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The last words we distinguished as they increased their distance, were a threat to exterminate us during the night, if we dared to remain in their country. It appeared hopeless to attempt a peaceful communication with the Baris. This portion of the country to the south of Regiaf was immensely populous, and the natives were more dreaded by the slave-traders than any other.
This is the treasonable conduct of Abou Saood, who knows perfectly well that we are at open war with the Baris.
It appeared that, when attacked, he had wounded one native in the head with his "little gun," as the Baris termed his revolver; and this man was still alive with the bullet in his skull, which the women declared was swollen as large as a pumpkin. Achmet Rafik was thus overpowered and killed, with the gain to the Baris of his arms and ammunition.
The Baris of Regiaf and south of that hill had been allied with those of Belinian, and had taken charge of their great herds during the month's campaign in that country. We started punctually at the time appointed, and sailed for about seven miles up the river, which at this season could be navigated without difficulty.
The sniders had cleared the natives from the vicinity, and now that we had been reinforced by Tayib Agha's party, there was no fear of the Baris. They kept aloof, and merely watched our movements from the tops of high trees, where they perched like cormorants, and saw the enjoyment of the troops engaged in roasting beef that had lately been their own.
Upon arrival at the spot where the battle had taken place, there were a number of vultures settled in various spots where the ground was marked with blood, and the cleanly-picked skeleton of a man, lying close to the euphorbia hedge, showed that the Baris had really come to close quarters.
The yells increased on all sides, the whistles of the antelopes' horns now sounded a shrill alarm, during which the leading Baris shot off their arrows, but they fell short. Another quick shot cracked upon the body of a native, who was caught in the arms of his comrades and dragged away as they precipitately retreated in all directions from the dangerous locality.
The Baris desired to make friends with their powerful enemy, the Loquia: they accordingly invited this tribe to form an alliance and to join in a combined attack upon Gondokoro, by which means they hoped to overpower and destroy our force, and to become possessed of many thousand cattle which were now at head-quarters. The Loquia consented; thus we were exposed to a grand coalition.
The fact of the natives receiving the deserters was enough to suggest the suspicion that they were tampering with the troops. Although the Baris would neither work nor assist in any manner, they continued, in spite of my warning, to swim their cattle across to the pasturage on the mainland occupied by the troops.
"I went across to the island to examine the corn: the greater portion of the crop will be ready in about eight days, but the Baris, in spite of the guards, are stealing large quantities during the night. "The terrible difficulty in this country is the want of corn; and now that all direct communication with Khartoum is cut off by the obstructions in the Nile, the affair is most serious.
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