{"id":298,"date":"2025-10-11T11:53:24","date_gmt":"2025-10-11T10:53:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/word\/?p=298"},"modified":"2025-10-11T11:53:24","modified_gmt":"2025-10-11T10:53:24","slug":"the-boat-was-about-to-leave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.aberth.com\/samuelwhitebaker\/the-boat-was-about-to-leave\/","title":{"rendered":"The boat was about to leave"},"content":{"rendered":"

At the last moment, when the boat was about to leave the shore, two of the best men jumped in with their guns. However, the natives positively refused to start; therefore, to avoid suspicion, I ordered them to retire, but I left word that on the morrow I would send the canoe across with supplies, and that one or two men should endeavor to accompany the boat to our side on every trip.<\/p>\n

It was quite dark when we started. The canoe was formed of a large hollow tree, capable of holding twenty people, and the natives paddled us across the rapid current just below the falls. A large fire was blazing upon the opposite shore, on a level with the river, to guide us to the landing-place. Gliding through a narrow passage in the reeds, we touched the shore and landed upon a slippery rock, close to the fire, amid a crowd of people, who immediately struck up a deafening welcome with horns and flageolets, and marched us up the steep face of the rocky cliff through a dark grove of bananas. Torches led the way, followed by a long file of spearmen; then came the noisy band and ourselves, I towing my wife up the precipitous path, while my few attendants followed behind with a number of natives who had volunteered to carry the luggage.<\/p>\n

On arrival at the top of the cliff, we were about 180 feet above the river; and after a walk of about a quarter of a mile, we were triumphantly led into the heart of the village, and halted in a small courtyard in front of the headman’s residence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At the last moment, when the boat was about to leave the shore, two of the best men jumped in with their guns. However, the natives positively refused to start; therefore, to avoid suspicion, I ordered them to retire, but…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[4],"yoast_head":"\nThe boat was about to leave - Samuel White Baker<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aberth.com\/samuelwhitebaker\/the-boat-was-about-to-leave\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The boat was about to leave - Samuel White Baker\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"At the last moment, when the boat was about to leave the shore, two of the best men jumped in with their guns. 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Having prepared for the introduction by changing my clothes in a grove of plantains for my dressing-room, and altering my costume to a tweed suit, something similar to that worn by Speke, I climbed up a high and almost\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nile"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":297,"url":"http:\/\/www.aberth.com\/samuelwhitebaker\/the-day-passed\/","url_meta":{"origin":298,"position":1},"title":"The day passed","date":"March 17, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The day passed away, and as the sun set we perceived the canoe again paddling across the river. This time it approached directly, and the same people landed that had received the necklaces in the morning. They said that they had held a conference with the headman, and that they\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nile"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":305,"url":"http:\/\/www.aberth.com\/samuelwhitebaker\/the-effect-was-magical\/","url_meta":{"origin":298,"position":2},"title":"The effect was magical","date":"December 26, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The effect was magical! I rose hastily to depart. The chiefs implored, declaring that Kamrasi would kill them all if I retreated, to prevent which misfortune they secretly instructed the canoe to be removed. I was in a great rage, and about 400 natives, who were present, scattered in all\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nile"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":291,"url":"http:\/\/www.aberth.com\/samuelwhitebaker\/exciting-scenery-of-the-glorious-river-crashing-over-innumerable-falls\/","url_meta":{"origin":298,"position":3},"title":"Exciting scenery of the glorious river crashing over innumerable falls","date":"October 8, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"After a most enjoyable march through the exciting scenery of the glorious river crashing over innumerable falls, and in many places ornamented with rocky islands, upon which were villages and plantain groves, we at length approached the Karuma Falls, close to the village of Atada above the ferry. The heights\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nile"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":336,"url":"http:\/\/www.aberth.com\/samuelwhitebaker\/we-were-ferried-across-to-the-main-shore-and-my-wife-and-i-in-our-respective-angareps-were-carried-by-the-natives-for-about-three-miles\/","url_meta":{"origin":298,"position":4},"title":"We were ferried across to the main shore, and my wife and I, in our respective angareps, were carried by the natives for about three miles","date":"October 26, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"We were ferried across to the main shore, and my wife and I, in our respective angareps, were carried by the natives for about three miles. Arriving at a deserted village, half of which was in ashes, having been burned and plundered by the enemy, we were deposited on the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nile"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":290,"url":"http:\/\/www.aberth.com\/samuelwhitebaker\/trampling-hundreds-of-paths-in-all-directions\/","url_meta":{"origin":298,"position":5},"title":"Trampling hundreds of paths in all directions","date":"November 8, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"On the following day our guide lost the road; a large herd of elephants had obscured it by trampling hundreds of paths in all directions. The wind was strong from the north, and I proposed to clear the country to the south by firing the prairies. 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