to drive them away, and once more the fight was resumed.
We captured the hill and then made for another one
where the enemy had collected, and having driven them
away from this fresh position we pitched camp at 3 p.m.
Towards six o’clock we had to repel a fresh attack; and
we were so tired that Owen, Villiers, and myself went to
sleep while we were eating our dinner. I cannot speak
too highly of the pluck of Villiers, who fought the whole
day while suffering from a violent attack of fever.
I am glad of this opportunity publicly to thank Colonel
Colvile for a most flattering letter he wrote to me after
receiving Major Owen’s report. He very kindly thanked
me in the name of the British Government for the help
I gave to the British force, but he much overrated the
little I did and which I was so glad to be able to do.
On the 29th we returned to Fort Grant, and next day
Owen set to work to build a provisional bridge over the
river Kunungori, which runs at the foot of the hill on
which the fort stands, and forms the frontier between
Unyoro and Uganda. The natives fired once or twice on
our men as they worked, but without doing any damage.
I spent the best part of the day examining and dressing
the wounded and the sick, who were very many. ' Several
of them had shocking ulcers on their feet produced by
jiggers.
On December 1st Owen was on the point of leaving for
Fort Lugard, when he heard from his spies that the
Wanyoro were intending to attack us next day from two
sides simultaneously. He decided therefore to remain
until next day, and to leave part of his force at Fort
Grant. He would then evacuate Fort Lugard and concentrate
all his men at Fort Grant, which he considered to
be the starting-point for the invasion of Unyoro. As soon
as the news of our expedition had been received at
Kampala, the war drums would be beaten, and Colonel
Colvile with all his force, and followed by such of the
Waganda as could take the field, would start for Unyoro.
428
The anticipated attack did not take place, and at nine
o’clock on the morning of the 2nd Owen and myself left
for Fort Lugard, leaving Villiers in charge of Fort
Grant. Following the high plateau on which the fort
stands we gradually descended into a valley, which,
unlike the country which we had been passing through,
was thickly covered with bush and trees. We crossed
the stream which forms the boundary of the provinces
of Lwekula and Singo, and soon afterwards saw in the
distance behind us a most magnificent cascade, which
falls from a height of some 700 feet over the side
of a hill. Mounting again from the valley we got a
magnificent view over Unyoro, and discerned in the
distance the river Kafui. After a six hours’ march we
reached Fort Lugard. Owen, with his usual energy, had
built a bridge nearly a quarter of a mile long over the
river Katumbi, beyond which the fort lies. It is built
in an excellent position on a steep hill, and fifty men
could defend it against an army. The rest of the day
was spent in marching off all the garrison to Fort Grant.
Next day we started through very difficult country to
get back to Fort Raymond. For some reason or other
I was thoroughly knocked up, and I am afraid I was
rather a drag to Owen’s energy. The most exasperating
of my symptoms was that both hands were covered with
ulcers caused by the bites of small flies that had rested
on the ulcers of the sick men I had been dressing.
a blister followed immediately after a bite, and two
days later ulcers formed. We got to Fort Raymond
on the seventh day, and Mr. Fisher, of the Mission at
Mukwenda’s, once more refreshed us with excellent tea.
At the fort we got news from Kampala. Colonel Colvile
had sent me two kind letters, of which I have already
spoken. It seems that the Waganda had heard that
Kabarega had concentrated his forces at Chiccaculi s,
and they expected us to be devoured alive. Our victory
therefore produced the best possible effect. The Colonel
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