so that the pointed end should hang exactly straight
behind him. So particular was he, that he was quite
half an hour in arranging this simple appendage;
and at length he departed with his people, always
endeavouring to admire his new finery, by straining
his neck in his attempts to look behind him. From
morning till night natives of all ranks surrounded
the tent to ask for presents; these being generally
granted, as it was highly necessary to create a favourable
impression. Koorshid’s party, who had arrived
from Latooka, were to return shortly, but they not-
only refused to allow me to accompany them; but
they declared their intention of forcibly repelling me,
should I attempt to advance by their route. This was
a grand excuse for my men, who once more refused to
proceed. By pressure upon the vakeel they again
yielded, but on condition that I would take one of
the mutineers named “ Bellaal, who wished to join
them, but whose offer I had refused, as he had been a
notorious ringleader in every mutiny. I t was a sine
qud non that he was to go; and knowing the character
of the man, I felt convinced that it had been
arranged that he should head the mutiny conspired to
be enacted upon our arrival at Chenooda’s camp in the
Latooka country. The vakeel of Chenooda, one Ma-
hommed Her, was in constant communication with my
men, which tended to confirm the reports I had heard
from the boy Saat. This Mahommed Her started from
Gondokoro for Latooka. Koorshid’s men would start two
days later; these were rival parties, both antagonistic,
but occupying the same country, the Latooka; both
equally hostile to me, but as the party of Mahommed
Her were Dongalowas, and that of Koorshid were
Jalyns and Soodanes, I trusted eventually to turn their
disputes to my own advantage.
The plan that I had arranged was to leave all the
baggage not indispensable with Koorshid Aga at
Gondokoro, who would return it to Khartoum. I
intended to wait until Koorshid’s party should march,
when I resolved to follow them, as I did not believe
they would dare to oppose me by force, their master
himself being friendly. I considered their threats as
mere idle boasting, to frighten me from an attempt to
follow them; but there was another more serious cause
of danger to be apprehended.
On the route, between Gondokoro and Latooka,
there was a powerful tribe among the mountains of
Ellyria. The chief of , that tribe (Legge) had formerly
massacred a hundred and twenty of a trader s party.
He was an ally of Koorshid’s people, who declared
that they would raise the tribe against me, which
would end in the defeat or massacre of my party.