I now weighed all my baggage, and found that I bad
fifty-four cantars (100 lbs. each). The beads, copper^ and
ammunition were the terrible onus. I therefore applied
to Mahommed, the vakeel of Andrea Debono, who had
escorted Speke and Grant, and I begged his co-operation
in the expedition. These people had brought down a
large quantity of ivory from the interior, and had
therefore a number of porters who would return empty-
handed ; I accordingly arranged with Mahommed for
fifty porters, who would much relieve the backs of
nay animals from Gondokoro to the station at Faloro,
about twelve days’ march. At Faloro I intended to
leave my heavy baggage in dépôt, and to proceed
direct to Kamrasi’s country. I promised Mahommed
that I would use my influence in all new countries that
I might discover, to open a road for his ivory trade,
provided that he would agree to conduct it by legitimate
purchase, and I gave him a list of the quality of
beads most desirable for Kamrasi’s country, according
to the description I had received from Speke.
Mahommed promised to accompany me, not only to
his camp at Faloro, but throughout the whole of my '
expedition, provided that I would assist him in procuring
ivory, and that I would give him a handsome
present. All was agreed upon, and my own men
appeared in high spirits at the prospect of joining so
large a party as that of Mahommed, which mustered
about two hundred men.
At that time I really placed dependence upon the
professions of Mahommed and his people; they had just
brought Speke and Grant with them, and had received
from them presents of a first-class double-barrelled gun
and several valuable rifles. I had promised not only
to assist them in their ivory expeditions, but to give
them something very handsome in addition, and the
fact of my having upwards of forty men as escort was
also an introduction, as they would be an addition to
the force, which is a great advantage in hostile countries.
Everything appeared to be in good train, but I
little knew the duplicity of these Arab scoundrels.- At
the very moment that they were most friendly, they
were plotting to deceive me, and to prevent me from
entering the country. They knew, that should I penetrate
the interior, the ivory trade of the White Nile
would be no longer a mystery, and that the atrocities
of the slave trade would be exposed, and most likely
be terminated by the intervention of European Powers;
accordingly they combined to prevent my advanee, and
to overthrow my expedition completely. The whole of
the men belonging to the various traders were determined
that no Englishman should penetrate into the
country; accordingly they fraternised with my escort,
I 2