THE SOUDANESE i43 



of the Soudanese. He not only attends the European officials, 

 Goanese and Armenian clerks, Indian artisans, Swahili porters, 

 local labourers and prisoners, but also the Soudanese soldiers, 

 and accompanies the troops on military campaigns and puni- 

 tive expeditions. 



It is already a matter of history how the Soudanese came to 

 Uganda, where they are aliens quite as much as any European. 

 The Dervish success in the Soudan, culminating in the fall of 

 Khartoum, when Gordon Pasha lost his life, drove out of the 

 country what remained of the troops wearing the Egyptian 

 uniform. These fugitives carried their arms and ammunition 

 with them. Having knowledge of the advantage of military 

 disciphne, they followed with implicit obedience their leaders, 

 and, owing to the superiority of their arms, they found them- 

 selves masters of the territories which they had been compelled 

 to invade. Left to forage for themselves, they became raiding 

 bands ; but they knew that unity meant strength, and they 

 held together to resist the common enemy. 



According to Mohammedan notions, slaves are lawful spoil ; 

 and captives, boys as well as girls, would thus be added to 

 the household. These children of different races, speaking 

 different languages, unknown to each other and to their cap- 

 tors, soon forgot their own language and learnt to speak the 

 tongue of the Soudanese. Many — I believe I may venture to 

 say most — of our so-called Soudanese soldiers are not true 

 Soudanese, nor even their descendants, but purely and simply 

 their slave children grown up. Some soldiers could tell me 

 that they were Bari, Makraka, Lendu, or Lur, words familiar 

 to my ear ; others again would mention some unfamiliar name, 

 or not know themselves what country they came from. 



Lugard, hearing of these dangerous hordes on the borders of 

 Uganda, by a master-stroke converted them into useful allies. 

 Others who succeeded him in authority followed his example, 

 for shortly after my arrival in Uganda another company of these 

 wanderers was enlisted. 1 remember the curious spectacle they 

 presented at Port Alice, when they were told to fall in for the 

 preliminary inspection-parade. Some still wore portions of a 

 former uniform, others had practically nothing on but a loin- 

 cloth. Their weapons were equally incongruous. Many of the 

 men were sound and healthy, others were feeble and infirm ; 

 some were greybeards, others mere boys. Yet amongst the 



