PT ,5 B17/13 D. N. CROUSE, UTICA, N. Y, Cornell University Library DT 363.5.B29A3 1890 Life of Edmund Musgrave Barttelot, 3 1924 028 752 875 Major Barttelot's Diary on the Congo. 'HONORIS CAUSA. The original of tliis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924028752875 EDMUND M. BARTTELOT. MAJOR, SEVENTH ROYAL FUSILIERS. Lottdon : Richard Benttey *&• Son, i8t THE LIFE OF Edmund Musgrave Barttelot Captain an& Brevet=/IC)ajor IRogal Jfusiliers CommanOer of tbe IRear Column of tbe 3£m(n pasba IReltef EspeMtion BEING AN ACCOUNT OF HIS SERVICES FOR THE RELIEF OF KANDAHAR, OF GORDON, AND OF EMIN FROM HIS LETTERS AND DIARY BY WALTER GEORGE BARTTELOT THIRD EDITION LONDON RICHARD BENTLEY AND SON f ttblislters in ffirbinarj) to ga JEajfsts tlu (SJaan 1890 {^AU rights reserved] ■2j /'_ _:* 'i/ '/^ /\7Zo oyo CONTENTS. PAGE Introductory Chapter i — lo CHAPTER I. LIFE FROM 1859-1882 (PREVIOUS TO THE RELIEF EXPEDITION). Birth— Education — Enters Sandhurst — Gazetted to 7th Royal Fusiliers^ Joins at Bombay — Siege of Kandahar — Deh Kojah — Letters - 13 — 27 CHAPTER n. ' WE DID WORK, BUT FUSILIERS ALWAYS DO.' 1882-1887. Home on Leave — The Royal Irish — Egypt — Mounted In- fantry — Kassassin — Tel-el-Kebir — Belbeis — Surrender of Cairo and Arabi — Home — Egypt again — Acting D.A.A.G. — Kenneh to Kosseir — A Wonderful March — A Dangerous Encounter — Wolseley and Buller — With the Boats — Corti— Gakdul — Abu Klea — Gordon's Death — Sheik of Hannek — Letter of Thanks — England — Cairo — Cyprus — Captain and Brevet-Major — Home once More — Emin — Interview with Stanley 28 — 46 CONTENTS. CHAPTER HI. FROM LONDON TO BANANA POINT AND THE MOUTH OF THE CONGO RIVER : 1887. PAGE The Contract — The Start— Egypt — Aden — Zanzibar— Sou- danese troublesome — Territory acquired for Mackinnon — An Extraordinary Compact — On Board the Madura — Can get no Information from Stanley — Simon's Bay — Banana Point 49 — 7^ CHAPTER IV. ON THE CONGO, FROM BANANA POINT TO BOLOBO : MARCH iS— MAY 14, 1887. Start up the Congo — Matadi — On the March to Leopoldville — Soudanese Mutiny — American Mission at Palabella — Soudanese clamour for Provisions — Stanley threatens to ruin Major Barttelot's Military Reputation — Stanley's Revenge — Kindness of the Missionaries — Mr. Case- ment — Leopoldville — Difficulty about Steamers — Stanley's Sharp Practice — On the Stanley — March to Mswata — Barttelot hears of Intention to leave him behind at Bolobo— The Holy Fathers of St. Esprit, Kwarmouth — Bolobo 72 — 92 CHAPTER V. ON THE CONGO: MAY is— JUNE 17, 1887. On ss. Stanley — Scarcity of Provisions — Disgraceful Scenes — Equatorville — Letter from Stanley — Orders to Escort Tippu-Tib to Stanley Falls — On ss. Henry Reid with Tippu-Tib — Endless Cutting of Wood — Peace Brother- CONTENTS. hood — Fight between Natives and Tippu-Tib's men — Estrangement with Tippu— Blood Brotherhood Slaves — Arrival at Falls Station —Tippu angry at Stanley's Breach of Contract - 93 — 109 CHAPTER VI. AT YAMBUYA: JUNE i^— AUGUST 16, 1887. Arrival at Yambuya — Ordered to remain there and await Stanley's return— Asks permission to Advance — Letter of Instructions — Supposed Conversation between Major Barttelot and Stanley — Wretched Lot of Men and Sup- plies left at Yambuya — Departure of Mr. Stanley — His Last Words — Alone with Jameson at Yambuya — Letters Home — Arrival of Bolobo Contingent — The Arabs ap- pear — -Report to Mr. W. Mackinnon — Stanley's Letter of Instructions - no — 142 CHAPTER VII. YAMBUYA CAMP. MR. Stanley's suggestion to the rear column to advance BY marches of six MILES FOUR TIMES OVER, I.E., TO MAKE A march of 4,200 miles ! ! ! August 17 — December 31, 1887. Mr. Stanley's Accusations — Impossible to move — Total Force at Yambuya with Loads — Jameson and Ward go to the Falls — Their Return^ — Reports of Men coming in- — Report of Stanley's Return — Barttelot and Troup go to the Falls — Singatini — No Chance of getting Men — Return to Yambuya — Much Sickness in Camp — They determine never to partake of Stanley's Hospitality — Christmas Festivities — A Year of Disappointment 143 — ^173 CONTENTS. CHAPTER VIII, YAMBUYA CAMP (RETROSPECT). PAGE Gloom within and Danger without — Anxiety respecting Stanley — Two Letters stated by Mr. Stanley to have been sent to Major Barttelot, but which he never re- ceived, and which were sent Home by Mr. Stanley himself immediately after Major Barttelot's death - 174 — 194 CHAPTER IX. YAMBUYA CAMP: JANUARY i— MARCH 17, 1888. Bad News of Stanley — Arabs attack the Natives — Burgari shot — Barttelot and Jameson go to the Falls — Shooting Expedition — Letter of Instructions to Mr. Jameson on going to find Tippu-Tib at Kasongo — Letters Home — Mortality in the Camp from Want of Food 195 — 210 CHAPTER X. YAMBUYA CAMP: MARCH iZ— MAY s, 1888. Jameson starts for Kasongo — Barttelot returns to Yambuya — 111 with Fever — Ward goes to Banana with Letters and Cablegram to Mackinnon — Death-rate — In the Hands of Tippu-Tib — Surrounded by Arabs — Letter to Major Sclater — Alone with Bonny — The Arabs mean Mis- chief — Instructions to Bonny on Barttelot's Departure to the Falls — Return to Yambuya — Proceeds to Yambu —Instructions to Bonny — Sala-Sala's Camp — Report of Stanley 211—233 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XI. YAMBUYA CAMP: MAY 6— JUNE 8, 1888. PAGE Report of Stanley's Approach — Arrival of the A.I.A. — Inso- lence of Natives — An Awkward Moment — Natives told to take Barttelot's Life — Instructions to Bonny — To the Falls — Meeting with Jameson and Tippu-Tib — Four Hundred Carriers — They guarantee ^1,000 to Muni Somai — ^Van Kerkhoven and Tippu — The River Ubangi — Kapeppo — Mikalee — Yambuya — Troup ill — Arrival of Tippu — Terms — Mr. Werner's Visit to Yambuya — Stanley's Baggage — List of Stores — Loads refused — • Tippu-Tib gives Orders to shoot Major Barttelot — Loads to be re-adjusted — What Mr. Troup said 234 — 256 CHAPTER XII. YAMBUYA CAMP: JUNE 9 AND lo. Worthlessness of Mr. Stanley's Stores — Caps — A Short Re- view — Barttelot's Last Report to Mackinnon — Agree- ments with Muni Somai — Business Letters — Instructions to Mr. Ward — Reasons for sending Cablegram to the Committee 257 — 289 CHAPTER XIIL YAMBUYA CAMP. Important Letters and Extracts from Letters written on De- parture from Yambuya to Sir Redvers Buller, V.C., Sir Walter Barttelot and others — Letter from Sir Redvers Buller 290 — 310 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XIV. JUNE lo, 1888. PAGE Last Night at Yambuya — Tippu-Tib's Agreement — Imperial British East Africa Company — Mr. Stanley's Objects — ■ Major Barttelot's Misgivings 311 — 325 CHAPTER XV. THE MARCH TO BANALYA. The Start — The Zanzibaris desert — Instructions to Mr. Bonny — Mr. Stanley with Mr. Bonny after Major Barttelot's Death — Malignity 326 — 337 CHAPTER XVI. LAST DAYS.— ' FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH: June 24 — July 5, 1888. End of Diary. March to the Falls Station — 111 and Footsore — Interview with Tippu-Tib — Last Letters to his Father and Major Sclater — A Comparison of the Losses of the Advance and Rear Columns — An Examination of Events — Major Barttelot's Last March — Banalya, July 17 — Mr. Bonny and Major Barttelot fired at in their House — July 18 — July 19 — Major Barttelot is shot by the Manyuema Sanga — Letter from Mr. Jameson to Sir Walter Barttelot — Mr. Jameson's Sorrow — His Death 338 — 359 APPENDIX I. Letter from Mr. Stanley to Sir Walter Barttelot, Bart. 363 — 371 CONTENTS. APPENDIX 11. PAGE Copy of Letter to Mr. Stanley from Major Walter G. Barttelot - 372—384 APPENDIX III. COPIES OF LETTERS FROM MR. JAMESON BELONGING TO MAJOR BARTTELOT, AND SENT HOME BY MR. JAMESON IN HIS WRITING-CASE TO SIR WALTER BARTTELOT. Letter from Mr. Jameson at Kibonge — News of Stanley — Letter to Mr. Stanley from Jameson — Outline of Events at Yambuya since June, 1887 — Copy of Letter found in Major Barttelot's Writing-case to Mr. Mackinnon 385 — 401 APPENDIX IV. Agreement between Mr. Stanley and Tippu-Tib 402 — 403 APPENDIX V. Extracts from Correspondence respecting the Expedition for the Relief of Emin Pasha, 1886, 1887. Presented to both Houses of Parliament, by command of Her Majesty, December, 1888, in a Paper, 'Africa,' No. 8 (1888) 404—413 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 1. Portrait of Major Barttelot Frontispiece 2. Badge of the yxH Royal Fusiliers ii 3. Facsimile of Christmas Card drawn by Mr. Jameson To face p. 172 4. Memorial Brass in Stopham Church to Major Barttelot, erected by Officers WHO served with him in the Royal Fusiliers 361 5. Map showing Position OF Arab Camps At end of book 6. Map of Tippu-Tib's Country and East Africa Company's Empire - At end of book LIST OF NAMES REQUIRING EXPLANATION. Maniapara Manioc Chimbeck ' Bulla-Matari' Metako Manyuema Melafor Swahili Washengies A head-man over some ten or twelve porters. A root (of poisonous nature) from which sago is prepared. A native hut. 'Stone-breaker,' a name given by the natives on the Congo to Mr. Stanley. A metal wire used for money purposes. Natives of the region between the Congo and Lake Tanganyika (north), slaves to Tippu-Tib, and cannibals. Palm wine. The name of a race (a mixture of Arab and Negro blood) with a language of its own spoken by the Zanzibaris. Zanzibari term for all natives. LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. Not a line of this book would ever have been written, not a word of its contents would have been published, if justice, even partially, had been done, or any kind- ness shown by the leader of the Expedition for the relief of Emin Pasha to the officers left at Yambuya with his impedimenta, his stores, and his sick. The story of Major Barttelot's life represents to us a brave English officer and gentleman, who loved his profession, gloried in the work it gave him to do, and highly prized the only reward he coveted, and sometimes gained, namely, the appreciation and the thanks of those under whom he served. He is only an example of the true English nature, and there could be no need to place his actions before the public but for the manner in which his name has been treated by Mr. Stanley since his life was taken by Sanga, a Manyuema porter of Tippu-Tib's, Governor of the Falls Station. LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. When the news first came home in September, 1888, announcing the death of Major Barttelot on August 1 7, the shoclc was great ; but when Mr. Stanley's letters arrived, almost devoid of even the usual expressions of regret, and hardly noticing the event at all, we were more than astonished. We hoped that one of the family might hear from Mr. Stanley ; he had written to geographical societies — would not he send a line to us ? No, not a word. And then came the great blow : my brother lying dead, murdered far away in the great forest of Central Africa, the bright hopes of his future career crushed out ; and then the cruel tongue speaks words that wound and a pen traces sentences that, if not disproved, will blast a reputation. Mr. Stanley writes that the rear -column was wrecked ' by the irresolution of its officers, neglect of their promises, and indifference to their written orders.' To a soldier of the Queen and a gentleman this is a serious accusation, and should not be allowed to pass. I have already written to the papers to point out that the instructions had been carried out ; but Mr. Stanley took no notice of this. If on his return to Cairo, or when he arrived in England, he had retracted in some degree what he had said, or if in his book he had been able to explain his accusations, I would gladly have held my hand, and told his officers so. In April, 1890, Mr. Stanley, knowing possibly INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. through his officers, some of whom I had seen, that we considered his silence to us something more than remarkable, pens a letter to my father, in which he emphasizes his accusations in such language as to arouse our indignation, and to raise a suspicion that there must be some motive for casting blame, in a manner apparently so unnecessary, upon one who was dead, and upon his comrades of the rear- column. I went carefully into the matter, and wrote a reply for my father to Mr. Stanley (see Appendix), going fully into all points. Mr. Stanley acknow- ledged this through his secretary, saying he was too much engaged to reply to so lengthy a letter. Mr. Stanley's book, ' In Darkest Africa,' proved misleading on so many points that it became necessary to warn the public of its character, and in a letter to the press I gave instances of the ' suppressio veri ' and the ' suggestio falsi ' which characterize the work. These accusations still remain unanswered. I felt it, therefore, my duty to collect and arrange the material necessary to place my brother's memory in a true light, and to lay before the public an outline of the charges made against Major Barttelot, for which, if he had lived, he would have demanded redress from the proper authorities at home as well as for the conduct of Mr. Stanley towards himself while on the expedition, and would have claimed a searching inquiry into Mr. Stanley's reasons for leaving the rear-column without proper food, deserted for 4 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. fourteen months, without carriers, and in the power of Tippu-Tib. As an example of Mr. Stanley's manner of writing, the following is almost incredible. In 'Darkest Africa,' vol. ii., p. 220, he ridicules Emin Pasha for not having explored the Albert Lake : ' There are some things I have wondered at in Emin ; he was earnest and industrious in making observations upon plants, insects, birds, manners and customs, but I was somewhat staggered when I learned that he had not explored Lake Albert. He possessed two steamers and two lifeboats, yet he had never visited the southern end of the lake ' (or) 'examined the affluent at the south side,' etc., etc. There happens, however, to be a book, called ' Emin Pasha in Central Africa,' edited by Professor Schweinfurth and others, published in 1 888, in which is a map showing by a red line Emin Pasha's many journeys through his large province ; this red line passes to the south end of Lake Albert, and up the affluent Mr. Stanley lays claim to have dis- covered, which flows from the mountains Mr. Stanley also claims to have discovered. Emin Pasha wrote a letter to Dr. Felkin from Wadelai, October 26, 1886 (before Mr. Stanley had ever seen Lake Albert at all), p. 507, same book, as follows : ' I send you an account of a tour to the Albert Nyanza. Since I wrote it, I have made two other excursions to the lake ; the chief result of my work is INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. the discovery of a new river flowing from the Usongora Mountains. It is of considerable size, and flows into the lake at the south. The river is called Kakibi by the Wasongora, and Du6ru by the Wamboga. On account of numerous cataracts it is difficult to navigate ; it pours into the lake through- out the whole year a large volume of water.' So Mr. Stanley's Mountains of the Moon are Emin Pasha's already-discovered Usongora Moun- tains, and Mr. Stanley's Semliki River is Emin Pasha's already-discovered Kakibi or Du6ru River. Surely Emin should not lose the credit for his dis- coveries, as well as his province and his wealth, as the result of the Expedition for his relief. It will be remembered that Emin Pasha, whom Gordon had made Governor of the equatorial pro- vince of Egypt, was in distress for want of ammunition, and his communication with the coast and Zanzibar had been cut off by the Kings of Uganda and Unyoro, while the Mahdists held Khartoum and the Nile. England was set aglow with articles written to fan the flames of generous enthusiasm in an effort so noble as the relief of Emin Pasha. Money was freely subscribed ; officers, burning to distinguish themselves in the cause of honour, volun- teered their services, and the Expedition was quickly got ready to start. *Mr. Stanley was selected as leader by the gentle- * Copies of the papers presented to Parliament on this subject are in the Appendix. 6 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. men who had formed themselves into a committee to manage the rehef. All England was proud of the thought of this gallant Expedition, of the singleness of its aim, and of the integrity and purity of motive displayed by the committee in organizing so chivalrous an enterprise. Yet it was considered necessary by the committee, and by Mr. Stanley, that all the •officers should sign an agreement to publish nothing until six months after the official report of the leader of the Expedition — a circumstance of a very unusual character ! Careless of what the consequences might be, they signed away their freedom, and placed themselves in the hands of Mr. Stanley. I bitterly regret the necessity, which has been forced upon me by Mr. Stanley, to undeceive the public, and to remove the mask which has so well concealed the true features of the Expedition for the relief of Emin Pasha, of which they had formed so lofty an ideal. In the following pages will be found clear proofs of the many objects for which the Expedition, and the money subscribed to it, were made use of by Mr. Stanley, other than the actual quest or relief of Emin. The conduct and management of the Expedition, which was essentially military in character in every respect, except in that of its leader, was conspicuous for its total want of that prudent foresight which would have contributed so greatly to the comfort and well-being of officers and men, by a sufficient IN TR OD UCTORY CHA P TER. provision of food and transport, and which would have utilized the rear column by a proper disposition of his forces. I would particularly draw the attention of the reader to the threats of Mr. Stanley to ruin Major Barttelot's reputation, and to the arrangements and understanding existing between Mr. Stanley and Tippu-Tib ; to the leaving Major Barttelot in Tippu-Tib's power ; and to the terrible consequences — in the death of Major Barttelot and Mr. Jameson, and the increase and impetus given to the slave- trade in the regions west and north of the Falls Station. There is one feature of the camp-life at Yambuya on which it is pleasant to dwell — I refer to the touching friendship which existed between my brother and Mr. Jameson. Of the character of these two men, of their loyal devotion to one another and to the interests com- mitted to their charge, of their sufferings and sacri- fices, and of their splendid maintenance of the camp in peace with natives and Arabs, notwithstanding every temptation to war, ample proof is given in the following letters of Major Barttelot, and in his diary, which was so fortunately sent home by Mr. Jameson to my father from the Falls Station, in August, 1888, shortly before his own sad death. When the box containing them was opened, we found the contents — clothes, Bible, everything — falling to a damp dust. The diary, and some letters 8 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. in a writing-case, although much injured by damp, and in some places illegible, were mercifully pre- served. The box seemed to have been in water for months. It may be well that I should state that, by per- mission, I have read Mr. Jameson's diaries, and find they corroborate my brother's in every way, especially in reference to Mr. Stanley's conduct to his officers. It is sincerely to be hoped that they will be published, as a matter of justice to the two friends. If they had lived to come home Mr. Stanley would not have dared to write a word against them. But he knows the law cannot defend the dead, that against the dead he can make accusations and the law cannot touch him. By the law there is no libel against the dead. References in my brother's diary to Mr. Stanley's conduct towards himself and the officers of the expedition on the journey up the Congo have also been confirmed and corroborated by the statements made to me by nearly every officer of the Expedi- tion. But the diaries and letters direct from the hands of the dead form evidence of supreme value. ' Litera scripta manet' They have not been able to alter or to add a tittle to what was written at the time, and the words of these two brave men call aloud for justice. My brother's life was short and eventful ; born in 1859, he was murdered in 1888, being twenty- INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. nine years of age. He had served as an officer in the Royal Fusiliers in three campaigns, and his experiences, prior to the Emin Relief Expedition, are given from his diary in the first two chapters. Before closing this introductory chapter, I would take the opportunity to add a word of very sincere thanks to the press and the public for the marked kindness and courtesy with which they have uniformly treated the name of Major Barttelot, and for the fair- ness shown in reserving judgment on Mr. Stanley's statements concerning him, until the gag upon the mouths of his representatives is removed by the expiration of the six months {since reduced to four) of silence imposed by the agreement with Mr. Stanley. Mr. Stanley's statements concerning Major Barttelot are answered in the order of sequence of events in the narrative. I must ask the reader kindly to remember that it is not my aim to write only what will please or interest, but to do a duty to the dead by writing what I have been able to gather of the truth. If the facts recorded in the diary are at times some- what startling from the manner or brevity of their narration, or from their nature, it will be recollected they were not written down for publication, but for reference for personal use only, and that it was not the intention of my family to publish a word of this pathetic story. But the painful necessity to do so is rudely thrust lo LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. upon US, and may, perhaps, be urged as an addi- tional plea in this appeal to the English people, with whom the love of fair play forms a court of honour whose judgment is unimpeachable, and whose justice is world-famed. BecorlJS of an iBfftter of t{)e ytf) 9Ropal fmilms. 13 CHAPTER I. LIFE FROM 1859- 1882 (previous TO THE RELIEF expedition). Birth — Education — Enters Sandhurst — Gazetted to 7th Royal Fusiliers — Joins at Bombay — Siege of Kandahar — Deh Kojah — Letters. Edmund Musgrave Barttelot, the second son of Sir Walter B. Barttelot, Bart., C.B., M.P., of Stopham, Sussex, and Harriet, daughter of Sir Christopher Musgrave, Bart., of Edenhall, Cumber- land, was born on March 28, 1859, at Hilliers, near Petworth, Sussex. The morning of his birth has always remained clearly impressed on my mind from the vivid recollection of an amusing incident, typical of Sussex wit. We children — myself and two little sisters — had, after breakfast, carefully locked the door to keep out the nursery-maid who was coming to remove the breakfast things. After vainly trying the door, in desperation she shouted out : ' Well, then, I won't tell you your little brother's just been born.' i6 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. this in force, and annoyed us greatly ; so it was determined to drive them out. We started at 4 a.m., and it was all over by 10 a.m. We drove them out, but could not hold the village. My regiment lost 170 killed and wounded, and three officers killed, viz.. Lieutenants Marsh and Wood, and Major Vandeleur, and Captain Conolly wounded. 'On September 3 Roberts arrived with the relieving force, and the battle was fought, in which the Fusiliers again took part. For this we received the Afghan medal and clasp for Kandahar. The Fusiliers then went up to Maiwand in brigade to bury the dead there, and returned after six weeks. Colonel Daubeny died of small-pox, and Major Butler now took command.' Copy of a Letter from E. M. Barttelot, Lieu- tenant Royal Fusiliers, to his Sister. 'Kandahar, May 16, i88o. ' Dear E., ' I got all your letters of April 1 5 last Friday, 14th inst., so you see they just about take a month. There has been a good deal of excitement prevailing during the last week here. On Sunday evening last, 9th inst., four men of the transport — of whom Captain Garrett was one — were out riding, paying a visit to a native chief. As they were returning they were fired upon by seven natives, and Garrett had his arm broken just above the elbow, and one of the sirdars (they had two for an escort) was KANDAHAR. I7 shot in the wrist. They had some difficulty in getting them back to camp ; however, they are doing well now. It was at first thought that Garrett would lose his arm. They never caught the men, because I think they never took any trouble about it. They sent out a party twelve hours after it had happened, and all they did was to find out the number of men, five of whom had guns and two swords only ; this information they derived from a peasant boy who saw the outrage committed. ' On Wednesday last the Wali Shere Ali was proclaimed Governor of Kandahar, and on the same day received several handsome presents from the Viceroy of India, as a token of respect from the English Government. These presents were given to him by the political Colonel St. John, R.E., and General Primrose, who went down to the Wall's house for that purpose. Amongst the presents were a very handsome presentation sword, a gold watch set with diamonds worth 2,000 rupees, and a silver basin. On receiving the sword he said that before God he would never draw it against the English. ' To make it a day of general rejoicing he re- mitted two taxes, one on copper and the other on silver, which had before been rather irksome to the natives. After having received all the native chiefs, muliks, sirdars, etc., he gave everyone some- thing to eat and drink, and the meeting broke up. 2 i8 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. On the next day the WaH paid a return visit to General Primrose and Colonel St. John at the former's houses in the cantonments. To celebrate this visit all the troops were turned out to line the road from the Shikapore gate of the city, from which he came, to the General's house, a distance of some two miles. We paraded in tunics, white helmets, spikes and grenades at 4.15 p.m., and did not get back to barracks till 6.45 p.m. The Wall rode through us, accompanied by his two sons, his brother and his interpreter, who is a Persian. He wore the sword and watch given to him on the previous day.. Each company presented arms to him by turn as he came past, and the colours were shouldered. He stopped before the colours and saluted them most religiously. He is a very fine, handsome-looking man. ' The fruit here now is getting rapidly ripe, and very good it is, apricots and peaches growing like apples do at home. I always eat them in the morning, as they say then they do you no harm, and they certainly are much fresher ; but the chief fruits are grapes and mulberries. ' I have been buying a lot of curious things, and shall send them home at the earliest opportunity, whenever that may be. They manufacture capital knives and first-rate gunpowder here, while the boots that come from Herat are simply splendid. All trade between Kandahar and Herat is stopped now, however, as the road is closed ; it is a great nuisance, KANDAHAR. 19 as you cannot get any horses here now, because they all come from Heratwards, as there is scarcely any breeding here at all, but nearly all crop-farming. The horses that come from Herat and Cabul are splendid animals, especially those of the Turcoman breed. We have picked out a beautiful polo- ground, a grass one ; before that we played on bare ground without a vestige of grass to it, and in appearance something similar to the Aldershot parade grounds. We are all playing on transport tats now, and capital ponies they make. I rode through the city the other day ; it is a most wonderful place : part of it is covered in and like an arcade, and there are some very pretty things displayed for sale ; but I did not buy any, as I had no escort, and it is dangerous to loiter. Whenever we ride through a village we always gallop through as hard as possible, so as to make being hit harder. I forgot to tell you what our field service kit is like. It is simply our white clothing dyed brown, and covers to the helmets worn over the spike, and a puggaree. It looks rather a neat kit, I think. Last Friday we were inspected by General Primrose, who found no fault with any- thing. They are going to send some of the troops away, I believe, for the hot weather, to a place some five or six miles from here called the Argendab Valley, but only two or three companies out of each regiment, so as to make more room in barracks, and not crowd up the men so much. The flies here are a perfect pest. . . . 20 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. ' The body of poor of our regiment has been found at last. He must have been drowned in a fit. ' Please give my love to father and everyone at home, and, with much love to yourself, ' Believe me, ' Ever your most affectionate brother, ' Edmund M. Barttelot. 'Royal Fusiliers, 'Kandahar Field Force, 'Afghanistan.' Copy of a Letter from E. M. Barttelot, Royal Fusiliers, to Sir Walter B. Barttelot, Bart. ' Kandahar, 'Sunday, September 5, 1880. ' Dearest Father, ' I am all right and well, though I have had some narrow squeaks, as we have all had. ' The siege was raised on August 30, Monday last, and we came in here on July 28, so we have had rather a long time of it. Yesterday evening we got your letters of July 5, the first news we have had from England at all since we came in here, for we were entirely isolated and cut off from all commu- nication. A mail arrived the day after we came in here, but was taken by Ayoub Khan. We held communication with Roberts's advanced guard on the 27th and 28th ult., by heliograph. What a splendid march they made ! and in the face of it were not the KANDAHAR. 21 least fatigued or done up ; in fact, they had an engagement with the enemy the evening of the 30th, when they marched in, and fought and Hcked them the next day. I hope you got my few lines written on the 29th all right. ' I hear the feeling in England about Maiwand was profound ; but it is not half so bad as it was made out at home, I expect. The brigade stopped Ayoub from going to Ghuznee, and though they did not beat him, they crippled him greatly, and carried out their orders to the full. The retreat was cer- tainly a mistake, but the panic was great, and you do not know what it is to see these Ghazis fight : they come on by thousands, and don't care for bullet or shell, but when one rank is mown down another takes its place. ' Besides that, they had innumerable cavalry, about 4,000, I think, ours being only about 900, if so much. There was some report about the Scinde horse refusing to charge ; but when you come to think that they were under shell-fire for four hours, and that when the order came to charge the Ghazis were among them, it isn't likely they would. The 66th behaved splendidly, so did the xst Grenadiers R.I. The 66th lost 400 men and ten officers. Our brigade was 2,400 strong, Ayoub's 20,000. On August 26 happened that fatal affair of Deh Kojah, when we lost three officers and thirty-nine men killed besides the wounded, most of whom have died. On that day we had a force of 1,000 strong to take one 22 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. of the Strongest places imaginable, hold it, and drive the Ghazis out, who numbered, as far as can be judged, 10,000. Our regiment went out 300 strong, and was the only regiment which really got into the village and went right through it. In fact, we held it for about fifteen minutes, but finding we could do no good unaided, we retreated, as we were getting surrounded. ' Poor Major Vandeleur, who had just come out, young Wood, and poor old Tommy Marsh, who joined with me, and was my greatest friend in the regiment, are all killed ; Captain Conolly and Trafford wounded. Trafford was not wounded at Deh Kojah, but when out on a working party about a week before. We have only got ten officers for duty now — one major, two captains, and seven subalterns — so we have lots to do. Our Colonel, Daubeny, is a Brigadier-General now, vice Brook, killed. After Deh Kojah, nothing happened till Roberts marched in on August 3 1 and fought Ayoub on September i, and licked him ; all which the papers will tell you far better than I can, as they were lookers-on, whilst we were actors. Our regiment was out on the ist, and the two companies I was with were the only part of the whole army that was under shell-fire : we were under it about two hours, and, as we had no shelter, it was not very comfortable. ' I must hark back now to our life during the siege. We were always on guard every night, KANDAHAR. 23 except when orderly officer. During the day we were on working parties, outside the walls sometimes, knocking down anything that might afford cover ; sometimes inside, knocking down houses and search- ing houses. These working parties outside were so dangerous they had to be given up, for we were always being shot at and shelled, and lost several men ; so the work done was little compared with the loss. They shelled us in the city nearly every day. One day thirty-two shells came in, but hurt no one ; in fact, only one boy and three horses were killed by their shells. The first day we came in we turned out about 10,000 Pathans, including women and children. The reason why we left cantonments so hurriedly was because the city was rising, and if they had done so, the chances are that none of us would have been seen again. In fact, as it was, if Ayoub had only known how weak we were really, he would certainly have attacked, and the chances are, if he had persisted, he would have got in. I think Deh Kojah did good, insomuch as it made them leave the village after the affair was over, and it was from them the attack would have been pro- jected ; in fact, from so many men being found there, especially regulars, it may be presumed that they were projecting one. Do you know that we our- selves on the 1 6th lost more men than all Roberts's European force put together, and just the same number of officers as when he beat Ayoub on September i ? And the number of the enemy we 24 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. killed was five times as many as they did, though we helped them on the ist, we not losing a man. In the enemy's camp were found no end of scaling- ladders, so that an attack was projected is certain. The only thing that sullied the ist was the sad and horrid death of poor Maclean, R.H.A. He was, you know, Ayoub's prisoner, who had treated him with the greatest kindness, and when he saw how it was going, told him to escape, and in so doing he was killed by a Ghazi, his head being nearly separated from his body, the backbone being cut clean through. Phayre was yesterday at Abdool, about twenty miles off. Yesterday some of the 15th Hussars came in, among them Pocklington, whom I dare say you know ; but I believe they are going back to India, as they are not wanted now. ' Roberts is in supreme command now. Nothing is known of what is going to happen, except that Roberts's force will go down at once. ' I do not expect to leave this till the other side of Christmas, if then, for I expect fresh complications will arise, as they are always doing, and that we shall be detained. During the siege, though we were packed closely, we never had the slightest illness among the troops or followers. ' Our supplies never failed us, thanks to the able management of Colonel , our Commissary General, who died last Thursday from a wound received at Deh Kojah. I hope you are all quite well. You must excuse bad writing, as I have a KANDAHAR. 25 bad finger. F. A. Fortescue is up here, as also " Bumpy" Lang. Please send this letter all round. With heaps of love, ' Believe me, ' Ever your affectionate son, ' Edmund M. Barttelot.' Copy of a Letter from E. M. Barttelot, 7TH Fusiliers, to his Sister. ' Kandahar, 'Sunday, October 11, 1880. ' My dear E., ' I got all your letters this morning just in time to answer them by the mail, and am much obliged to you for them. I want to know whether you got a letter I wrote on half a sheet of foreign paper in pencil, addressed to father, and dated August 2. I wrote it a few days after we came in. ' I heard from poor Mrs. Marsh this morning. She says she got the letter her son wrote to her on that date, and we both wrote together, and so I wonder if it is lost, as I have never heard you mention it. We are still in the same place — outside the city, under tents — and as the wind has risen the dust is simply awful. ' I am afraid our chance of going down this year is very small, because, though our health is so bad, yet our strength is as large, and in some cases greater, than that of other regiments. Besides, there is, speaking with the utmost truth, at the 26 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. present time not enough transport to convey us down, for Roberts's forces have taken it all, or nearly all, and the remainder that was available has been taken by sick convoys. . . . ' Everything is most expensive up here now except grass and oats, but all the necessaries of life are terribly dear. We are going to have a great field-day to-morrow, under Phayre — a kind of sham- fight, I believe. ' Of course you know that Generals Primrose, Burrows, and Nutthall have gone down, and Daubeny has returned to regimental duty, or, at least, will do as soon as he is fit. I am very sorry for Primrose and Burrows, for, personally, they were the kindest men I ever met, and the latter was undoubtedly most plucky, and whoever doubts it or says anything to the contrary cannot know much about him. ' Our new Major, Butler, has arrived, and an awfully jolly sort of man he seems ; he came last Wednesday. ' Everyone seems to think that Roberts's victory was a most wonderful affair, and frightfully hardly contested. That it was a most brilliant victory, and following on such a march, is not to be doubted ; but that it can compare in any way with the fighting at Maiwand or Deh Kojah is simply ridiculous, as the difference of the enemy's casualties on those three days will show. We never touched their regulars on the ist, and I don't believe we killed anywhere near a thousand of them. I rode round KANDAHAR. 27 the battle-field two days afterwards, over the actual ground we fought on, and I did not see more than sixty dead over the whole space, and none had been buried then. I do not wish to detract from the victory in any way, especially as I was there in it ; but if there had been hard fighting it would not have been accomplished so quickly. We began to storm the Kotal at 8.30 a.m., and the whole thing was over by i p.m., and we were back in barracks by 5 p.m. . . . ' I hope we shall retain Kandahar. Not that I wish to stop here myself, but should not mind going on to Herat next spring ; in fact, hope we do. ' With love to all at home, ' Ever your affectionate brother, ' Edmund M. Barttelot.' [28 ] CHAPTER II. 'WE DID WORK, BUT FUSILIERS ALWAYS DO.' 1882-1887. Home on Leave — The Royal Irish — Egypt — Mounted Infantry — Kassassin— Tel-el-Kebir — Belbeis — Surrender of Cairo and Arabi — Home — Egypt again — Acting D.A.A.G. — Kenneh to Kosseir — A Wonderful March — A Dangerous Encounter — Wolseley and Buller — With the Boats — Corti — Gakdul — Abu Klea — Gordon's Death — Sheik of Hannek — Letter of Thanks- — ^England^ — Cairo — Cyprus — Captain and Brevet- Major — Home once More — Emin — Interview with Stanley. ' From October, 1880, to April, 1881, at Kandahar,' says my brother, ' was one of the happiest times of my Hfe. November, December, and January I was very ill, from exposure to damp and cold, but we hunted, shot, raced, drilled, dined ad lib., and had a real good time. ' We then went to Madras, when Grant Duff was made Governor, and Sir F. Roberts, V.C., Com- mander-in-Chief. We formed both the escorts — I was right guide on each occasion.' [Soon after this my brother came home on leave, THE EGYPTIAN CAMPAIGN OF 1882. 29 from May 17 to August 1 1, 1882, and while at home the bombardment of Alexandria took place. He applied to be sent out, and] ' For that purpose was attached to the 1 8th Royal Irish Regiment, under Colonel Gregory, whom I liked. It was at this time that I formed the acquaint- ance of Harry Mansel Pleydell, who from that time to his death became my dearest friend, and formed in me whatever good there is in my disposition. Harry Pleydell, Drummond Wolff, and Neddy Edwards and myself were all attached to the i8th for this expedition. ' I left home after dinner on August 9 ; Captain Gilpin was dining with us, and sang a song. On August 1 1 we sailed in the City of Paris from Portsmouth ; the boys in the Victory manned the masts and cheered us, while the band played " God Save the Queen," and our drums played " Brian Baroo." We disembarked at Ismailia, and bivouacked under the trees by Mons. de Lesseps' house — I slept in his veranda. We worked hard August 26 and 27, and I worked with my men, and was noticed so doing, and was offered the post of staff officer to Sir Owen Lanyon ; but I was ordered off to Nefish before I could accept it. Here I was ordered to join the Mounted Infantry, on their way to Kassassin, where I caught them up, riding a pony bare-backed for the Duke of Connaught as far as Mahouta — thirty miles — and walking the rest of the way — twenty -five miles. Harry Pleydell and 30 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. Neddy Edwards had already joined. Our going to the Mounted Infantry from the i8th caused Gregory much annoyance, as he said we were the best officers he ever had, and he could not afford to lose us. We did work, but Fusiliers always do. ' On joining the Mounted Infantry, then com- manded by Lawrence, 5th Dragoon Guards, I became Quartermaster and Paymaster, and subse- quently Adjutant. Nothing happened worthy of note till September 9, when Arabi attacked us, and we beat him off from our camp at Kassassin. We had no casualties. On the night and early morning of the nth I and Alderson, also M.I., with seventy men, went for a reconnaissance with Sir Redvers Duller and General Wilkinson. We got within a mile of Tel-el-Kebir (the Big Hill) ; no notice was taken of us, and we returned to our quarters at 11 a.m. Commander Rawson, R.N., was one of the party. This reconnaissance determined the route and method of attack on September 13. The evening of the 12th, sunset, the infantry moved off for Tel-el-Kebir — we were attached to the cavalry, and did not move till i a.m., when we skirmished in front of the column of cavalry. We were to move without noise. There was nothing heard but the voice of Sir Baker Russell. We marched to within three miles of Tel-el-Kebir, and then halted ; at dawn we moved on, and had turned the flank of the works by 7 a.m., and at 8 were on the road to Cairo, with the 13th Bengal THE CAPTURE OF CAIRO. 31 Lancers, Herbert Stewart, C.B., in command. If it had not been for , we should have caught Arabi. At i p.m. we fought the action of Belbeis with Arabi's guard, and it was this action enabled Arabi to make good his retreat to Cairo, which he did by train from Belbeis. We halted at Belbeis, to await the arrival of the 4th Dragoon Guards, and then marched to Abassiyeh September 14. The 13th a squadron of the 4th Dragoon Guards and ourselves went on to the citadel at 8.30 p.m., arriving there about 10 p.m., when the whole garrison of 3,000 men marched out disarmed before us. Thus Cairo was taken. I went back that night with twelve men to Abassiyeh as escort to Sir Drury Lowe. Arabi gave himself up the same night, and was made prisoner. Cradock, 5 th Dragoon Guards, was in com^mand of the guard on him.' In October, the Mounted Infantry being dis- banded. Major Barttelot came home. ' During this short campaign Harry Pleydell first contracted that illness which eventually killed him. ' From the date of my arrival home I began to hunt regularly, and stayed at Stopham all October, November, and December, staying three weeks with Harry Pleydell at Whatcombe, Blandford, Dorset. ' After Christmas I went for the first time to stay at Park Hatch, which has ever since been a second home to me, and from Mr. Godman I have received so many kindnesses. 32 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. ' I Stayed at home till June, hunting and shooting the fore part of the year. In June, as I should have been going out to India, I exchanged battalions, and joined the ist Battalion at Colchester. I took up the supernumerary adjutancy of the 4th Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment, under Colonel the Earl of March, at Chichester, and was there till June 30, when I went to Colchester. ' At this time I was completely broken, and had a financial crisis, and had to apply to my father, who kindly helped me, but it was horrid.' The autumn was spent in Edinburgh at a garrison class under Major Cochran. ' I remained there till January 7, when I came home. I was still suffering from impecuniosity, and was determined to leave England. About this time the Egyptian army called for English officers.' [My brother arranged to go out, and arrived in Cairo in February.] ' I stayed till March i with Colonel and Mrs. Maitland, R.E., when I went to live in the Blue House, Abassiyeh, being attached to the ist Bat- talion Egyptian Army, under Colonel Chermside, C.M.G., R.E. Here I stayed a month, and learnt Arabic and Egyptian drill. I played a good bit at polo, and enjoyed life generally.' [In April he went to Suakim, and was employed in building the water forts, and then as staff officer to Chermside.J ' On May 16 I embarked on the LocA Ard, my- EXPEDITION FOR THE RELIEF OF GORDON. 33 self, servant, and two ponies. We were the only- passengers. The Loch Ard was the ice-ship at Suakim. We towed two small water-boats (Greek), intending to take them to Suez, their port ; but experiencing rough weather, they both sunk, all hands on board. I arrived in Cairo May 21, and took up my old quarters at Abassiyeh. In June I resigned, and on July 22 was appointed Acting D.A.A.G. to the Transport (of the army of occupa- tion), and had charge of 500 camels and 250 men at Abassiyeh. These I looked after and worked till August 1 8, when I was ordered to take 300 of the best up the Nile, and to start the next day, August 19, on the Expedition for the relief of Gordon.' August 19 he started, and, doing about twenty miles a day, got to Assiout on the 29th, the last town in Lower Egypt, a ' mooderyat,' and large grain store, also the base of the expedition as regarded river transport. To Assiout from Cairo is 200 miles. ' I came the whole way by the railroad, which ends here, as the Nile was rising and the fields flooded. I stayed at Assiout three days. I received a telegram from headquarters ordering me to send the camels on to Keneh, and to proceed by postal boat to that station, and thence by desert to Kosseir on the Red Sea, to land camels from Aden, and bring them back across the desert to Keneh, and then proceed up the Nile. 3 34 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. 'September A,. — At Keneh I find a telegram that the camels would be at Kosseir, per British India s.s. Eldorado, on the morning of the 6th, and I must be there then with all arrangements made for landing, and there was no pier at Kosseir ! ' It was now latish, and by the time I had dined with the Mudir, and impressed on him the necessity of immediate action (for I had to traverse a desert of 150 miles without water), it was 8 p.m. We were lucky enough to find a sheik, Ali Hamded, who lived at Bir-Emba, some eight miles out of Keneh, who had trotting camels. At 10 p.m. I left Keneh with Sergeant Brown, Papodophulo, an inter- preter, and a Gladstone bag on donkeys for Bir- Emba, which we reached at twelve — a collection of Arab tents and grass huts in the desert. Two hours elapsed in filling water-skins, catching and saddling camels. Our party consisted of six men and camels — myself. Brown, the interpreter, Ali Hamded, and two others. We started at 2 a.m. ' My camel, a female, was a ripper. We travelled without a halt till 2 p.m. — about five miles an, hour (for twelve hours) — halted under some rocks, had luncheon, rested till 5 p.m. We had now left the plain, and got into the mountains, and the track was quite distinct. We travelled till 12 p.m., and halted for an hour, but as my camel was faster, and both Sergeant Brown and Papodophulo were beat; also their camels, I decided to leave them to rest, and to ride on by myself with Ali Hamded, for I was afraid 1^0 MILES IN 31 HOURS ON A CAMEL. 35 of being late. Accordingly we started, but I soon left Ali Hamded behind, and went on by myself. At 9 a.m. I reached Kosseir' (150 miles in thirty- one hours). ' I found the steamer was not yet in. I went straight to the house of the Governor, or " Mehafiz," and put up. Directly I got off my camel she lay down where she was, and did not rise for two days. I slept from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., when I got up and bathed in the Red Sea. My men came in at 8 p.m. ' Next day the ship had not come. I made pre- parations for landing. On the 1 2th the ship came with 250 camels and 500 men, chiefly Somalis. Captain of the ship, Jairus Withers. We accom- plished the landing in eighteen hours — hard work. Withers gave me a present of two suits of clothes, shirts, socks, a box of stores, and a case of brandy. There is no well or fresh water at Kosseir nearer than twenty miles, so I was busy getting water-skins and mussocks, and filled them from the reserve water at the Government House. We arranged the loads, and told off a water-guard of Somalis. 'September 13 we started towards Keneh, and arrived all safe on the i6th. September 18 I started again from Keneh, reaching Kosseir on the 20th. The ship came in on the 24th — 150 camels and 300 men. Unfortunately, they were nearly all Aden boys, who are the scum of the earth, and only 16 Somalis. We had our own mussocks (for water), and these I put under the charge of the Somalis and their 36 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. " Mukadum," or headman. There was one scoundrel whom I noticed especially, who seemed to have great power over the Aden boys. I refused to take him at first, but the police-officer who had brought them over from Aden begged me to, as he was such a bad lot. I took him, but warned him. ' September 28 we started. Next morning I had some words with the scoundrel, and later in the day he tried to cut a hole in one of the water mussocks. I pulled him away, when he hit me with his weighted stick. I shot him dead.' (Major Barttelot often told me of this adventure ; the man hit him twice, and broke the trigger-guard off his pistol and a small bone of the hand.) ' His friends at the next halting- place said they would take my life. I asked for a reprieve till the evening, and promptly sent on my guide to Keneh, saying I would be in on Sunday ; this was Friday. At 2 p.m. we started, and halted at 8 p.m. for three hours. I then called for the people who wished to kill me, and said they could do so, but that I should resist, and I would like to know who was going to show them the way. They replied, "The guide." I said, "He is not here." When they found such was the case, they were puzzled, and at last said I had done right. ' I arrived in Keneh, Sunday, 28th, and saw Lord Wolseley and Sir Redvers Buller, and I was thanked personally by Lord Wolseley for the work I had done. ' October 7. — -Steele took all the camels up to WITH THE CAMELS. 3,7 Assouan, my ponies and Sergeant Brown and Papo- dophulo. I had permission of Sir R. Buller, after going for a third and last time to Kosseir, to go straight by the desert route from Kosseir to Assouan ; no Englishman, and only few natives, had done this. 'At Kosseir the ship arrived on the 14th with 100 camels and 200 men, chiefly Somalis. I broke one camel's leg landing him ; this was the only casualty I had, excepting the (Aden) scoundrel. 'October 15 we started. On the 17th we reached the first well, Er-Gheita, halted for the day, and started next morning, the i8th, and reached the next well, El-Ab, at 10 p.m. on the 20th. It took me till 4 a.m. to water the camels and men. At 2 p.m. we started for Roderia (on the Nile), and arrived that night, halted and gave the men sleep, and reached Assouan October 23. On October 27 I was telegraphed for to Wady Haifa (Valley of Grass), and arrived there November 3, and reported myself. I saw General Buller, who told me Lord Wolseley wished to employ me with the boats, and I was to be under Colonel Butler at Gemai. November 5 I arrived at Gemai, and Colonel Butler told me off to paint and repair every boat as it came up. I now became a staff-captain with rank of Captain. I had a gang of 200 natives and about 40 Canadians, and 100 soldiers as fatigue-men, to do this work, and I did the work first of all under Colonel Butler and afterwards under Colonel Grove, 38 LIFE OF EDMUND AWSGRAVE BARTTELOT. to their entire satisfaction, till December i8, when Colonel Grove, Harry Sclater, and self were ordered to Ambigoll. , We went by train to Mohrat Wells. Grove and Sclater went ahead. I came on with the baggage, and walked on foot all the way, thirty miles. Thence to Tanjoin, and then to Dal, fifty miles. I walked on foot. At Dal I could get no food for our camels, so I took some of Sir Evelyn Wood's — result, a row. As usual, I fell on my feet. I was employed as a portage here, and was reported to Lord Wolseley for the good hard work I did. ' 1885. January 6. — We were ordered forward right up to Corti, Grove and Harry Sclater as usual ahead, self with the baggage. I told them I would be at Corti first, for I then framed the intention of marching across the desert to Corti from Abu Fatimeh. Start- ing on the 6th, I marched to Mograckal, then across the Absarat desert forty miles. With me were Rolfe, a gunner, a capital fellow ; Sclater's servant, and Zenophon Zeno, interpreter, and thirteen camels. Jamiary 8. — Marched to Kajbar ; here poor Eagar is buried. January 9 to Abu Fatimeh. There took Groves and Sclater's camels. January 10 to Argo Island ; here I got a guide, bought corn, and filled the mussocks with water. January 11. — Rolfe, self, Zenophon and guide started across the desert; reached the Boulatti Wells at 7 p.m. We did all the loading and unloading ourselves (we had no men). January 12 to Basseleni in the hills ; here our guide ABU KLEA AND GUBAT. 39 deserted. We three travelled all next day in the desert alone. We reached Ayat village and water January 14. Here I saw a man eight feet high, called the Khedive's Giant. 'January 15. — We reached Difan on the Nile, and had a real good bathe. One of my camels, a splendid baggager, had worn a hole right through his foot, but he was very plucky and held out. 'January 16. — Reached Corti ; but we were on the wrong side of the river, and there were only three of us and thirteen camels, so I fired towards the camp and nearly killed Sir E. Wood's servant. They then sent over to us. ' The 1 7th the battle of Abu Klea was fought. I was ordered to go to Gakdul Wells by Sir R. Duller to look after the water and commissariat quarters, Mr. Hickie as my aide, and a very efficient one he was. ' On February 8 I accompanied Sir R. Buller to Abu Klea and Gubat, having charge of ^2,000 and three camels. I walked the whole way on foot, had no servant, and did the loading and unloading myself 'February 13. — It was decided to withdraw, the fall of Khartoum and death of Gordon being more or less verified. We reached Abu Klea 15th. Sir R. Buller put me in charge of the wells, the most arduous and disagreeable duty I had ever done. But I obtained commendation for the way I did it. ' February 1 6. — This night we were attacked ; 40 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. poor Walsh was badly hit, also Paget, 7th Hussars ; nineteen men killed and many wounded. We drove them off.' (After a week here the force retired to Gakdul.) ' I looked after the water and lived with the rifle company. During my brief sojourn here I managed to get into trouble. I and Harry Lysons went out after some Arabs who had been annoying the camp, but were not successful. I had four 35 th men with me. Coming home, four gazelles got up ; one broke towards the desert, the other three towards the camp. I fired at the desert one and got him not ; the four Sussex men fired at the other three gazelles, missed, and their bullets fell in camp and just missed a sentry. Sir E. Wood sent to find out about it, vowing he would try the officer by court-martial. Of course it was me, which, when he heard, he told Vandeleur to wig me, and would see me himself on the morrow. I saw him ; he called me a , and asked me to dinner. I dined.' On the return of the column down the Nile Barttelot was continually employed on the transport and portage. April 30 he writes : ' I was appointed Sheik of Hannek and Shaban Cataract, with head- quarters at Kaboddie. I personally conducted all troop convoys down, and was often wrecked, but enjoyed the time greatly. Colonel Greaves, 45th, was commandant of the station ; Lord Airlie on the Transport ; Daubeny commanding E. A. and Firman J 3rd Fusiliers Transport. I did a good deal of AT THE CATARACTS. 41 goose-shooting with Mackeson of the 5th Dragoon Guards. I received letters of thanks from General Grenfell and Colonel Grant, R.E., district com- mandant, for my work at Koboddie. 'J^dy 9. — Settle told me I was to go with my boat laden down the Dal Cataract, and report on its safety for convoys. ' Jtcly 10. — I started at 6 a.m. We went down the cataract all stark naked and prepared for any emergency ; we had two or three narrow shaves, but got down all right, and arrived at Accacia at noon.' ' I stayed the day here with Colonel Wynne, E. A., and having handed over my boat and gear, here ended actually my connection with the Nile campaign of 1884-85.' [My brother then came home. J ' I stayed at home till the end of the year, hunting a good deal. The best run we had was, I think, the one from Goatcher's Furze, at Broadford Bridge, December i. We killed at Ashington, after forty minutes.' 'December 2. — I went out looking after the polling-stations for my father's election, going as far as Midhurst to the west and to Northchapel to the north-east. Next day we went to Horsham for the declaration of the poll. Father was returned at 4.30 by a majority of 2,000.' 1886. [My brother was laid up for eight days by a kick received from a thoroughbred mare of 42 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. Mr. Walter Dawtrey's, of Petworth, that he was hunting. On February 1 2 he embarked again for Egypt on the Crocodile. Arrived at Suez on March 2, and on to Cairo, where he rejoined his regiment, being quartered in the citadel. He remained at Cairo, enjoying his regimental life and the amusements there immensely, till May 17, when he went to the convalescent home at Cyprus on duty. Reached Limasol Sunday, the 20th. Healy of the Dorsets, with 250 men, and two officers of the Durham Light Infantry — Wilson and Jones — with him.] ' We marched to Polymechia, and dined with Colonel Hackett ; then continued our march by Zigo, Parapedia, and Platross, to Troodos. ' I remained at Troodos till the end of June with the 49th (Berks), a very smart regiment, and very nice officers.' 'July I. — I obtained five days' leave to travel, and went to Susu, seeing the monastery of Omados on the way. We slept out that night ; then to Klima, where the mounted police (Zaptieh) had sports, it being the Feast of Bairam. We saw the harbour and ancient town of Pappho, where there is a temple of Venus. Next day to Pania ; then to the monastery of Kliko. The monks fed us, and gave us wine and a room. The smells awful, and made me quite ill. Returned to Troodos July 6.' 'July 16. — Obtained another five days' leave, and went to Pania — twenty-five miles ; then to Polls, on CYPRUS. 43 the sea-coast — twenty miles. Williamson showed me the Phoenician tombs he was excavating, and took me to Cimmi, where he has built himself a house, and where there are copper-mines. I went down an old shaft. Then to Pomo ; then to Lifka • — thirty miles — and back to Troodos July 20.' 'July 24. — I rode to Limasol, where I stayed the next day. Assizes were going on. I visited the Aqueduct of Colossi, the Salt Lake, and the ancient monastery of Akroterion ; then back to Troodos.' [My brother was laid up all August with fever and abscesses in the facial glands.J ' Colonel Hackett, Sir Henry Bulwer, and Colonels Armstrong and Ward all did their best for me. I found Albert Collins of F Company such a good servant, kind and attentive. On September 9 I was carried by my Fusiliers dow;n to Sir Henry Bulwer's cottage, for he had kindly insisted I must come, as I should never get well in a tent. That day I was made a Brevet-major.' [(Major Barttelot on being promoted to the rank of Captain was made Brevet-major as well for his services in the Egyptian campaign. He also received medals.) The Army and Navy Gazette, September 22, 1888, published the following communication : ' Major Barttelot was more than an ordinary volunteer. He was essentially a man of action. As was happily remarked about him when last on active service, he contained "grit." Whilst others 44 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. swelled the multitude of "tuft-hunters" who hang around commanding Generals, hoping that some crumb of favour may be bestowed upon them in the shape of a Brevet or C.B., young Barttelot contented himself by throwing his energies into any active sphere that opened to him. In Afghanistan he did good service. Again, on the Nile his efforts were untiring. Upon his arrival at Cyprus in command of convalescents of his regiment in 1886, he at once offered his services to the senior Commissariat officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Armstrong, at that time taxed heavily with additional work, in the Trans- port Department, owing to the establishment of a sanatorium upon Mount Troodos for invalids from Egypt. Finding that there was no opening for him in this direction, he obtained leave, and visited — on foot — the remotest parts of the island, seeing more of its interesting localities in the short space of a few weeks than almost any visitors since the days of Savile and Kitchener. He was a singularly temperate man. Rising at daybreak, he would walk twenty miles, and then breakfast upon a bunch of grapes and a glass of water. Yet so active and strong was he, that few could touch him as to climbing or pace upon the mountain - side. Like all enthusiasts, he was regardless of comfort, and suffered the penalty of reckless exposure in Cyprus, a severe attack of sunstroke laying him aside there. His elastic constitution, however, quickly enabled him to throw off this indisposition, and very shortly A RUN WITH LORD LECONFIELD' S HOUNDS. +5 after his arrival in England, in the fall of 1886, he volunteered for service under Stanley. Had Major Barttelot . lived, there is little doubt he would have made his mark upon the present generation, not only as a brave soldier, but as an intrepid and successful adventurer.' On Wednesday, October 20, a board of officers ordered him home on sick leave. He came by Alexandria, Malta, and Gibraltar, arriving at Ports- mouth on November 16.] ' On the 1 7th I went over to see Walter Dawtrey, at Petworth, about horses.' [He hunted regularly now, and gives an account of each run ; for example, December 7.] ' Tuesday : to Stopham. Hunted the chestnut at Drunswick Bridge. Very cold. I rode my own horse on. Found a fox in Malham, Ashfold ; ring twice there, and then went away for Brewhurst, Whephurst, and the I fold woods ; turned right- handed past I fold House, across the canal by the lock ; turned left-handed past Loxwood, on the east to Sidney Wood ; turned right-handed, and we killed him in the open meadow below Alfold village ; time, sixty minutes. The chestnut carried me well, as it was fast throughout. Shepherd ' (Lord Lecon- field's huntsman) 'gave me the brush.' ' December 24. — I went to town on account of a telegram Fitzgerald had sent me concerning the Emin Bey Expedition. I was introduced to Mr, Mackinnon at the Burlington Hotel, and then went 46 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. . with Mr. Fitzgerald to i6o, New Bond Street, to see Mr. Stanley, who said he would take me if I obtained leave, and could get any recommendation from a person of authority. We then went to the War Office and saw Mr. Strong, and I wrote a letter to Sir Redvers Buller.' ' 1887. Jamtary 6. — I saw Lord Wolseley at his levee, and got him to transfer me back to the ist Battalion of the Fusiliers, and wrote my applica- tion for leave to travel abroad.' ' Leave was given me for one year, without pay.' THE EMIN PASHA RELIEF EXPEDITION. [49] CHAPTER III. FROM LONDON TO BANANA POINT AND THE MOUTH OF THE CONGO RIVER: 1 887. The Contract — The Start — Egypt — Aden — Zanzibar — Soudanese troublesome — Territory acquired for Mackinnon — An Extra- ordinary Compact — On Board the Madura — Can get no Information from Stanley — Simon's Bay — Banana Point. {Copy.) Contract of Engagement for the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition. 1. I, Edmund Musgrave Barttelot, Major, 7th R.F., agree to accompany the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition, and to place myself under the command of Mr. H. M. Stanley, the leader of the Expedition, and to accept any post or position in that Expedition to which he may appoint me. 2. I further agree to serve him loyally and devotedly, to obey all his orders, and to follow him by whatsoever route he may choose, and to use my utmost endeavours to bring the Expedition to a successful issue. 4 so LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. 3. Should I leave the Expedition without his orders, I agree to forfeit all claim to pay due to me, to return passage-money, and to become liable to a refund of all the moneys advanced to me for passage to Zanzibar and outfit. 4. Mr. H. M. Stanley also agrees to give ^^40 (forty pounds) as an allowance for outfit, and to pay my passage to Zanzibar, and my return passage to England, provided I continue during the whole period of the Expedition. 5. I undertake not to publish anything connected with the Expedition, or to send any account to the newspapers for six months after the issue of the official publication of the Expedition by the leader or his representative. 6. In addition to the outfit, Mr. Stanley will supply the following : tent, one Winchester rifle, one revolver, ammunition for the same, canteen, a due share of European provisions taken for the party, besides such provisions as the country can supply. Edmund M. Barttelot, Major, 7th R.F. January 8, 1887. [On Friday, January 14, 1887, Major Barttelot bade us good-bye, and left England to embark on his adventurous, and, as it proved, fatal journey as a member of the Expedition in relief of Emin Pasha. I accompanied him to Charing Cross Station, and EM IN PASHA RELIEF EXPEDITION. 51 at 8 p.m. the train started. He travelled as far as Dover with Mr. Stanley, who was going to Brussels. Major Barttelot arrived at Brindisi on the 17th, and embarked on the P. and O. s.s. Mongolia. On the voyage he made the acquaintance of Mr. and Mrs. Waldie Griffiths, and others, who were very kind to him. On Thursday, the 20th, the Mongolia, after a somewhat rough and uncomfortable passage, arrived at Alexandria.] 'January 21. — I met Junker at Shepherd's Hotel,, and went with him to see Dr. Schweinfurth. I had an interview with Sir Evelyn Baring, lunched with Sir Francis Grenfell, and dined with the Griffiths.' [Major Barttelot remained in Cairo until the 2 7thr spending most of his time in visiting his many friends. The appointment of a medical officer to the Expedition was still vacant, for Dr. R. Leslie, who had been with Mr. Stanley and Sir Francis de Winton on the Congo, was to have gone with Stanley on the Emin Relief Expedition as medical officer without pay, but he writes : ' I could not sign the contract, which I thought unfair. I wished to insert after the agreement to publish nothing until six months after Mr. Stanley's official report was written the words, " except in the case of my reputa- tion being attacked." The committee would not hear of this, but the attacks made on all the members of the rear-guard show that the proviso was not an unnecessary one. I also objected to pledge myself 52 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. to treat the sick according to his directions, which I thought the contract as worded impHed.' The Expedition being therefore without a medical officer, Major Barttelot, when at Alexandria, gave Dr. Parke, an old friend of his who had served with him in the Soudan campaign, a letter of introduction to Mr. Stanley, and he obtained the appointment] 'Cairo, Thtirsday, January 27. — Left Cairo by the 11.45 fo'" Suez. Went and said good-bye to the Griffiths ; I hope I shall see them again. Edith (his sister, Mrs. Sclater) and Harry (Major Sclater) and Surtees, the Chieftain McLeod, Burton and Hickie came to see me offi I embarked on the Verona, and arrived at Aden on February i, remaining there till the 1 2 th, spending the time in writing letters home, in exploring the neighbourhood, playing polo with the officers, and looking out for and engaging the twelve Somalis who accompanied the Expedition.' 'On Friday, nth, embarked on the British India s.s. Oriental with the twelve Somalis at noon. My cabin, forward saloon on the port side. Heaps of Germans on board — a German woman and her hus- band are deck passengers ; jolly for them, with all these Somalis and Egyptian soldiers on board.' ' The next day the Navarino, with Stanley on board, came into port at 3.30 p.m. We transferred all the baggage and left port at 4.30 p.m. Stairs only in my cabin. We all dine at one table, viz. : Stanley, self, Jameson, Jephson, Stairs ; Bonny goes second class. The Oriental is a small and EM IN PASHA RELIEF EXPEDITION. 53 rather dirty ship, full of red ants and huge cock- roaches, but they do not bother me.' ' Sunday the 13th, Parke vaccinated me.' Extract from a Letter written by Major Barttelot to Miss . ' SS. Oriental, '■February 16, 1887. ' But I must tell you about our party. Mr. Stanley improves decidedly on acquaintance, and has been amusing us with stories, chiefly about him- self; but he chaffs all of us, and keeps everyone alive. I think we shall get on all right, though he is a man who would be easily upset, and when annoyed very nasty. At present he has not said much about the Expedition, but that we go by the Congo is a settled question, and he hopes to be at Wadelai by the middle of July at the latest. ' The next is Mounteney Jephson. . . . He will, I believe, act as a sort of secretary and amanuensis to Stanley. He seems a very nice fellow. His cousin is the lady (I do not know her name) who gave ;^ 1 0,000 to the Gordon Home, and she it was who instigated him to come out here, and found the money (^1,300). For, except those whom Stanley chose himself, the rest have to pay to come on it. ' Jameson, who has travelled a good deal in Africa, both South and Central, and also in Borneo . . . comes as naturalist and botanist, and that stamp of 54 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BART2FL0T. thing. He is a married man, and does not look very strong, but I presume he is. Anyhow, as far as I can judge, he is very pleasant. (Mr. Jameson also found ^1,300 for the Expedition.) ' Third comes Surgeon Parke, one of the Army Medical Department. I knew him up the river in '84 and '85, and met him first at Assouan in October, '84. He is strong, bright, and clever, I believe, and when I arrived at Alexandria he came and asked me to write to Stanley for him, which I did ; and he says it was on account of that he came, but I don't think so. Stanley wanted a doctor, and took him as being the most available. I am glad Parke has come, for it is always well to have someone who is not an entire stranger. ' Fourth, Stairs, of the Royal Engineers, is very clever and quick, and I should say strong. . . . He will do the surveying part of the business, and also has charge of the Maxim gun, and is assisting me with the black troops at present. ' Fifth, Nelson, who was in Methuen's Horse in '84 on the Buchuanaland Expedition, and in the Cape Mounted Rifles prior to that, and served in the Zulu War of '78, '79, and '80 with either Buller's or Baker's Horse, is, in my opinion, a most useful man. He has grand physique, and heaps of common and practical sense. He will be under me commanding the fighting force, which, as far as I know, will consist of about 700 fighting men. Stairs will also indirectly be under me. THE OFFICERS OF THE EXPEDITION. 55 ' Sixth, Troup. I know nothing about him per- sonally, as he is not here, but away at the Congo collecting stores, etc. His duties will be to look after and manage the commissariat department of the whole Expedition — no light business, and I am glad I have not got it, for it is an arduous and thankless task. ' Seventh, Sergeant Bonny, of the Army Hospital Corps, who purchased his discharge especially to come on this business. I have not spoken to him much, but he seems a good, useful, all-round sort of fellow. His duties, of course, will be with Parke. ' Eighth, William Hoffman, a German boy, and Stanley's servant. ' Ninth, myself To me has been given the command of the fighting force, and also the care of the transport. I hope my health will last to enable me to go through with it. ' At present we have on board only sixty-three Soudanese soldiers, commanded by four native officers, and two interpreters. The men are re- cruited from what was known as the Black Bat- talion, from the remnant of Gordon's men who came down the Nile with us, and from the Mudir of Don- gola's bashibazouks. They are at present a most lawless and undisciplined lot, but by the time we get to the Congo I hope to have them well in hand. ' On board this ship it is too crowded to do any- 56 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. thing. The twelve SomaHs whom I recruited at Aden are, I believe, thoroughly good men ; they will act as sort of gun-bearers and servants. At Zanzibar we are to get 600 Zanzibaris, who will form portion of the fighting force ; but as yet Mr. Stanley has said nothing to me about them, except that they are coming. These Soudanese are armed with Remington rifles.' [After an uneventful passage, stopping only off Lamu and Freila, they reached Mombasa at 7.30 p.m., February 20. A very pretty place, and interesting now as the principal port of the great territory of the Imperial British East Africa Company. The Oriental anchored off Pemba Island the evening of the 21st, and made Z^'!\2}ib2s at 11 a.m. next morning, the 22nd.] ' I took the Soudanese soldiers off at 12.30 to the British-India ss. Madura, also the Somalis ; got them all settled down by 2.30 p.m., and stored arms. Worked hard all the afternoon till 6 p.m. 'It is fairly hot here, and these Soudanese soldiers have been giving trouble. I think Chermside must have picked out the biggest scoundrels he could find.' [In the very short space of time between the 22nd and the evening of the 24th, Mr. Stanley had, according to his book, made some hurried arrange- ments which eventually proved of much moment to the Expedition (' Darkest Africa,' vol. i., p. 68) : ' I ARRANGEMENTS AT ZANZIBAR. 57 have settled several little commissions at Zanzibar satisfactorily. One was to get the Sultan to sign the concessions which Macklnnon tried to obtain a long time ago.' (Sir W. Macklnnon was chairman of the Emin Pasha Relief Committee, whose single object was the relief of Emin Pasha.) 'This con- cession that we wished to obtain ' (vol. i., p. 69), ' embraced a portion of the East African coast, of which Mombasa and Melindi were the principal towns.' On page 52, vol. I., Mr. Stanley writes : ' It is the relief of Emin Pasha that is the object of the Expedition, the said relief consisting of ammunition in sufficient quantity to enable him to withdraw from his dangerous position in Central Africa in safety, or to hold his own If he decides to do so for such length of time as he may see fit.' The first business concluded by Stanley in his Expedition for the sole purpose of the relief of Emin Pasha was his acquisition, for the chairman of the Relief Committee, of a coast-line of over 400 miles. It must be remembered that the subscribers to the funds of the Relief Committee, and every individual who volunteered his services, had one object alone — the relief of Emin. When we view the first act in the busy Eastern scene at Zanzibar, this action on the part of Mr. Stanley, to acquire territory for Macklnnon from a dying Sultan, seems out of place, and hardly in accord with that British chivalry which, 58 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. it was believed, alone had called the Expedition into being — or with the notion that was prevalent that the Expedition had one single purpose only. Mr. Stanley's second action was to settle a little commission with Tippu-Tib, whom he induced to embark before midnight of the 24th with some ninety followers on the Madura, and to journey with him to Stanley Falls. What inducement could have prevailed on this powerful slave-trader thus hurriedly, and without warning or preparation, to leave his affairs and his wealth at Zanzibar, and, with scarcely three days' notice, to rush off on a philanthropic enterprise with his quondam friend, Mr. Stanley ? It seems astonishing, but the agreement entered into was that Tippu-Tib should be made Governor of the Falls Station, and receive £2,^0 a year from the King of the Belgians. All that Tippu was to do in return was (vol. i., p. 71): 'You must hoist the flag of the State. You must allow a Resident to be with you, who will write your reports to the King. You must neither trade in slaves, nor allow anybody else to trade in them below Stanley Falls, nor must there be any slave-catching, you understand. . . . But there is to be no pillaging native property of any description whatever below your station.' So that, by this very agreement, slavery, slave-catching, and pillaging native property were actually allowed — nay more, countenanced and permitted — to a salaried Governor appointed by MR. STANLEY AND TIPPU-TIB. 59 Mr. Stanley and the King of the Belgians over all the country above Stanley Falls, a vast distance of some hundreds of thousands of square miles, and with a large native population. Of the value of the agreement not to raid the country below the Falls we have sad experience later on. The second agreement was (vol. i., p. 64) : ' After a good deal of bargaining, I entered into a contract with him (Tippu), by which he agreed to supply 600 carriers, at £6 per loaded head, each round trip from Stanley Falls to Lake Albert and back.' Dr. Junker had informed Mr. Stanley that Emin possessed about seventy-five tons of ivory, of the value of ;^6o,ooo. Accordingly, ' I wished to engage Tippu-Tib and his people to assist me in conveying the ammunition to Emin Pasha, and on return to carry this ivory.' In consideration of these apparently hoped-for services, Mr. Stanley gave Tippu Tib a free passage for himself and his ninety followers to Stanley Falls, with board included, at the expense of the Relief Expedition. But, as we shall see, when Mr. Stanley arrived at Yambuya, close to the Falls Station, he did not expect that Tippu would provide the men ; at least, from Mr. Stanley's own account (see vol. i., p. 125). It will be remembered that Tippu-Tib had benefited by Mr. Stanley's Expedition of 1874, by following the explorer's route, and that he had in consequence obtained possession of all the country on the Congo 6o LIFE OF EDMUND MUS GRAVE BARTTELOT. east of the Falls Station, the King of the Belgians having benefited to a like extent on the west. Was Mr. Stanley about to help his friends still more ? By the agreement, he makes Tippu-Tib acknowledge the titular sovereignty of the King, and he makes the King acknowledge the right of the slave-trader to carry on his infamous traffic, and give him ^360 per annum. The King lends Mr. Stanley one steamer on the Congo for the Expedition ; Tippu-Tib, apparently, is not expected to help his friend in any way, for the carriers, if provided, are to be paid for. Whenever an Arab comes into collision with a white man, Mr. Stanley generally thinks the white man is to blame ; even Mr. Deane, defending native women from the ferocious Arabs at the Falls Station in 1886, is blamed by Mr. Stanley (vol. i., p. 65). Whatever understanding existed between Stanley and Tippu-Tib, such were the ill-advised and hurried arrangements concluded at Zanzibar, so fruitful of disaster to a part of Mr. Stanley's Expedition, and to the natives around the Falls Station, whose villages have been looted and burnt, and the inhabitants tortured, destroyed, and driven in chains to slavery by the bands of men who work for the arch-slave- trader, Tippu-Tib, Governor of Stanley Falls. By midnight on the 24th the work of preparation was complete,* and Friday, 25th, the Madura * This was the third time on this Expedition that Major Barttelot started with Mr. Stanley on a Friday — from Charing Cross, from Aden, and now from Zanzibar. EM IN PASHA RELIEF EXPEDITION. 6 1 left port at 6.30 a.m., having on board the nine Europeans of the Expedition — Mr. Stanley, his ser- vant Hoffman, Barttelot, Nelson, Stairs, Jameson, Jephson, Parke, and Bonny — and some 623 Zanzi- baris (porters obtained at Zanzibar), 61 Soudanese soldiers, 2 Syrians (interpreters), 13 Somalis, Tippu- Tib the slave-dealer, and his 55 men and 35 women. The men were told off into companies. Major Barttelot, being the senior military officer, had com- mand of the Soudanese, whom Mr. Stanley took with him for the special purpose ' to enable them to speak for me to the Soudanese of Equatoria. The Egyptians may affect to disbelieve firmans and the writing of Nubar, in which case these Soudanese will be pushed forward as living witnesses of my commis- sion ' (vol. i., p. 68).J ' B. I. S. N. Co.'s Steamship Madura, 'Indian Ocean, ' March 2, 1887. ' My dear Father and Mamma, ' I dare say you have got my last letter from Zanzibar, written Wednesday, 23rd. Early on Thursday, February 24, the Zanzibaris began coming on board by fifties. They were all on by 6 p.m., the total number being 623. Three of them were stowaways, and we did not find them till after we had left harbour. As soon as the last of them was reported on board, Mr. Mackenzie (from Mackinnon, Mackenzie, and Co.) and I mustered them, and found all present. We then weighed anchor and steamed 62 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. out four miles from the shore, served out biscuit to them and water, and placed guards of the Sultan's troops at the different gangways. These troops I had applied to General Matthews for, he being the Sultan's Commander-in-Chief. He was formerly a lieutenant R.N., and is a very capable and able man ; but he is not half well enough paid by the Sultan, considering the work he does and the services he has performed : 800 rupees a month is, I think, his pay, and the strength of the army is between 750 and 800 men — nice soldier-like-looking men and well dressed. ' While we lay at Zanzibar I was unable to see anything of the place, as my duties kept me on board, where I had my hands full, with my troublesome Soudanese, who, though only one tenth of the whole, give more trouble than all the rest ; and also I had to make out and indent for the necessary rations for all these men, as this had not been done. On Wednesday evening I dined with Drummond, Busty 's brother ; he was with a man called Berkeley, and Goodrich, formerly Vice-Consul at Nyassa. Next night, Thursday, we all dined with Holm- wood, acting Consul and Vice-Consul. The Tttr- quoise lent us her steam-pinnace, and we all came back in that. ' Next morning I had a rare business issuing rations. We began at 5 a.m. and finished at 9 a.m. ; but now we have got them all squared, and it is done in half the time — rare hot work it is, too, down in the hold. They get good rations : rice, biscuit, A FREE FIGHT ON BOARD. 63 curry stuff, ghee, dhall, tea, sugar, salt, and meat and potatoes alternate days. I manage the whole business at present, detailing all the duties, and have my hands full all day. We left our moorings at 6.30 a.m. on Friday, the 25th, and at 9.30 there was a free fight between the Soudanese and the Zanzi- baris ; the former got a jolly good licking, which has done them a power of good ; blood flowed freely. Stanley stopped it. I was in my bath at the time. Of course you will have heard that the great slave- dealer Tippu-Tib is on board with us. His country is called Myama, on the Upper Congo, and I believe he is coming the whole way with us to Wadelai. He is an oldish-looking man, about 6 ft. 2 in. — a fine, powerful, intelligent face. He is accompanied by a brother-in-law and two male friends, making with his followers ninety-one persons. ' Up to the present we have had splendid weather, but yesterday morning early we got into the Mozam- bique Channel, and there has been a heavy swell ever since. The ship rolls terribly, and last night we were obliged to have our ports closed. I kept my scuttle open, though. Our numbers and nationali- ties are as follows : Europeans, 9 ; Syrians, 2 ; Africans, i ; Zanzibaris, 623 ; Soudanese, 60 ; Somalis, 13; Tippoo's men, 91, making a total of 799 men, who are told off into squads or sections of about 115 each, as follows: A Company: Myself, 60 Soudanese and 13 Somalis, 2 Syrians, 2 Zanzi- baris, I African— a total of 79. B Company : All 64 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. Zanzibaris, Stairs. C Company : Zanzibaris, Nelson. D Company : Zanzibaris, Jephson. E Company : Zanzibaris, Jameson. F Company, Zanzibaris, Dr. Parke. All the others have been made captains, though all but Stairs are civilians. I get up every morning at 5 a.m., attend issue of rations, parade the guard, and see that all fatigues are carried out. This takes me till 8 a.m. At 9 a.m. I see my own company's quarters swept and cleared, and at ro.45 go round with the Captain to see the whole of the decks are clean and cleared of men. I write and issue the orders, appointing orderly officers, etc., and all reports are made to me. Stanley does not do much at present, and rightly, when he has us to do it. All issues of blankets or any stores are made through me, so you see I have plenty to do, and I am, I believe, very fit and well. We had a little rain yesterday and the day before, but it cleared off. I have got two Zanzibari boys told off to me, called respectively Omalley and Solomon. They are for gun-bearers, and to look after my donkey and Sate,''^ if I take him. Yesterday and to-day we were all busy packing Remington cartridges into loads weighing 60 lb. — very hot work, but it will condition me. I have put on a lot of weight lately. The Somali boys whom I got at Aden are the best of the * His dog ' Satan,' a Manchester terrier, who had been with him in Egypt ; he sent him home from Banana. A few months after the news of Major Barttelot's death, the dog drowned him- self in the river at Stopham. SIMON'S BAY. 65 lot. Stanley is going to use them as his bodyguard, and they will be armed with Winchester repeating rifles. 'March 7. — We are now close to Simon's Bay, as last night we had a ripping breeze. Simon's Bay is the naval station, and is twenty-five miles from Cape Town. We shall have to take in a few stores and some ammunition. I have decided to send Sate back from the Congo. The more I see of these Zanzibaris the better I like them, they are so willing and tractable — such a contrast to my odoriferous and surly Soudanese. I see no reason why we should not be back next March ; but it all depends on the action taken by Emin Pasha. I hope I may find letters to-morrow, but I doubt. Do take care of yourself, dear father, and keep well and strong against I come home, to which happy event I expect we shall all look forward with no small anticipation after a few months of Africa. It will take us ninety days to Stanley Falls, which is where we leave the river, and about thirty-five days march from thence to Wadelai. I see no reason why we should not all keep well and be successful. We are going half-speed now, and have taken in all sail, as we cannot get in at night. 'March 8. — Got into Simon's Bay at 7.30 this morning. The Admiral, Sir Hunt Grubbe, was away. There is a guardship here, the Flora, Cap- tain Hand, the Royalist, a composite ship, and three gunboats (lo-inch guns). 5 66 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. 'We went on shore, and dined at the Royal Naval Club. They are building tremendous forts here. We went for a long walk this afternoon. It is a most lovely country, and if it were not for the south-east wind the place would be charming. ' We have yet to take on certain stores, and some 30,000 rounds of ammunition, and then away.' Extracts from a Letter from Major Barttelot TO Miss . ' SS. Madura, 'March 11, 1887. ' Tippu-Tib is going to give us 600 fighting men, armed with rifles of all sorts, and they will meet us at Stanley Falls. We are to halt a month at the southern end of Albert Nyanza, whenever we get there, after leaving Boma, which is the town to which we hope to bring this steamer on the Lower Congo. Provisions and food of all sorts are very scarce, and we shall not get any quantity till we get to Stanley Pool. We have all been doing so well on board ship that a little starvation will not harm us. Our new man is a good sort. His name, I find, is Walker, and he has been on the Congo for two years. He only came home last October, and does not give a very glowing account of the Congo Free State. ... ' I am often afraid I may fall short of the mark, for, of course, and naturally, Stanley expects us to be prodigies in the way and amount of work ; but no A TALK WITH MR. STANLEY. 67 man can add a cubit to his stature, nor can water ordinarily be squeezed out of a stone. He is a funny- chap — Stanley ; sometimes I like him fairly well, and sometimes quite the reverse. . . . ' I have had to send back heaps of those things you saw at Stopham, for I cannot carry them, as I should be over-weight ; as it is, I have to get Stairs to carry ammunition for me for my rifle, and Jame- son and I go shares in shot, wads, and caps. . . . We are to be allowed one lamp and one candle among us ten — the candle to last us three nights.' 'March i6.- — Ingham and Walker, the civil engineer, do not come with us beyond Stanley Falls. I believe, in all probability, we shall steam up the Albert Nyanza, or a portion of us will, as there are two steamers there — the Wadelai and another. Stanley asked the Church Mission at Stanley Pool, who possess a very fine steamer called the Peace, to lend her to us ; but the head of the mission wrote to say he was very sorry he could not lend it to a man whose life was accursed before God, and whose every act was one of cruelty. Stanley told us about it last night. ... I had a long talk with Stanley to-night ; he does not know yet quite what he is going to do. He says he expects advices at Banana Point, but expressed himself determined to get the utmost out of us. I told him not to be disappointed if we, and self in especial, did not turn out all that he could wish. ... He (Stanley) has got some special job for me, but he won't tell me yet what it 68 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. is. I expect we shall all know before long more than we want. I wonder if any of us will ever want to come again. Stanley says we shall not. He receives no pay for this business, he says, and has given up ^10,000 to come on it' Extracts of Letter from Major Barttelot TO HIS Sister, Mrs. Sclater. ' Atlantic Ocean, SS. Madura, 'March 14, 1887. ' My dear Edith, ' I must first wish you a very happy birthday ; you have all my best and kindest wishes. ' What you said of Stanley is quite true. He is an extraordinary man, and I do not think, taking it all round, and leaving myself out of the question, that he treats the fellows quite fairly. He has told us next door to nothing about the business, and is very close about money matters. I have not collided with him yet, though I told him I thought he ought to be more explicit. We arrived at Table Bay, Cape Town, on the evening of the 9th, and went alongside the coaling wharf ; next morning I and old Satan yi^ent on shore to see the place — very pretty, but uninteresting. Going round the Cape of Good Hope we caught it rather, but the shore landscape was lovely. Mr. Godinan sent me a telegram, which I got at Simon's Bay ; wasn't it good of him ? I hoped to hear from home how father was, for the papers give a poor account of him. THE END OF THE SEA VOYAGE. 69 ' Our sea journey has been everything that we could wish, and we have only lost one Zanzibari, who died to-day. . . . ' I cannot tell you much about my companions at present ; they seem a good lot. Parke, of course, I know. . . . We hope to be at Wadelai by the middle of June. What will happen then I do not know. Stanley expects serious fighting after leaving for Zanzibar. ' I am at my old game again of transport, com- missariat, and general odd man, and have plenty to do, and am always glad to go to bed.' 'March 17. — We get to Banana Point to-morrow at II a.m., but we shall not disembark, I expect, for we may go up another sixty miles to Emboma ; but it all depends. After we leave this ship, whether at Banana or Emboma, we have sixty days before we get to Stanley Falls, seventeen days of which we march. ' Mr. Stanley has given us each a donkey and a saddle. I shall bring my moke home if he lives, and give him to Evelyn's baby. ' Stanley expects fighting after leaving Stanley Falls. I do not think he means the whole of us to go up to Wadelai ; he will leave some of us at the camp he is going to form on the Albert Nyanza. . . . ' I have had some long talks with him. He does not know when we shall be back, but he thinks at the least eighteen months. Lively, isn't it ? Some 70 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. of US, I expect, will hold our lives as not worth a moment's purchase, though the only disease that is bad appears to be fever, which apparently leaves no after-traces.' Letter from Major Barttelot to Sir Walter Barttelot. ' SS. Madura, '■March 17, 1887. * My dear Father, ' We are just off the mouth of the Congo ; we shall be there at Banana Point at about 1 1 a.m. to-morrow. It depends on the news there whether we shall go on in this ship to Emboma, sixty miles up, or whether we tranship at Banana Point. In either case, when we have completed our tranship- ment, and are again on the move, we shall take sixty days to reach Stanley Falls, seventeen days of which will be marching. ' Stanley intends halting at the southern end of Albert Nyanza, and forming a camp there. We go up this lake in the steamers belonging to Emin Pasha, but if he and they are not there we shall have to track it along the shores. I fancy Stanley does not intend taking the whole force there. ' It would be a grand chance of going on to Khartoum, but that will not be possible, I am afraid. I have had long talks with him about the business in hand ; he has got something special for me to do, though what it is I do not know. He changes his BANANA. 7' plans daily, and, as he says himself, is not master of his own movements, as all depends on the news he gets at Banana to-morrow, and during our journey up the river. Tippu-Tib is giving us 600 armed men. They meet us at Stanley Falls. . . . ' When we shall be back I cannot say. I fancy some of us will regret the day we were born — at least, we ought to if what Stanley says be true, but I dare say it is exaggerated. ^ ^p ^ "Jp ^ ' Satan ' (his dog, a Manchester terrier) ' comes home in this ship. I do not want to lose him ; we have lost two men since leaving Cape Town. ' Now, dear old father and mamma, good-bye ; do take care of yourself and not overwork. You have done your share of work ; it is time for us to begin now. ' With my love to you both, ' Ever your affectionate son, 'E. M. B.' ' Banana Point, ' March 19. ' Got here yesterday, and they are all gone up except myself and Jephson. We go to-morrow (D. V. — and the King of the Belgians).' [72 ] CHAPTER IV. ON THE CONGO, FROM BANANA POINT TO BOLOBO : MARCH 1 8 MAY 1 4, I 887. Start up the Congo — Matadi — On the March to Leopoldville — Soudanese Mutiny — American Mission at Palabella — Soudanese clamour for Provisions — Stanley threatens to ruin Major Barttelot's Military Reputation — Stanley's Revenge — ■ Kindness of the Missionaries — Mr. Casement — Leopoldville — Difficulty about Steamers — Stanley's Sharp Practice — On the Stanley — March to Mswata — Barttelot hears of Intention to leave him behind at Bolobo — The Holy Fathers of St. Esprit, Kwarmouth — Bolobo. ^Friday, March i8. — SS. Madiira, Congo River, Banana Point. Arrived here to-day ; went ashore at noon to see the Portuguese Consul ; got a paddle- wheel steamer from him called the Serpa Pinto; from the Dutch House one steamer, the Keiman ; from the British African Congo Association, Mr. R. M. Dennett, one steamer, the Albuquerque. Mr. Dennett and Mr. Cobden Philips, of the British African Congo Association, Mons. Fontaine and Mr. Gray, of the Belgian Association, dined with us. Banana is not much of a place, and is very hot. ON THE CONGO. 73 ' The Heron has been offered us by the Belgian Free State, and comes the day after to-morrow — rather amusing after the offers of help by the King of the Belgians. However, the cable is broken between the Cape and St. Paul de Loanda, and our arrival had not been intimated. 'Saturday, March 19. — At daybreak, 6 a.m., the Albuquerque came alongside. Captain Howe. Dr. Parke and his men and stores embarked on that ship at 7.10. The Keiman took Jameson and Nelson ; only men and no stores. This boat left at 9.30 a.m. ; the Albitquerqtie left at 10.15. At 10.30 the Serpa Pinto came up and took Stanley and his staff, the Somalis, also Stairs and his com- pany, a great quantity of baggage, 20 donkeys and Bonny, 34 sheep and goats, Tippu-Tib and his party. ' Jephson and I were left. It was proposed we should go up on the Heron with the rest of the baggage ; but we were told she was not big enough, and could only take our little baggage. Accordingly Jephson went and saw the Portuguese Consul, who kindly offered to lend us the Kacongo. ' Sunday, March 20. — The Kaco'ngo came along- side at 6 a.m., but as the Heron came up, I em- barked Jephson and his men in her with the portable boat ; he left at 9.30 a.m. I went on packing with the Soudanese, and at 11. 15 we embarked on the Kacongo. ' I went round the Madura with Captain Mac- 74 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. kennis, signed up, gave Mackennis my letters, six- teen in number, and wished him and his officers good-bye with genuine regret, for they had been most kind to us, and had always treated us with great kindness and hospitality, and aided us in every way. 'The commander of the gunboat Kacongo was Lieutenant Nunes da Silva ; with him were two other officers and eight engineers. They treated me right well. Nunes da Silva spoke French. We got as far as Boma that night, sixty miles up. Here I found the Heron and Jephson. I went on shore and saw Major Parminter, chief of the Belgian Free State. He gave me such a bad account of the pro- babilities of obtaining food up to the Falls Station that I wrote a letter to Mackennis, ss. Madura, to land all the rice which we had left on board, and have it laid up at the Dutch House. The country to Boma is flat, but with distant hills. 'March 21. — We reached Noki, forty miles further up, at 9 a.m., where we stopped ; then on to Matadi about 2.30. We commenced to wade at 5 p.m., and knocked off at 6 p.m., having unloaded everything but the rice and eight casks of cooking- pots.' The expedition remained at Matadi until the 25th, getting into order for the march to Leopold- ville. 'Friday, 25. — Began the march. Got to the camp on the Mpozo River at 12.30 p.m., over some ON THE MARCH — MATADI TO LEOPOLDVILLE. 75 terrible hills. At 4.30 Stanley told me to send back" my Soudanese with Ingham to fetch twenty days' rice apiece from Matadi, but they refused, and mutinied. Stanley spoke to them, and they came round ; it was, however, too late for them to go back, so next morning, March 26, I left at 6 a.m. with forty-six of them to bring the rations back. We got to Matadi at 8 a.m., fed, and started back at 9 a.m. ; got half- way, when they fought among themselves about the loads, so I halted, and redistributed the loads equally. We got to camp at 8.30 p.m. — the rest, all but Walker (the engineer), had gone on ; but as several Zanzibaris had gone back the day before to fetch rice from Matadi, their loads were still at Camp Mpozo. Men came back to fetch them, but too late to start. I helped Walker unscrew his boat — the portable boat, by which some had come to Mpozo — and sent it and him to Palabella, our next camp ; found they had left behind four sick men and one dying. I slept out in the open air that night, but the dying man made such a noise . . . that I had a bad time. Next morning left Mpozo for Palabella at 6 a.m., taking the dying man with me, but he died on the road. I got in at 11.30. Ingham and Clark, of the American Mission, gave me breakfast — the road was downhill the whole way, wooded, and covered with bracken. Palabella is 1,700 feet above the sea. Bathed with Nelson and Jephson in the evening, and dined at the American Mission with Mr. Clark, Mr. and Mrs. Ingham, and two other 76 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. ladies. Clark lent me a bed* belonging to a sick man, so I slept soundly. 'Monday, March 25. — Left Palabella at 5 a.m. ; a bad road, very much up and down hill, and greatly fatiguing to the men. This is my birthday ; I am twenty-eight years old. At 4.30 p.m. we reached camp — about twelve miles — and I bathed with Jeph- son in a muddy stream. One of my Soudanese tried to kill a goat, but was stopped in time ; his excuse was, the goat charged him, and was possessed with a devil ! The next morning we left camp at 5.45, and marched to the deserted village of Congo da Lemba, nearly the whole way uphill to the top of a range deeply wooded — a horrible camp. It rained in the afternoon, but not much ; and again the Soudanese gave me trouble, knocking flat a woman and a boy of Tippu-Tib's into the water. ... I got up at 4. 1 5 the next morning : an awful day, heavy rain falling ; dirt worse than Wet Wood or Botany Bay. Nelson rear-guard. We got to a river called Bambesi, about thirty-five yards wide, usually shallow, but now much swollen by last night's and early morning's rain. Here Stanley decided to wait till the spate subsided somewhat, so- Nelson and I cooked some sausages and tea for lunch. About 2 p.m. a crossing was commenced, and all were over by 4 p.m. A rope was stretched * Major Barttelot, in order to save the porters, had left his- camp-bed behind. I am told it was a dangerous thing for him not to have a bed, as the ground is so damp, and the fever prevalent on the Congo. IN THE DARK. 77 across, and the men hung on to it, and passed the loads over. Of course, with my usual luck in small matters, my canvas bag got into the water, but took no harm ; they are first-rate things, for they float in water, and keep the water out, if properly tied. Nelson and I swam over. We had fearful work after this ; the men were quite demoralized. I left Nelson with a sick man, and went on with Jephson ; it was uphill with variations. In the evening, at 6.30, and quite dark, we arrived at Baron von Rothkirch's camp in a wood ; he is transporting the shaft of a steamer for the Sandford expedition. We thought this was our camp, but he told us Stanley was on about a mile, and a bad road. We got the men through his camp, but the darkness was so great, and the road so bad, the men refused to move on. However, Jephson and I crammed on through a wood, down the steepest pitch, and dark as ink, and it began to rain. At last we came across Bonny, who told me my loads and donkey were all safe on ahead, and they had my lantern. After a short distance we found Jameson's boys, who gave us some whisky and water. At length we got out of the wood, still going downhill. We then came across Salem and some women ; and after we had gone about three miles we came to the camp — Mazamba Hill. All the way from the Baron's to Mazamba men were lying with their loads along the road. We got to camp at 7.30, and slept in Stanley's tent. 78 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. ' I got up at 5 a.m. next morning, 31st, feeling very stiff and dirty, and told Stanley I was going back to fetch in the men. He said it was no use, and that the pot was boiling over, and he was getting tired of this sort of thing. He said he had dysentery, flung himself out of the tent, flogged Ulich, cuffed the Somalis, and made himself ill with passion. However, he started off with the men he had and my Soudanese, who were all in. I started at 7 a.m., and got a message from Stanley to send Parke on, as he was ill. He had to be carried in a hammock from the Lufu River to camp, and was in a fright about himself We crossed the Lufu River by means of a rope and bamboo bridge ; the sheep and donkeys waded through. ' On April i we arrived at Banza Manteka at 2 o'clock. This Is an American mission station, well situated on a high hill, with surrounding villages and crops. Mi^. and Mrs. Richards and Dr. Small gave me a most excellent lunch. That evening there was every appearance of a heavy thunderstorm, so Dr. Small kindly put me up in his room, and at 8 o'clock it came down in buckets, with lightning and thunder, the wind blowing hard. The Richardses know Surrey well. . . . The next day Stanley paraded all the men. At Matadi I had taken a third boy, Mydedi, a ripper ; but on this parade Stanley asked me why I had three, and so I had to give up one, and Omalley left me. Jephson and CROSSING THE KWILU RIVER. 79 Walker, with forty men and the boat, went off to the Congo to sail up river. We left camp at lo, and arrived in our next camp at 3.30. ' Sunday^ April 3. — Left camp at 6 a.m., crossed two rivers ; the latter part of the march all uphill. I felt like a brute flogging the men to get them on. ' On Monday we left camp at 6.45, and crossed some rivers, at one of which my donkey gave me a lot of trouble ; he is a rare stubborn brute, but strong. At one place, a gully, Parke and I and some men dragged him bodily right up a hill. We came to the Kwilu River, about 100 yards wide. There was only one dug-out canoe, holding eleven men and their loads. I had a rope, however, and we fastened that across, as prior to my arrival they had to paddle her over, doing three trips in an hour — very hard work. Now with the rope we did six trips ; we worked up to 7 p.m. Next day, Tuesday, we continued the crossing; but at 11.30 it rained pitch, and was simply miserable. The river rose fast. It rained till 5 p.m., so we did not quit camp. Wednesday, April 6, at Mwembi, a head-man of Stairs' company, whilst looting a village, was shot dead — serve him right. Also a man of Tippu-Tib's. Salem says he performed prodigies of valour, but he lies. 'We reached camp at 3.30, about seven miles' march. I shaved and washed for the first time for four days. Stanley issued four days' rice to the men and fifty rounds of Winchester rifle ammuni- 8o LIFE OF EDMUND M US GRAVE BARTTELOT. tion to the Europeans. My boy Sulieman is so careless. I changed him for a new boy called Sudi, a quaint little chap. ' Thursday, April 7. — Fine, but cloudy ana hot. Left Mwembi at 7 a.m. Stanley, as rear-guard, got on A I. He flogged loafers, and they all kicked amazingly. Got to camp at Wombo, in a wood, at noon. The country from Matadi to Wombo has been a succession of hills and valleys, though the last three days have been more on the level. We have accomplished 100 miles. ' The Zanzibaris are not such good carriers as I was led to expect ; some of them downright loafers. We have lost forty men- — dead, deserters, and sick. The country is grass and jungle — very park-like. The weather is fine on the whole, though often wet and muggy. I have not experienced great sun-heat at present. The missionary station people are most kind and hospitable. 'Friday, April 8. — Left Wombo at 6.30 a.m., and arrived at Lukungu, a Belgian Free State station, also an American mission, at 2.30 p.m. The Belgians gave us an excellent dinner. After arriving in camp, my Soudanese came and said they had finished their rations, which had been given them March 26, for twenty days nominally, to Port Leopoldville. This was only the thirteenth day. I told them they could not expect any more, but I would ask Mr. Stanley. I asked him. He said he would consider, and let them know his answer the MR. STANLEY'S THREATS. 8£ next morning. They were not satisfied with this answer, and said they wished to see him personally. So they saw him, and he told them they could not reasonably expect any more, but he would see what he could do. One man stepped forward as spokes- man, and said that unless they had rations given them they would not go a step further ; that they had been brought there under false pretences, and if they had known how he would treat them they would never have come. This was interpreted by Assad Farran. Stanley replied : " Don't come a step further ; go back ! But if you do, I will tell all the country round to shoot you down, and I will chase you from hill to hill with the Zanzibaris." Then turning to Assad Farran, he said, "And you will go with them ; your lot is with them," implying more or less he held him responsible. Of course Assad Farran demurred, and Stanley said, " I will drive you out with the bayonet myself." Then Assad spoke to Stanley very fairly, and said he had nothing to do with the Soudanese ; that he had come to Mr. Stanley as interpreter or servant, and as such he had been hired at Shepherd's Hotel at Cairo. But Stanley only gave him the same replies. ' Later on I told Stanley I was sorry the Soudanese had caused him so much trouble. He said he blamed me for it. I told him I was often away from them working with the rear-guard. He said : " I never asked you to go on rear-guard," and such- 82 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. like. He then said that my reputation would be blasted as a military officer if the Soudanese revolted, and had to be shot down. I said "As how ?" He said it would be in every paper, and General Brackenbury would hear of it, and he had the ear of Wolseley. I replied : " Thank God, my reputa- tion with Lord Wolseley does not rest with what General Brackenbury thought or said." ' Writing to Major Tottenham on this incident. Major Barttelot says : " Afterwards turning to me, Stanley said it was in his power to ruin me in the service. I said to him that that was an empty threat, for it would take a great deal more than he could say to do that. He punished me afterwards by making me march by myself to Leopoldville with seventy men, who were noted for their laziness and incapacity for carrying loads, and my Soudanese ; warning me, if I lost a single load, to look out.' ' Saturday, April 9 [Diary). — After breakfast all the men assembled ; all the goey-goeys, or laggers, were picked out, seventy in number. These men were then handed over to me, and I was told by Stanley to make the best of my way to Leopoldville, and to cross the Lukungu River that afternoon. Fifteen days' rations (rice only) were given to the Soudanese, and thirteen to the Zanzibaris. This was Stanley's revenge. ' My only rations were a little biscuit, sugar, tea, 46 lb. of rice, and two fresh loaves. I gave my two boys some additional rations, and slept in the open. WITH THE SOUDANESE AND LAGGERS. 83 ' Sunday, April 10. — Next morning I started at 5.30, and got into camp at Lukandu at noon. I had immense trouble, and my Soudanese at times absolutely refused to move ; but by threats, taunts, and persuasion I at last got to camp. 'April II. — I started at 4.55 a.m. Immense- trouble with the Soudanese ; left one man on the road. At 10 a.m. fetched the Mysoko River, a very frail natural rope and wood bridge only to cross it r got over every one by 2.30 p.m. Stanley caught me up. Parke told me that the Zanzibaris had informed Stanley that we, the Europeans, had opened the Fortnum and Mason boxes ; so Parke, in answer to Stanley, said " Yes," but the only person who had had any of the contents was himself, and that he should advise him to put a little more trust in his- officers, who were, at any rate, gentlemen, and not accustomed to be accused of that sort of thing. ' Stanley told Stairs the day before that he had been told I had threatened to shoot Ukedi. Parke told me this, and we asked Stanley's servant if he had told him. He vociferously protested. I never threatened Ukedi. ' Tuesday, April 12. — The Soudanese are very sick and worn-out ; some stopped at Stanley's camp, some went on ; they were all over the country. I slept on a bed of rushes and waterproof coats. Jephson told Stanley, as they were talking together, that if he blamed me for the conduct of the Soudanese, he put the saddle on the wrong horse. 84 LIFE OK EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. ' April 13. — I started at 6 a.m. with my remnants, and reached Luteti at 9.30. ' Thursday, April 14. — I awaited the moving off of the column, and started at 7 a.m. ; had hardly gone 100 yards when I found my donkey stuck at some water, owing to the obtuseness of my boys, who tried to take him over a broken bridge, though there was a ford close by ; they had managed to put everything into the water, my bag included. This delayed me about an hour. I tramped on and caught the men up ; found a Soudanese so sick he could not walk. I walked back nearly to Luteti, but finding Mr. Comber in a village, I asked him to send for the man, telling him where he was. Before starting, I had left an Egyptian officer sick. The doctor went out to meet him, but he refused, and got up and walked into camp. So far the missionaries have been most kind to us. I caught the column up at 10.30 : found the Soudanese lying all over the country ; got them all close into camp, and then walked in, arriving at 2.30 ; had something to eat, and then went and fetched them all in. Three Zanzibaris, who went into a village, were shot by the natives. 'Friday, April 15. — Left camp at 5 a.m. and made a much better march ; camping at the village of Imbunbi, arriving there at 11.30 a.m. Stanley camped a mile further on. Parke very unwell. ' Saturday, April 16. — There was heavy rain and thunderstorm all night, so we could not leave camp till 7.45, and arrived at the Inkissi River at 8.30, MR. CASEMENT. 85 crossing it in our boat at 2.30 p.m. ; and encamped on the other side, just the far side of a camp of Casement, an uncommon nice fellow belonging to the Sandford expedition. Sunday, April 17. — ^Left camp at 6 a.m. I found my leading men had taken the wrong road. I sent Kane's pony on to bring them back. He brought back a few, but said the remainder had crossed a large river, and would hit off the right road by a cross track. After plunging through an awful jungle, I and a few hit off the right road, and came across Casement and had lunch with him ; also Jephson, who was bringing up the boat. I waited half an hour for the rest of the men, but no one appearing, at 1.45 p.m. I started to meet them, and came on the Zanzibaris, but no Soudanese. I asked where they were. " Miles in rear." So back I went to- within two miles of the Inkissi, where I found the last man. Collected them all, thirty-five in number, the rest ahead, and left them with Assad Farran, and walked into camp ; arrived at 6.30 p.m. 'Monday, April 18. — Rained in the night. Started at 6.30 a.m., arriving at Kirfuna village at 10.30. Stanley and Casement came up in the afternoon and camped with me. We dined to- gether. 'April 19. — Light rain at night and in the early morning. Left at 7.30, and arrived at the Luila River at 11.30, where I found Stanley checked by 86 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. the flood. I got over about 5.30 p.m. in the boat. Casement helped my Soudanese on tremendously ; he is a real good chap. ' Wednesday, April 20. — Left camp at 7 a.m. Tried to send my Soudanese soldiers on earlier, but Stanley stopped them — perfectly unnecessarily, only he hates them so. However, I got to camp at Makoko village at 11.35 s--"^- Jephson had a slight fever here. ' The king of this village, also Makoko by name, has a wonderful beard, which he keeps plaited up in two rolls under his chin, but when let down it reaches the ground, so that he can stand on it. Casement came up late at night, and camped near me. Our sugar was finished to-day. ' Tktirsday, April 21. — Breakfasted with Case- ment ; left camp at 5.45 a.m. A very woody, hilly march, and very hot. Parke very seedy. We arrived at Leopoldville at 12.15 P-ni., and helped to clear a camp ; secured some hippo meat for the Soudanese. We had now marched 210 miles in twenty-seven days over an awful country for march- ing ; no regular roads, and up and down, with heaps of rivers and small streams, which, though insignifi- cant, yet delayed and impeded a large column like ours tremendously. A beautiful country ' (in a letter he writes), ' densely wooded the whole way ; now and again open plains of high grass. The work of urging the men on was most wearying. I can com- pare it to nothing else but slave-driving. We met HOW WE GOT THE 'PEACE.' 87 our first check here, for the steamers we expected were 7ion est. There was only one ready, the state steamer, the Stanley. There were two others, the Peace, belonging to the English Mission, which was not ready, and which had been refused Stanley at home ; and the Henry Reid, belonging to the American Mission, and which they also refused, unless it was sanctioned by the authorities at New York. The English mail had broken down ; the intelligence, therefore, that the Peace had been refused was not known by the chief of the mission at the Pool, who agreed to loan it to the Expedition provided that no news to the contrary from home came before she started. The mail did come in before she was ready, but Stanley had, through the chief of the station, stopped the mail, and abstracted all suspicious-looking letters, to be delivered after we had started, and when the next mail came in. This was how we got the Peace. ' Apnl 21.- — Camp Leopoldville. I served two days' rice all round' — -the last they will have. Jame- son went away to shoot hippo meat for the camp. The American Mission, Mr. Billington and Dr. Sims, refused to let us have their steamer, the Henry Reid. ' April 23. — Stanley sent for me, and told me to fall in the men we had to Jephson, who was to take possession of the steamer, and with the rest of the men go to Billington, demanding repayment of money paid. While falling in the men I per- 88 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. suaded Stanley to let me have another talk with Billington before taking such measures. He agreed, and I went with Jephson as a witness, but no good. The Belgian Free State then slipped in and formally pressed the steamer. 'April 24, April 25. — Monday, at 7.30 a.m., with 150 men, Parke, and our donkey, I embarked on the Stanley. I issued three brass rods per man to buy food with for two days ; they had had nothing to eat for two days. We stopped that night at Kui- poko. Bishop Taylor's mission. The chief, Mr. Keate, was very kind to us. ' April 26. — I had a slight fever ; took large doses of quinine. 'April 2']. — Disembarked at Lisa Point in order to march to Mswata, the Stanley returning for others.' Extract from a Letter to Miss . ' Leopoldville, Stanley Pool. 'April 24, 1887. ' The very first day out, the Soudanese grumbled because they had to carry their own kit, but when they found they had to carry rations as well, they refused to go on. However, Stanley talked them over, and they carried their rations for twenty days ; but after ten days were up, they had eaten or thrown them away. Stanley refused to give them more ; they refused to march. He threatened to shoot them ; they said, " Shoot! we can shoot too." HUMAN TRANSPORT. However, he gave in, but sent them on with seventy sick men and myself ahead. I never had such a time in my Hfe — urging, threatening — wearing work. A man's load is 65 lb., and then he has to carry his rations for twelve or thirteen days — i lb. of rice a day only. ' Certainly human transport presents a very sad aspect of life. The missionaries and station people have been very kind to us on the way up. I feel very well at present, but not always very bright, there are so many sad things happening all round : starvation, sickness, and lingering death, which nothing can avert. ' I have been busy getting ready for to-morrow's start to Mswata ; I shall be away from the column about ten days, I think. I hope Parke won't die with me, but he is very ill, I am afraid. I like all the fellows, but Jameson and Stairs the best : they never complain, and are always ready. Our tent is a failure, and our beds are so heavy we cannot carry them : my boys make me a bed of sticks and grass, which keeps me off the ground, which is always wet. ' Tuesday, April 28. — We left camp at 5.30 a.m. ; our road lay through a dense jungle and high grass. I fancy the reason of Stanley sending me on is that he dislikes me on account of the Soudanese, and hates them. Stanley intends leaving me in the rear, I think ; at least, he told me so at Leopoldville — a bit of spite. Parke shot a partridge. ' April 29. — Arrived at Kiben village ; here the 90 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. King refused to let our guides go any further. After an hour's palaver we got two more guides, presented the King with fifty metako, and bought food of him. All the women here smoke, and the men do their hair in chignons ! They call food " chop." 'April 30. — Our guides gave us trouble. The natives here are rare liars. 'May I. — Arrived at Mswata, where we stayed awaiting Stanley, and cutting a supply of wood for the three steamers. We bought supplies of food — • native bread made from the root of the manioc. 'May 5. — The Stanley arrived with Stairs, Jephson, Jameson, and Nelson. Stairs told me that Ward was with Stanley ' (Mr. Ward had been recently taken on the Expedition), 'and Troup was left behind — a great shame, as Troup had done good work, besides being the first chosen. ' A few hours later, the Peace with Stanley, and the Henry Reid with Tippu-Tib, Bonny, and Walker, arrived. I saw Stanley : he came to a chimbeck, and told me he intends leaving me behind at Bolobo, and that I was eventually to go up to the Falls with Troup and Bonny, who remain with me at Bolobo ; I am to proceed to an entrenched camp, which he would already have formed, and assume command. Should I have enough porters, and can get guides and men from Tippu-Tib, I am to proceed to Wadelai. This sounds very well, but my stay at Bolobo would probably be of four months' duration ; KING GO N DAN A. 91 and unless I obtain a distinct assurance of aid from Tippu-Tib, and promise of proceeding to Wadelai, I would go home. His object at present is personal dislike to me and hatred of the Soudanese, and his treatment of Troup is most unfair.' (Writing on this subject to Major Tottenham, Major Barttelot says : 'June 19. — I was then to take command of the entrenched camp, and if Tippu-Tib had got some carriers ready, those which he promised to have, I was to move on with all the loads and men towards Wadelai ; but if I was unable to transport all the loads, I was to await Stanley's return.') ' I dined that night on the ss. Stanley, and got orders to march to the Kwar River and await the return of the Stanley from Bolobo. No word of thanks for the wood we had cut or food we had obtained. 'Friday, May 6. — The steamers left Mswata early. Parke and I marched at 9.30 a.m., got to King Gondana's village at 2.30 p.m. It was dreadfully hot marching. ' Saturday, May 7. — Left camp at 5.30 a.m., and found Gondana had sent our guides away, as they did not belong to his country. These village kings are very arrogant and childish. I went to King Gondana and told him, giving him a smart prod with a stick, that unless guides were forthcoming in five minutes the soldiers would burn his village. The guides came in a twinkling, and we got to Kwarmouth at 1 1.30 a.m. We put up at the French mission-station of St. Paul de Kassai. There are 92 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. three priests of the Order of St. Esprit, and they treat us right well. They are poor, and give us of their best. Their life is holy and sad ; one is a Belgian, the other two Alsatians, one of whom served in the French army in the Dragoons, and was through the war of '70-71. They pray a good deal, especially at 5.30 a.m. They have a chapel, but no light burning, and no congregation. They are much persecuted in a petty way by theft, etc., by a neighbouring King. ' Sunday, May 8. — I ha,d a palaver with the neighbouring King, and threatened him with de- struction if he persisted in his persecutions and did not desist from his bad practices. He went away terrified. 'May 9, 10, II, 12. — No signs of the steamer; it will be serious soon, as I shall run out of metako (money). The Fathers are awfully kind to us, and we both devour such a lot, I feel quite ashamed. The Stanley appeared in the evening ; she had been on a rock. 'May 13. — Got all on board the Stanley; had breakfast with the Fathers, and was really sorry to leave them, for they had been so kind to us. 'May 14. — ^Got to Bolobo at 4.30 p.m., when Stanley told me he should take me up to the Falls, and leave Ward and Bonny at Bolobo.' [93] CHAPTER V. ON THE CONGO: MAY 15 — JUNE 1 7, 1887. On ss. Stanley — Scarcity of Provisions — Disgraceful Scenes — Equatorville — Letter from Stanley — Orders to escort Tippu- Tib to Stanley Falls — On ss. Henry Reid with Tippu-Tib — Endless Cutting of Wood — Peace Brotherhood — Fight between Natives and Tippu-Tib's men — Estrangement with Tippu — Blood Brotherhood Slaves — Arrival at Falls Station — Tippu angry at Stanley's Breach of Contract. 'May 15 : ss. Stanley, Bolobo. — Stanley left in the Peace at 6.30 a.m. ; the Henry Reid followed with Parke and company and Tippu-Tib on board. There was some slight difference of opinion between Parke, the captain, and Stanley concerning Tippu- Tib's smelling women occupying the only cabin. I believe Stanley settled it in favour of Tippu-Tib. He left Ward and Bonny (at Bolobo) with 125 men and enough European provisions for about fourteen days : it is disgraceful, I think ; we shall soon all of us be without them ; he himself is pretty well off Stairs, Nelson, Jephson, Jameson, and myself are on board the Stanley. Jameson is, I believe, to stay 94 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTEL07. behind with me at the Falls. We started at noon, and stopped at 5 p.m. at a village whose inhabitants refused to let us land. But on the appearance of the soldiers they fled. The Zanzibaris got so excited there was no holding them ; they robbed and de- stroyed, and of course the Soudanese followed suit. ' Monday, May 1 6. — Early in the morning, about 5.15 a.m., some of our fellows burnt the best chim- beck in the village down — a horrid shame! Nelson was taken ill this day ; he is far from strong. We started at 8 a.m., and stopped at 4.30 p.m., and the men had to camp in a swamp, and rain came on, to add to their discomfort. We cut wood late into the evening, but it got so dark we had to desist. '■May 17: ss. Stanley. — Went on cutting wood, and had got all the men on board ready to start, when it was found that the port boiler had been emptied, and we were near an accident ; the heat of the chimney set the roof on fire, and the furnace pipes were all loosened. If we had started we should all have been blown up. This must have been a covert act of someone, as the cock of the boiler escape pipe is so situated it would be nearly im- possible to turn it by accident. Added to which, it was turned off when the occurrence was found out, and in its right position. We had to stop there all day. In the morning I had my hair cut short by Hamis Parry ; I am now like a nigger. I still shave and wear collars. On the port side ON THE CONGO. 95 we seldom see the actual bank ol" the river, as it is all islands. In the afternoon Stairs and I wandered far into the bush, and found some ex- cellent firewood. Heaps of hippo and about ; every day I see hippo close to the steamer. Nelson no better, and Jameson ill. Jephson is bad, and Stairs and I are well. ' Wednesday, May 18. — Got up steam. Every- thing had been made tight the day before. Nelson a little better, and Jameson ill. Started at 6.50 a.m., and went on till 6.15 p.m. Our halting-place a small fisherman's encampment, with a wretched chimbeck and one small canoe. A dead tree in the centre, which we cut down, and finished cutting up by I a.m. ' Thursday, May 19. — Got the wood we had cut the night before on board, and started at 6.30 a.m. Had ham for breakfast. At 7.45 a.m. it blew so hard we had to put in. Just then Stairs saw two elephants, so he and I went after them. It was raining hard, and terrible high grass ; but we had to go back before we got to them, as the whistle was blown, and we started away at 9 a.m. Arrived at Lukolala, an English mission - station, at 6 p.m. Just before getting there Stanley sent the Peace down to look for us, as he thought something must have happened. On arrival I immediately went and saw him, and set his fears at rest. ' Friday .1 May 20. — The morning of this day was exciting to some of us — at least, for Stairs and 96 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. Jephson. It seems that early in the morning nearly all the Zanzibaris went from the Stanley to see Mr. Stanley, and complained that Stairs and Jeph- son had thrown over a day's rations, which they had bought and paid for. The real facts of the case are that at the village which they looted* they brought on to the steamer such a fearful lot that the steamer could not carry it, so it had to be thrown away — or some portion of it. The throwing away was superintended by Stairs and Jephson. The Zanzibaris also complained of Jephson's tyranny in striking them, etc. I sent Stairs over to find out about some business, and he found this con- course assembled, and Stanley mad with rage. He raged at Stairs about it, and Stairs told him the facts of the case, and the disgraceful behaviour of the Zanzibaris. Stanley, who was on his steamer, the Peace, Stairs being on shore, said that he (Stairs) began it all by going into the village first and commencing the row by shouting for arms, etc. So Stairs told him (Stanley) that about twenty Zanzi- baris had gone in first, and had run away from the villagers. Stanley would not hear about it, and said that the Soudanese commenced the plunder (which they did not), and that Stairs was the real cause of the disturbance. Parke wrote a note to Jephson to come over, and he went. Stanley attacked Stairs and Jephson in a frantic state, * The men often had no food of a day supplied by Mr. Stanley, so they were obliged to loot villages to get food. MA Y 20. 97 Stamping about the deck of the Peace. He called Jephson all sorts of names. 'Then he turned round to the men, about 150, and spoke Swahili to the effect that the men were to obey them no more ; that if they issued any orders to them they were to tie them to trees (referring to Jephson and Stairs); lastly, offering to fight Jephson. He also said to Stairs, before Jephson came up, that a mutiny was brewing, and that if he only raised a finger, the Zanzibaris would rush upon him and crush him, or club him to death. ' I was astonished when Stairs and Jephson re- turned and told me about it, especially in Stairs' case, for no kinder officer to the men, or more zealous or hard-working officer, is there in the Expedition, besides being most efficient and capable. The missionaries, two of them, who heard the dis- turbance, and the captain and engineer of the Peace, never heard such language, or witnessed such a dis- graceful scene before. I believe this is Stanley's method of carrying on in Central Africa, but I had judged him pretty well before, and was not surprised so much at his conduct. However, I gave him time to cool down, shaving in the meanwhile, and then went over to see him. We were lying 200 yards up stream. On the way I met Parke, who told me that Stanley had called him on to the Peace, and opined that we were talking about him ; that it was apparent to him that we had formed a compact against him and were tired of the Expedition, and only made a row 7 98 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. to get sent back. Parke assured him of our loyalty, and earnest wishes to carry on the work. I then saw Stanley, and told him I was sorry for what had happened, asking to know his wishes concerning Jephson and Stairs, whether they were really dis- missed or not. He said they were. Harped back on his old idea of the compact. I assured him to the contrary. He said he could carry on the Ex- pedition without any of us. ' I asked him whether I was to tell Jephson and Stairs that his decision was irrevocable. He hesitated, and then said, " As regards myself, it is." By that alone I knew he was blustering. I went away, and Jephson and Stairs came ever, at my advice, and saw him, and squared it. It is a baddish look-out, for, of course, the seeds of mutiny have been sown against us, and may at any moment crop up. ' I and Stairs cut wood in the afternoon, going over in the Henry Reid to an island. ' It is my firm belief that Stanley does not care whether he ever gets to Wadelai or not. What he looks to are his explorations afterwards. Jameson and Nelson much better. • Parke is having a wretched time of it on board the Henry Reid with Tippu-Tib's women, and Salim and others. We killed our last goat to-day, and have now to live on chickens, one each day. ' Saturday, May 2 1 . — Stairs not very well. Started at 6.30 a.m. It was blowing hard, and we were running short of wood. EQ. UA TOR VILLE. 99 'Sunday, May 22. — Illegible. 'Monday, May 23. — Started at 5.30 a.m. Ahead of the Peace and Henry Reid. A lot of canoes came alongside with presents for Bulla-Matari,* but would give us nothing. This wood-cutting is wretched work, as we never seem to be able to cut enough, however hard or much we cut. Captain Shackerstroom says that " perhaps there is an hour's wood, but certainly not more." However, we always manasre to steam eleven or twelve hours. There are lots of villages on the starboard side, and large ones. I find pea-nuts roasted are excellent ; our meals par- take more and more of the native aspect every day now. ' Stopped at 10.30 a.m. to cut wood, and started again at 2.30 p.m. The Peace caught us up, Stanley, as usual, jumping, shouting, and finding fault with everybody. ' Tuesday^ May 24.— Started at 6 a.m., and crossed the equator at 4.30 p.m. Arrived at Equatorville at 5.30 p.m. This station is half a mile north of the equator. ' Wednesday, May 25 : Equatoi^ille. — This is a Belgian Free-State station, also an Anglo-American missionary station. I asked Stanley to give us a bottle of brandy on board the Stanley in case of sickness ; but he was so very disagreeable about it that I left him. I had a slight fever in the morning, * The natives on the Congo call Stanley 'Bulla-Matari,' or stone-breaker. loo LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. but nothing to signify. I bought two assegais with beautifully-made shafts. In the evening we all dined with Van Gele and Glave — a good dinner. Stanley behaved in his customary manner, and kept everybody waiting. Glave kindly gave me 400 percussion-caps. ' Thursday, May 26. — Left Equatorville at 6 a.m. Can only go half-speed, as we have to go behind the Peace. Heavy tornado at 6 p.m. Jephson has gone on board the Henry Reid. I am not overfit. 'Friday, May 27. — Tornado again during the early morning. Started at 5.45 a.m. Arrived at Uranga village at 10.30 a.m. Flogged a Soudanese for theft. Jameson secured a goat off a chief, which was given him as a present, and he expected one in return, which of course he did not get. He came for his goat late that night, but we froze on. One of our goats had a kid, so we have milk now. ' Monday, May 30 : ss. Stanley. — Started at 5.30 a.m., and arrived at Bangala at 11.30 a.m. Stanley told me I was to take forty Soudanese and go on board the Henry Reid to escort Tippu-Tib to the Falls, giving me a letter of instructions. I am glad to see the Falls, but the change from the Stanley to the Henry Reid is not nice ; the latter a pokey little ship, crammed with Tippu-Tib's satel- lites and women, and only Walker to talk to. Baert, in the Belgian army, brother of Baert at Matadi, is chief of this station. There are four others ; one is away with the steamer A. T. A. exploring. We ORDERS TO ESCORT TIPPU-TIB. all dined with them that night. Stanley made an speech. Baert is a nice fellow, and did all he could for us. ' My orders from Mr. Stanley were : ' " You will please take 40 of your fittest Soudanese, and the Somali Abdi, who understands Swahili, with rations : f of a matako per day per man, or 2 matako for 3 days per man, for 18 days = 492 matako, and 90 matako for yourself, with suffi- cient rice, biscuits, etc., etc., to serve you ; and embark them in large boat now alongside the Peace. This boat you will secure to Henry Reid in place of the portable boat Advance. ' " Having secured rations for your detachment as above and for Tippu-Tib's people, 96 in number for 16 days=: 1,056 matako, you will please proceed per Henry Reid, in tow of En Avant, and large boat to escort Tippu-Tib and his people to Stanley Falls, or as near there as your sense of prudence and care of life and property will permit,, starting to-morrow morning as soon as you can. ' " I should advise, in order that you arrive quickly, that you should coast along south bank until near Rubunga, when you should sheer off to one of the central river-channels, to avoid the small rapids just below Rubunga. Arriving at Rubunga, 5 days from Bangala, purchase food again for 3 days, to Yalulima, a large scattered settlement on south bank. At Yalulima purchase food for 5 days, as far as Isange, south bank, which is at the confluence of the I02 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. large afifluent Lubirawyi and the Congo. You will then have arrived in Tippu-Tib's territory, where no doubt he will become responsible for obtaining provisions. ' " You will please remember that, as you approach Tippu-Tib's territory, you approach a country that is at variance with the Congo State, and that the people, being ignorant of Tippu-Tib's presence, are liable to fire on your steamer with rifles. Great caution must therefore be exercised by you that your steamer, 2 days above the Yalulima settlement, may not be imperilled by an ambuscade of sharp- shooters. I should advise that you should, while keeping the south or left bank in view, skirt the islands for greater safety. ' " Upon sighting the Arab camps or settlements, you should consult with Tippu-Tib as to the best manner of making his presence on board known to them, after which of course there will be no difficulty. '"I consent, if it be possible, that you should take Tippu-Tib to the old station landing-place (Stanley Falls), but no further up on any considera- tion. You will then proceed to cut up wood, and return along north or right bank, the next morning, as fast as you can with your own people. Arriving at the mouth of the Aruwimi, cast your eyes at the highest tree nearest the point of landing dividino- the Aruwimi from the Congo for a " blaze," or the bark of a tree taken off, which shall be a sign to WITH TIPPU-TIB ON THE 'HENRY REW' i 03 you that we have passed up the Aruwimi to the Rapids of the Aruwimi. You will then steam up the Aruwimi to camp, where we shall be anxiously- awaiting you. We hope to reach the Aruwimi on the 1 2th, and the Rapids on the i6th early. You, according to my calculations, will reach Stanley Falls on the 15th, and return to the Aruwimi on the evening of the 17th." ' I transhipped with Jephson. Abdi, the Somali, and a good boy, died to-day. ' Tuesday, May 31 : ss. Henry Reid. — Nasty wet morning. ' Thursday, June 2. — I did not get to bed till 2 o'clock this morning, as we were busy cutting wood till then. Have got a cold in the head, and feel altogether horrid. ' Friday, June 3. — Up the Congo. ' Saturday, June 4. — Up the Congo. ' Sunday, June ^. — Up the Congo. The captain took the wrong channel ; lost thereby about two hours. On going up the right channel, we saw the Stanley ahead of us. We passed her at 3 p.m. I saw Jameson and Parke. They told me two of my Soudanese were dead. We stopped at 4.15 p.m., and I cut wood from 5 p.m. till 3.15 a.m., when the last piece was put on board. ' Monday, June 6. — Though cutting wood for such a long time, I don't believe we have got more than nine hours' wood. This wood is a perfect bugbear 104 LIFE OF EDMUND M US GRAVE BARTTELOT. to me. I make up for my loss of sleep in the day- time, but I do not think it rests me much. I had fever to-day. It commenced at ii o'clock, and was all over by the evening. ' Tiiesday, June j. — Started 5.30 a.m. Stopped at 5 p.m., and cut wood till 11. 15 p.m. ' Wednesday , June 8. — The Henry Reid started at 5.30 a.m., but we were stopped by a fog at 6.14, and put into a village to buy food, but they had next to nothing. ' Thursday, June 9 : ss. Henry Reid. — I had the wood stowed this morning by 1.55, and we started at 5.30, but had to put in at 2.15, as we were short of wood — our normal state. 'Friday, June 10. — We started at 5.20 a.m. I only finished stowing the wood at 4.45 a.m. We arrived at the village of Mbunga at 7 a.m., and Tippu-Tib desired to put in, so we did. We made peace brothers with the chief before landing, and they agreed to sell to us. The method of making peace brotherhood is this : a chief comes up to the ship and holds out a piece of cane ; he holds one end, and one of us catches hold of the other. He then cuts it in two, and we hand him back our half. This is the sign of peace. All went well for an hour, and they were buying away. I was on shore, walking by myself, unarmed, towards the southern end of the village — I had already been to the other end — when suddenly I heard loud vociferations in front of me, and voices raised as in anger. I TIPPU-TIB AND THE NATIVES. 105 hurried on to see, but before I could get there about twenty of Tippu's men rushed past me, and two were wounded. I then met three of the Soudanese, who forced me to come back, which we four did at the walk. . . . (illegible). All this while the natives were passing us by dozens, all shouting and flourish- ing their spears and knives ; they never offered to touch me, though unarmed ; in fact, they ran into the long grass on either side of the road to avoid me. About 200 yards from the ship I found one of Tippu's men lying in the road, stabbed in the back by a spear. We carried him on board, when I found Tippu had six men and one woman wounded, and a Zanzibari of the ship's crew, Asani. I fell my men in and went to the northern end of the village to look for the natives, Tippu going to the southern, but they had all disappeared into the bush. So we burnt the southern and central part of the village.' (Here follows an account of the numerous wounds received by Tippu's people.) ' About 4 p.m. we passed another village, where they were assembling, and Tippu-Tib wished to put in, but I would not. He ordered my men to fire, but as Stanley told me on no account to have unnecessary rows with the villagers, I ordered them not to fire. This caused an estrangement between Tippu-Tib and myself, who said, as I had refused to aid him, he would do nothing more for the Ex- pedition. I explained to him how matters were, and that we had already punished one village, that I io6 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. could not disobey Mr. Stanley's orders, and that my men could only take orders from me. He agreed to this, but was still angry with Stanley, and said he should refer it to him. ' Sahtrday, June 1 1 : ss. Henry Reid. — Wounded are all doing well. The Zanzibaris and Tippu-Tib's men fired off rifles at imaginary foes during the night, and they wanted my men out, but I was not going to be bothered. Dull, wet day. 'June 12. — Walker has a bad fever. I had to look after the engines ; the wounded doing well. I wore my smock (an English labourer's) yesterday for the first time. It is a great success in the wet jungle. We stopped at 3.30 to get wood. I gave Salem Mohammed a shirt ; he was very proud of it. 'Monday, June 13. — I gave Salem Mohammed four tin studs for his shirt, and he presented me with a bunch of bananas. We are now in Tippu-Tib's country, and since the forenoon have been accom- panied by a host of canoes. The natives are very strong, of a coppery hue, and very ugly. They have beautiful paddles ; I bought one. They told us there was war between them and Tippu's people, and that they were living on the river ; they thought we were the Free State come up to avenge the burning of Stanley Falls. Tippu had a palaver with the chiefs, and told them he had been made ruler by the State, and would protect them and stop the war. Blood-brotherhood was made between THE FALLS STATION. 107 them by scratching each other's arms with my pocket lancet, and transmitting the blood to each other. ''June \\,June 15. — We arrived at the village of Ukanga. Tippu went on shore in a canoe ; as there were a lot of his men there, they naturally thought we had come to avenge Deane and the Falls. They fired a volley at Tippu, but hit no one. As he did not return their fire, and the steamer stood off from the shore, they let him land, and he made all square. There are some fifty-eight Zanzibaris there ; some of them are to come with us and form part of the 600 tliat Tippu gives Stanley. ' At 6 p.m. we reached the village of Tutombe, a very poor village ; in fact, they all have .been so since coming into his territory ; his people have devastated them. 'June 16. — We make slow progress, and are already a day behind time. We reached Yarukombd at 10.30 a.m. ; this is the first Arab settlement we have come to. There are some Zanzibaris here also. Continued my letters home. I saw about twenty slaves in a chain — men and women — at Yarukomb6. I also saw some yesterday at Ukanga. 'June 17, — Friday we were met by a convoy of canoes from the Falls, and Tippu's brother, who, with other Sheiks, came on board. We reached the Falls at 10.15 a.m. It is very like a cataract on the Nile, except there is more vegetation. I had to io8 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. write a letter for Tippu to the Administrator-General of the Cono;o Free State, to lay before the King [of the Belgians], stating Tippu's strenuous efforts to pacify the people and restore order. ' The efforts really consist in drinking coffee and palavering. The forenoon we spent disembarking Tippu and his people. The Old Falls station is on an island now occupied by Raschid, one of his head men. Tippu's brother looks very like one of those Jew Arabs at Aden who come on board to sell ostrich-feathers. Both the Old Falls station and Tippu's village consist of mud houses, thatched with dried palm and banana leaves, and are stockaded. They have got three Krupp seven-pounders, and one muzzle-loading seven-pounder; one of the Krupps is in perfect repair ; the others have no wheels, and the breach-pin of one is missing. The muzzle-loader has no carriage. The Arabs call the place Singa- tini. The river is narrow here, but broadens out towards the cataract, and the volume of water is immense. I had a palaver with Tippu. He is evidently a bit sore with Stanley about the men he promised to give him, for Stanley promised he would supply them with ammunition ; and to the best of my belief the ammunition is left behind, to come up the next trip. Tippu-Tib must have been told this by Stanley, and asked to supply it, to be repaid hereafter ; but he thinks it a breach of contract, and also says his men have no powder. I effected a sort of compromise by making him half promise riPPU-TIB S CONTRACT. 109 to supply, at any rate, 200 men with ammuni- tion, to be repaid. This will suit me admirably, because then, directly Ward and Troup come up, I can cut on, unless Stanley changes his mind again. [ no] CHAPTER VI. AT YAMBUYA : JUNE I9 — AUGUST 16, 1887. Arrival at Yambuya — Ordered to remain there and await Stanley's return — Asks Permission to advance — Letter of Instructions^ Supposed Conversation between Major Barttelot and Stanley ■ — Wretched Lot of Men and Supplies left at Yambuya — Departure of Mr. Stanley — His Last Words — Alone with Jameson at Yambuya — Letters Home — Arrival of Bolobo Contingent — The Arabs appear — Report to Mr. W. Mac- kinnon — Stanley's Letter of Instructions. ' Sunday, June 19. — Left Stanley Falls (having interchanged presents with Tippu). Dense fog, and one of the pipes of the boiler got loose, so we were forced to stop. Our clever captain got us on to a sandbank later on. ' J7ine 20. — Queen's Jubilee. We found a tree at the mouth of the Aruwimi, which Stanley had blazed and painted " 12 " on to show he had gone up. ' Tuesday, 21. — We passed the Stanley down- wards bound. Some natives shot a poisoned arrow into the Henry Reid. AT YAMBUYA. 'June 22. — The Henry Rcid started at 5.30 a.m. Had to stop at 8 to cut wood till 12.30, when a tremendous squall came on and a drenching rain ; it lasted an hour. ' We arrived at the entrenched camp at the deserted village of Yambuya at 5.45 p.m., being two days behind our time. Stanley was very anxious about us, and Stairs not very well. The fellows here have had nothing but rice, beans and manioc cakes ; there is not even a fowl to be had, and no big game to be shot ; a pleasant look-out for Jameson and me, who are to be left behind unless the natives come in ! Stanley told me that Baruti, his African boy, had deserted with his rifle and other things.' Yambuya Camp. June 23.— [Major Barttelot writes to his father : ' Jameson and I are to be left here at present ; Stanley intends us to remain here till he comes back, which will be about November.' He also writes to a friend, June 23: 'Stanley intends to leave Jameson and me here; we are to await his return, which will be about five months ; but I am going to try and persuade him otherwise.' The above are extracts of letters written on board the Henry Reid before 9 a.m., Thursday, June 23, for the diary says : ' I stayed on board till 9 a.m., finishing my letters, four in number, to 112 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. father, etc., and put them all in one envelope and sent them home by Captain Wheatley, of the Peace.' Major Barttelot had his interview with Mr. Stanley that same afternoon and obtained per- mission to advance.] ' I had a long talk with Stanley in the afternoon, and he gave me permission to move on eastward directly Ward and Troup, etc., were up. In the afternoon the Soudanese put wood on the steamer. I called the roll for this purpose — twelve were absent ; late in the evening they returned, bringing one of their number in wounded. I finished putting the wood on board by 10.30 p.m. I had got my things on shore during the day, and had taken up my quarters with dear old Parke. I have not been well the last few days. ' Friday, June 2/^. — Alexander Hadad, the young interpreter, died yesterday ; he had been failing for a long time. We buried him to-day. Stanley has built us a house, and put a stockade nearly all round our intended stockaded camp. He has also put up a firing platform. There is an excellent spring of water.' [On this day Mr. Stanley delivered a letter of instructions to Major Barttelot, and a copy of it to Mr. J. S. Jameson, his second in command. This will be found at the end of the chapter.] ' Saturday, June 25. — I went in to see Stanley, and had a row with him. He told me I nagged at him, and if I went on we should fight ; that I ought INTERVIEW WITH MR. STANLEY. 113 never to have come on this Expedition, and that I was either naturally cross or for a purpose, and that if the former he should suspend me from all duty. The cause of it was because I told him the truth, and because Stairs had shown me a letter which Stanley had written him concerning my non-appear- ance.* He thought that Tippu had captured us, or the Soudanese had mutinied. The former I told him was absurd, and I could not understand how he could have entertained it, especially after what he had told me, viz., that he woicld as soon trust Tippu- Tib as a white man. Stanley replied, " Yes ; but I would only trust a white man to a certain point, and no further, as my letter of instructions showed." I said, " Yes, that is the worst of it ; trust me all in all, or not at all." The day previous I told him that Tippuf did not trust him, and thought that he (Stanley) had broken faith with him concerning the ammunition, etc., which had fetched Stanley rather. The second proposition, as to the Soudanese mutinying, I said was equally absurd, and that when alone with me, and not continually sneered at, they did well. I asked him where his camp was ' going to be ; he said I ought to know. " Of course," I .=aid, " I know the direction, and which shore of * Major Barttelot was two days longer coming to Yambuya from Stanley Falls than Mr. Stanley expected. t ' When I told Stanley this, he said he did not want Tippu- Tib's aid ; he could do very well without the men.' — Extract from letter to Major Sclater. 8 114 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. Albert Nyanza." He said everybody else knew it. I replied very bitterly, " You have told them, but not me, for you never tell me anything." Then he burst out, and I left him. However, it did me good, and I took two podophyllin pills that night.' [In vol. i., p. 117, "Darkest Africa,' Mr. Stanley devotes nine pages to the questionable report of a conversation with Major Barttelot, supposed to have taken place on June 24, into which he, for prejudice, imports private matter concerning the opinions of general officers of the English army of Major Barttelot, making out that Major Barttelot was afraid of their opinions. The truth is, that Mr. Stanley had, on more than one occasion, threatened Major Barttelot with the name of General Bracken- bury, and had told Major Barttelot in March that General Brackenbury had recommended him not to take Major Barttelot. Whatever may be the truth as to General Brackenbury 's remarks, Mr. Stanley has placed himself in this position : He told Major Barttelot in March that General Brackenbury had recommended him not to take him ; and then in this account of the conversation (Major Barttelot being dead, and presumably unable to speak) he makes him- self to say, ' I do not understand how General could have warned me,' etc. It is difficult to know what is true ; but one of these statements of Mr. Stanley's he must know to be misleading. Major Barttelot writes (June 4, 1888): 'Stanley and I were never on good terms. He could not CONVERSA TIONS. i t 5 threaten me, and threats are his chief mode of punishment.' Lord Wolseley and Sir Red vers Buller had both recommended Major Barttelot, and his honourable, manly character was too well known to be injured by Mr. Stanley's threats, or for Major Barttelot to care for them. Hence Mr. Stanley's anger. This, therefore, throws doubt on the validity of the whole conversation as told by Mr. Stanley. The writer of an article in Blackwood's Magazine for August, 1890, on Mr. Stanley's book, says : ' No one can read the pages in the first volume, headed " Conversations with Major Barttelot " — in which the Major is scarcely allowed to interject a remark — without being conscious that Mr. Stanley is laboriously endeavouring to cover his own error in leaving the rear column dependent for its safety and means of advance upon a person whom he himself, from his previous experience of Tippu-Tib, had so great reason to regard as utterly untrustworthy.' In this quite impossible conversation Mr. Stanley makes himself nobly say, ' Ever since King David, those who remain with the stuff and those who go to the war receive the same honours.' Barttelot and Jameson, Troup and Ward and Bonny, remained with the stuff, but where are the honours ?] ' Sunday , June 26. — Sayed Mohammed, the soldier who was wounded, died during the night. A chief from a village across the river made blood-brother- hood with me by our lancing each other's arms, and u6 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. covering the wounds with salt. He licked the blood off my arm, and then I had to do the same ; we then rubbed the places together ; after this a chicken was killed, and the blood sprinkled on the people round. He kept the head, and I the body, and the performance, an exceedingly nasty one, was over. ' Monday, June 2^. — The companies were told off to-day. Such a lot of wretched men as were left behind you never saw. Out of 74 Zanzibaris, 36 are able to work and carry loads, the rest sick. The worst Maniapara (head-man), called Muni- chandi, is left, who has no authority with the men, and is laziness personified. ' Our share of European stores was also given out to each one for six months. Jameson's and mine together consist of five i-lb. tins of coffee, three I -lb. tins of tea, two tins of salt, six tins of butter, eight tins of milk, one opening knife, one tin of sugar, six tins of jam, one tin of chocolate, three tins of cocoa and milk, three tins of sardines, three tins of sausages, four i-lb. tins of biscuit, one tin of red herrings, two tins of flour, four pots of Liebig, one of tapioca, one tin of sago. ' Tuesday, June 28. — Stanley left at 8.30 a.m. with Stairs, Nelson, Jephson, and Parke. The last I saw of Sianley was at 8. 10 a.m.' (' He said to me, " Good-bye, Major ; shall find you here in October, when I return." ' — Letter to Major Sclater.) ' I sent I officer, i sergeant, and 10 men with MR STANLEY LEAVES YAM BUY A. 117 Stanley, and I have with me here 45 Soudanese (41 fit for duty), i interpreter, 4 Somalis (all more or less sick), 76 Zanzibaris (40 sick), my 3 boys and Jameson's 2, myself and Jameson — 133 persons.' [From this date begin the weary days of long anxious waiting, with nothing to cheer, and every- thing possible to distress, the two brave fellows who had given up their time, home, friends, and employ- ments to go to the rescue of Emin Pasha. They knew that, according to Stanley's calculations, the relief would be effected by the advance before they could move from this hateful camp. They were in doubt as to when Ward, Troup, and Bonny would arrive from Bolobo. They expected 600 carriers from Tippu-Tib, but felt that probably they would not be sent. If Stanley did not care whether they were sent or not, and took no trouble to see that they were provided, why should Tippu care ? The commissariat provided by Stanley was most miser- able : not an atom of tinned or fresh meat — a few carriers would have brought enough tinned meat to last a year. The men had nothing to eat but the poisonous manioc, and the health of both officers and men was soon seriously affected by the deadly, hopeless monotony of this awful forest camp. Stanley and those with him were cheered on day by day by the hope of what was before them and the novelty of the scene, by the knowledge that daily they were nearer the achievement of their object. ii8 LIFE OF EDMUND MUS CRAVE BARTTELOT. Meanwhile, at Yambuya, the bitterness of disappoint- ment, betrayal, and death was gradually to consum- mate the terrible sacrifice of the rear column.] Letter from Major Barttelot to Major Sclater. ' Camp, Yambuya Village, Aruwimi Falls, ' (Commenced) ya/y 19, 1887 (Finished, August 13). ' My dear old Harry, ' I am writing this to you privately. Of course you will have seen my last two letters home and all about our journey up the river. But it is about other things I want to speak.' (Here follows an account of Mr. Stanley's behaviour to the Soudanese, Mr. Stanley's threats to ruin Major Barttelot's military reputation, and the disgraceful scene with Jephson and Stairs, as given in the diary.) ' He (Mr. Stanley) is always suspecting us, and has constantly called us all mutineers, and threatened to treat us as such. He believes all the Zanzibaris sooner than us, and they bring him no end of tales. He speaks Swahili like a Zanzibari. It is my belief, if he thought he could get rid of us, he would; he sticks at nothing. ' Here we can get no meat, though Jameson and I managed to secure two goats and ten fowls by capturing a native woman ; and that was her price. We have \ lb. of rice per diem and a few beans. Our European provisions, which are to last six months, LETTERS HOME. 119 are as follows' (same as given before in the diary). ' Beside the rice and beans, we have \ lb. daily of weevilly biscuits. The Soudanese and Zanzibaris live on manioc. I am far from well just now, and cannot eat — consequently am weak. I have written this to show you what Stanley is like, and how he treats us in all ways. ... If I had known what he was, and how he was going to treat us, I would never have come. Part of the agreement on which Tippu-Tib was to let him have the men was, that on arrival here he should supply them with caps and powder ; these have all been left behind, and Tippu-Tib knew it. When I was at the Falls Tippu told me he thought Stanley had broken faith with him, and -that the men would not come till the ammunition arrived. On arrival here I told Stanley this, and he got into an awful rage, and said all sorts of things, because he knew that what I said was true. I was two days later arriving here from the Falls than he expected. He was in such a state about this that he was going to send off Stairs to look for me, and you never saw such a letter of instructions as he gave him. To this effect : that Tippu-Tib had seized the steamer, or that the Soudanese had mutinied and held her, or that on my own account I had a row with the natives, and they possessed the steamer. I was naturally angry at this, and went and told him I had read his letter to Stairs, and thought it absurd. In the first place, he had allowed me a margin of two days, and I had 120 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. not exceeded it.* Secondly, as to Tippu-Tib, Stanley himself had said he would as soon trust Tippu-Tib as any white man. Concerning the Soudanese, that was equally absurd, and my making a raid was absurd, when I had plenty of food. My having seen Stairs' letter, which he knew was full of the lowest suspicion, annoyed him, and my catch- ing him out at every point still more, and there was a row. He said to Stairs, when he gave him the letter, that if any of us got into danger through foolhardiness or want of proper caution, he would not move a hand's-breadth to help him. It shows you what a suspicious fellow he is. If Tippu-Tib does not send the men (and I don't think he will now), it will be a bad business for Stanley. , . . Out of seventy-seven Zanzibaris here now, thirty are fit for nothing, and most of them will die directly we leave camp. , . . ' This has been a doleful letter, but I write to you because I think one of the family should know how we are situated. I have never been on such a mournful, cheerless trip as this. The harder we worked, the glummer Stanley looked. After a long march, no smile from him or word of any sort, except to say " You have lost a box," or some sneer of that sort. . . . ' Jameson is such a real good chap, so bright and * Major Barttelot started in the steamer Henry Reid by himself with Tippu-Tib on May 31, reached the Falls and put Tippu in possession on June 17, and reached Yambuya June 22. LETTERS HOME. cheery, and when I am well we don't have a bad time ; but even now I am low, and hate my food.' Letter from Major Barttelot to Mrs. Sclater. ' Camp, Yambuya Village, Aruwimi Falls, "■August 3, 1887. ' My dearest Edith, ' I am writing you a line to tell you how we are getting on. At present Jameson and I, who are left behind, are having rather a slow time of it, as beyond cutting wood for the steamers, and making reconnaissances into the country, we have not much to do. ... I did not hit anybody (on the march) for a long time, but I found that Stanley did right and left, and that really it was the only plan to get these Zanzibaris on. Stanley expected us to hit the men, though he always took their part when they complained. We have been nothing but slave- drivers since we started, and the trouble I have had to get the Soudanese along was something dreadful. ' I think this country, what I have seen of it, is a fraud. I dare say higher up, nearer the lakes, it is better. Here we are among the greatest savages in the world, and about the only cannibals who are left. They look with longing eyes at Jameson and me ; they think that, fatted and stuffed with bananas, we should be ripping ! Jameson is a rare good chap, and very cheery. . . . The natives come and sell us fish occasionally, and honey, and plantains ; but the last two or three days they have not been, as 122 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOJ. they say Tippu-Tib's men are coming, and they are afraid they will kill them, as some few years back they killed a lot of Tippu-Tib's men who came down here to raid, and were encamped on this very spot where we are now, by making them drunk on melafor (palm wine), and then spearing them in the night ; out of 300 about seven escaped. I hope it is true that Tippu's men are coming. ... If these 600 men do not turn up, I am sadly afraid we shall have to stay here till Stanley returns, which would be about November. This would be terrible, for though we have a snug camp, life is so monotonous. The men, too, who are dying now pretty rapidly, will die much quicker when we have nothing for them to do. We can do nothing for them, for we have so little medicine, and in many cases none at all for their special diseases. ' I have brought the wrong sort of boots for this country, and I am afraid that even with the two pairs I have got they won't last me out, the roads are so bad and full of stumps, which tear and knock the boots about. The roads are only broad enough to admit of one person going at a time, and the foliage is so dense you have to stoop nearly the whole time ; it tires one pretty much. I have been along Stanley's road some distance, and it is truly bad. Jameson and I have gut a house apiece, but I live in my tent : it is drier, and I can tell you when it does rain here it comes down a regular dowser — our central road becomes a simple torrent. LIFE AT YAMBUYA. 123 ' The camp slopes towards the west, and is in the form of a triangle, the base facing the east. In circumference it is 287 yards. On the eastern face it is protected by a ditch 6 feet wide and 4 feet deep, and a ramp. The northern face is protected by the river, where the bank is very steep. The western apex is protected by a ravine. The southern face is covered half-way by the ravine, and half-way by the 6-foot ditch. The whole camp is stockaded. . . . There are two doors : one on the eastern face, and one on the northern, to the river. The eastern gate is shut at night, and the drawbridge pulled up. The northern gate remains open always. There are sentries at both these gates, on the tower and at the western open. At retreat a picquet of Zanzibaris mount — ten in number. ' Our life is very simple — we rise at 5 a.m. ; get the men to work at 5.45 ; breakfast at 6 a.m. ; work till 11.30 a.m. ; luncheon ; work at 1.30 p.m. till 5.30 ; dinner at 6.30 p.m. ; talk till 9 p.m. ; go round the sentries and to bed. Alternate nights we visit the sentries four times during the night. Any man caught sleeping gets twenty-five lashes. Of course, the men think all these precautions unnecessary, but every movement of ours is as well known to the natives as to ourselves. They watch us most vigilantly, and it is my opinion, should we relax our alertness, they would try and rush us. Whenever we make a reconnaissance they know it, pass the word, and all the villages are cleared before we get 124 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. there. Though savages, their method and rapidity of transmitting information is truly wonderful. They never steal from one another. Their punishment for individual theft is death, nor does one village steal from another, unless at war. Here they fight with nothing but spears and knives, and if we fire a gun at a parrot or a pigeon the villagers on the other side of the river sound the tom-tom, and jaw and chatter for hours afterwards. All the natives, com- monly called Washengies, have left this bank and gone to the other side, which is nothing but a swamp. This side is high ground.' Letter from Major Barttelot to Sir W. and Lady Barttelot. ' Camp, Yambuya Village, Aruwimi Falls, 'July 28, 1887. ' My dear old Father and Mamma, ' I hope you got my last letter, written on board the Henry Reid. I was right glad to get off her, she was so dirty. This is not much of a place. Stanley went eastward on June 28. . . . The Zanzibaris don't know as yet how to use their arms, and we have not had time to teach them at present, as we have been strengthening our defences; and our great work now is cutting wood for the Stanley ; but as we have only two axes that cut at all, this is a slavish job. I hope to be out of this shortly after the steamer comes up — that is, if Tippu-Tib fulfils his contract, and sends me 600 men ; but I am doubtful, AT YAMBUYA. as I told you in my last letter. He thinks Stanley has broken faith with him concerning the ammuni- tion, and, in my opinion, he has ; and if Tippu-Tib does not send the men, he (Stanley) will be the laughing-stock of everybody, because he brought Tippu-Tib round from Zanzibar with a huge follow- ing, at tremendous expense, and fed him, and he took up room on the steamer here which would have been more than sufficient to bring up all our men and goods left behind, and, instead of there being a camp here, we should all have gone on. If Tippu does not turn up, I am very much afraid I shall have to remain here till November, when Stanley will return ; but it will be sickening work. Jameson, who is left with me, is a rare good fellow ; he is a married man, and has travelled tremendously. ' As I said, all the villages this side are deserted ; but the natives who formerly lived here have established themselves on the other side, just above us ; but they have no manioc, and come to this side for it, where there are acres of it. They have charged us too much for their fish and other things, so I warned them they must reduce their prices, or I should punish them. We found out where and at what time they landed, and lay in wait for them, and caught two women and a baby and one boy. We could have caught men, but did not want them, only the women, as we knew they would pay a ransom for them. The boy we let go, but the women we kept until they were ransomed. One of them 126 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. escaped when she was taken down to bathe. The poHte guard turned their backs on the lady perform- ing her ablutions, and, hearing a bigger splash than usual, they turned round and found she had made a swim for it. Two men swam after her and caught her, but half a dozen canoes putting out and the natives threatening to spear them, they let her go. ' I have just suffered a tremendous misfortune : my watch stopped for no apparent reason at 9 p.m. last night, and has not gone since, though I can see nothing wrong with it. It is one of Dent's best. I shall send this letter home by Walker, the engineer of the Stanley, also my watch and other things. I hope Tippu will turn up, as it will expedite my return home ; and I can tell you even now I look forward to that tremendously : never have I done so so much before. I hope I shall find you all well and happy, and everything prosperous. By the way, I must wish you, my very dear old father, a very happy birthday, and many happy returns of it, and also a happy Christmas and New Year. It seems strange to be writing of these things now, but you will not get this till the end of October.' Letter to his Nephew, Master Walter Barttelot. ' Camp, Yambuya Village, Aruwimi Falls, '■August 9, 1887. ' My dear little Bobbie, ' How are you and Nigel and Irene ? I am now living amongst bloodthirsty savages, who AT YAMBUYA. 127 delight in eating the flesh of the white man and drinking his blood while yet warm. Their favourite dish is English boy roasted whole and stuffed with bananas. They are copper-coloured, and rejoice in the name of Watuku. They are armed with spears, shields, and knives, with the latter of which they whip off your head before you can wink. They wear but little clothing, and are of such savage aspect that if you look long enough at them you don't feel at all afraid. Their bravery is such that, always on our approach, they immediately run away with lightning speed, and go on the principle that he that runs away lives to fight another day. We live in a stockaded camp ; my friend Mr. Jameson in a house, and I in a tent. Mr. J.'s house is so waterproof that there is never a shower of rain without all our things getting wet through. I say our things, for my tent is so large that it will not hold all my kit. When we are inside our camp, with the gates shut and everything made fast, we look out over the top and scan the natives ; but as they are all across the river, some three-quarters of a mile away, they don't much mind. Their chief mode of getting about is by canoes, which are hollo,wed out of the trunks of trees ; some are large enough to hold fifty, others only three or four. They propel them with paddles, and go down stream with tremendous swiftness. This is not exacdy the place one would choose to spend a happy day in, only two white men, and our posts arrive once in a hundred years ; we are shortly expecting one now, 128 LIFE OF EDMUND MUSGRAVE BARTTELOT. and a few more white men. At present I am suffering from over-eating, as we l