CHAP. I 



TRAVELS IN EASTERN AFRICA 



21 



Upon arriving at Mkonumbi, I had the roll called 

 and arranged the men in alphabetical order, giving to 

 each a number. This number I had stamped upon the 

 outfit given to each man. The outfit consisted of a 

 Werndl carbine, a belt, cartridge-box, bayonet, and 

 water-bottle. The Soudanese I armed with Mannlicher 

 repeating rifles of the latest pattern. Moreover, they 

 were clad in a species of uniform, which, though it may 

 sound ridiculous in civilization, was the pride of the 

 Soudanese, and the envy and admiration of all behold- 

 ers. This uniform consisted first of baggy trousers of 

 Turkish pattern made of white cotton drill ; putties, 

 such as are worn by the Indian army, encasing their 

 calves; a long, blue, butcher's jumper, reaching nearly to 

 the knees, and a bright red fez placed on their heads. 



They were particularly pleased with the fez, which 

 was identical with the headgear of the Egyptian army. 

 Wearing it once more made them forget that they had 

 ever revolted against His Highness, the Khedive, and 

 consider that in some way I was connected with his 

 government. Most of my twelve Soudanese, as I after- 

 wards discovered, were ex-Mahdists, some of whom had 

 taken part in the battle against General Hicks, while 

 others boasted of having slain British soldiers at Abu- 

 klea, and in the fights about Suakim. 



The Soudanese were tall, martial-looking men, wild- 

 eyed and savage, to be sure, but in appearance, at least, 

 accustomed to the discipline of a soldier. In a short 

 time, however, I learned that their martial bearing was 

 more the result of a defiant spirit than of any concep- 

 tion of soldierly obedience. The chief of the Soudanese 

 gloried in the title, Balook Bashi. He had seen service 



