130 SERVICE AND SPORT IN THE SUDAN 



Sultans (cannibals) and places should be mentioned 

 only by their initials, e.g. we talked of Tambera and 

 Rikta as T. and R., so that it would not get about that 

 we bothered about the matter at all. As a matter of 

 fact, the situation had caused much alarm and trouble 

 before my arrival. Tambera, the principal Sultan, 

 who had seen the French come and go, wished to 

 entice us down to him in order to hand us over to 

 his relative Yambio, against whom the expedition was 

 primarily directed. To this end he established friendly 

 relations with us, and sent a sheikh, Wando, to spy 

 on us. Our preparations, the arrival of well-armed 

 troops, stores, &c., alarmed the latter, who realised 

 that his people must be defeated. He, therefore, to 

 curry favour with the strong side, betrayed Tambera's 

 plans. Tambera realised, of course, who had done so, 

 and got possession of Wando, but a British ofBcer 

 who was sent down to the former's village managed to 

 save him from emasculation and mutilation, though 

 he was thrown into a deep pit. Later he was brought 

 to the surface, and, with a block of wood fastened 

 to his foot, made sport for the Sultan till he managed 

 to escape again. Our precautions for allaying alarm 

 were not as silly as they might appear. One night a 

 native officer, having imbibed not wisely but too well, 

 fired his rifle in the night — at a hippo, he said. Every 

 one poured into the forts. I remember the sheikha 

 or head-woman was a very tall old Dinka, dressed like 

 a man, and carried a long spear. 



One morning I was in the middle of my work when 

 a breathless native came to tell me that steamers were 



