted, and, taking a good road back, we let our horses out on a full run, to see what an Arab horse could do. All the horses seemed to enjoy it, and certainly we did, after the cramped life we had been leading on board of the steamer. As we approached Fashoda the mounted guard, now always on the alert and fearing an attack from Mohammed Achmet at any time, spied us coming at full speed, and thinking something might be wrong, rode out to meet us. There is a constant fear that at any moment the place may be attacked, and a most vigilant watch is kept. We rode around the town, took a photograph of the market place and then returned to our lodgings on the steamer. Here we were waited upon by a number of men who had all sorts of favors to ask. One was a convict and wanted help; another wished us to present some petitions for him at Khartoum. Toward evening we called upon the Governor at his private house; had a pleasant visit, and obtained much valuable information about the natives and the country. On our return I took a photograph of some native women cooking durra. By a careful calculation from latitude and declination, I find that the time of sunrise this morning was 6:10 and the time of sunset was 5:50. In this way only are we able to regulate our watches. * * *
Speaking of Kaka, Dr. Ladd says:
The small garrison of 50 men is practically in a state of siege. They can get no supplies, and are actually afraid to go more than a few steps beyond their zeriba. Kaka is thus threatened both by the Shillooks and the followers of Mohammed Achmet, and there is much fear expressed on all sides. This whole section of country is considered very dangerous and unsafe. We are repeatedly told: “It is well that you are armed; don’t go on shore without your arms.” There certainly seem to be perilous times ahead, for things are constantly getting worse, and the government has delayed to act until action means war. There is a young Greek merchant on board with whom I have been brushing up my Greek. He is from Fashoda and expected to stop here, but is frightened out of it, and says he shall go on to Khershawal, which is on the other side of the river, and a place of less danger. He says, and others agree with him, that there are spies everywhere who keep the rebels posted as to every movement. One man is now in irons at Fashoda who was found with a letter on his person directed to Mohammed Achmet, telling him the condition of the forces at Fashoda and urging him to come on at once and take the place. Threats have been made that if the government does not send on an army at once the rebels will take Fashoda within 20 days.
The town of Kaka is built of mud-smeared straw huts, surrounded with a zeriba. The fort is built of mud, boasts one cannon, and is surrounded by a dry moat. One of the officers presented Doctor with a young red-crested crane. After we had sufficiently examined the fort and town we took the photograph of a Dinka woman whose person was a marvel of bas-relief work, and also a general view of the town. We were presented through the “Yousbashi” with a couple of baskets of a seed called “sutcheb,” and were assured that it is a sure cure for dysentery. Saw one soldier who ought to have been shot on the spot for insubordination. The Governor ordered him to accompany the durra to the town as a guard, and he flatly and most emphatically refused to budge. The Governor tried to reason with him and urge him, but he grew more and more obstreperous, till finally, the governor slapped him in the face, and, after a tussle, took his gun away from him. The Governor tried to have some one arrest him, but no one would do it, and finally the man got his gun back, and did as he pleased. What discipline can there be in an army where such things are possible? Very soon there was another fight, and this time on the steamer. We were about to put off. Doctor and I were standing on the bridge. A soldier rushed on board claiming an “angarib,” or native bed, which did not belong to him; but he was bound to come on board and take it by force. The Captain ordered him on shore. He refused to go. The Captain undertook, with the help of his sailors, to put him off the boat, and there was a fight at once. Other soldiers rushed in to help their comrade, and it looked for a few minutes as though the crew might be overpowered. Instinctively our hands found their way to our revolvers, and we stood ready to defend the Captain if it should become necessary. After a pretty general fight, the soldiers were obliged to retreat. The plank was drawn in, and to settle all questions of ownership, the “angarib” was broken up and thrown overboard.
Tuesday, Feb. 14th.—We were up early this morning, and started out to see the country and hunt a little before breakfast while the men were cutting wood for the steamer. We borrowed a rifle from one of the soldiers, so that we had two rifles and a shot gun in the party. We were warned, as we went on shore, of a lion that was lurking about in the bushes, but we wanted nothing better than to see a lion. We struck straight back into the country for some distance without seeing anything. After a time I got after some guinea hens with the shot gun, leaving the rest of the party with the rifles in the rear. I was creeping carefully along to get within range when I suddenly came upon two large deer, with horns over a yard long. They were close to me, and I ran a bullet into the shot gun, but decided that it would be better to drive them toward the rifles than to try them with only a shot gun. They stopped once and looked at me, and then bounded away in the direction of the rest of the party. Doctor fired as they passed, but the grass just there was tall, and he missed. We were about to follow them up, and get them, if possible, without giving them our wind, when our suspicious were aroused by something moving in the high grass and bushes. We watched closely, and soon made out a crowd of men with spears crouching down when we observed them, and darting from bush to bush, and circling around in such a way as to surround us. They had horses, and were easily identified as Baggara Arabs, probably belonging to Mohammed Achmet’s party. We thought it best to retreat while we could do so in good order. We reached the river, and reported the state of affairs to the Captain. Ibrahim and the Mate also soon came in, reporting that they were Mohammed Achmet’s people, that they were in great numbers, and that they were still advancing, and spreading out so as to surround us. The Captain gave the order to fire up at once, and ordered the men on board as soon as possible. The Doctor and I started to reconnoiter, but the Captain would not allow it, saying that we would find ourselves in an ambush, and that it would do no good. We did not want to be obliged to kill anybody to get away, or to fight unless it became necessary, so we obeyed him, and went on board. The ropes were cast off, and we turned on “full speed” down stream. We were glad enough to get safely away. We passed a large island, which is not properly named on the maps. In fact, there is not a single map or book upon the Nile, or any extended portion of the Nile, that is at all satisfactory. One would suppose that Gordon’s map of the White Nile would at least approximate to accuracy. On the contrary, it is full of the grossest and most amusing blunders. * * * Our steersman is very ill with the fever to-day, and just about used up. We have been obliged to take to eating durra, for our bread, as well as most of our other provision, has given out. Saw two large herds of buffaloes on the west bank. One herd numbered over a hundred head, young and old. We had a good long look at them before they sniffed the air and tossed their heads and plunged off into the jungle. In the evening, Turk and Greek gathered around us, and told us some marvelous stories of witches. Ibraham swallowed it all as the sober truth, while we laughed at his credulity. We stopped to spend the night and get wood on the east side, just beyond or north of Waldochone Island. There is said to be good hunting here, and we are preparing to enjoy the sport while the men are getting the wood in the morning. This is the only variety our life affords, and helps to keep us in good spirits. Temperature: 6, 61°; 11, 77°; 5:50, 83°.
Wednesday, Feb. 15th.—We were up bright and early, and started back into the country over a magnificent hunting ground. We started up a hare, and were after him, when two large lions sprang out from behind a bush, and ran across our path, tails up, making for the jungle. They were immense fellows, and the men who were with us were frightened and lagged behind, while Doctor and I chased them up and tried to head them off. It was an exciting chase, and made the blood tingle in our veins, but the brush became so dense that they finally got away from us. It was an experience in African life that we shall not soon forget. * * *