The Wild Tribes of the Soudan. An account of travel and sport, chiefly in the Basé country, etc

Front matter

THE WILD TRIBES OF THE SOUDAN A B AS E "PROFESSI O N A L BEAUTY THE WILD TRIBES OF THE SOUDAN AN ACCOUNT OF TRAVEL AND SPORT CHIEFLY IN THE BAS& COUNTRY BEING PERSONAL EXPERIENCES AND ADVENTURES DURING THREE WINTERS SPENT IN THE SOUDAN BY F. L. JAMES, M.A., F.R.G.S. LONDON JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET Printed by R. & R. Clakk, Edinburgh. TO %\_)z Memory of THE HONOURABLE JOHN CONSTABLE MAXWELL OUR COMPANION IN A PREVIOUS JOURNEY IN THE SOUDAN THIS RECORD OF OUR WANDERINGS IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED. R.I.P.

Preface

. I feel that some apology is due for adding another to the numerous books of travel that have been written during the last few years on Africa. My excuse must be the interest always taken in whatever relates to Africa and the African, and the fact that a considerable part of the ground traversed, namely, that through the Base country, was terra incognita, and had not been explored previously to our visit. The Base, or Kunama tribe, who inhabit this district are far more uncivilised than any of the people who dwell in that part of Africa : they are of a totally different type, much blacker and more closely allied to the pure negro than any of their neighbours. To penetrate into the heart of their country had for some time been with me a cherished project ; and I had often discussed its feasi bility with Egyptian officials and others in the Soudan during previous journeys made in the country, but had been invariably told that it was next to impossible to accomplish my desire. On all hands we were informed that the Base were most treacherous, and that although there was not much

PREFACE.

. VIII danger of their attacking so large a party as we were by day, they would not hesitate to take advantage of us during the darkness of night if an opportunity pre sented itself. My narrative will show that a little tact and care on our part overcame these obstacles, and we became the best of friends. Our chief difficulty was in first entering their country, and in setting their minds at rest as to our peaceable and non-political intentions towards them. On one occasion only, when our party was divided, we had good reason to believe that they meditated treachery, but on their discovering that we were apprised of their intentions they apparently gave up their project, and we never had cause to suspect them again. The only travellers that I could hear of who had ever ventured into this country were a Mr. and Mrs. Powell, who, together with their child, had been treacherously murdered by the Base ; and even they had not advanced very far into their territory.

The map of the Base country that accompanies this volume was made by my brother, Mr. W. D. James, assisted by Mr. Aylmer, from astronomical observations taken with a sextant every night. They carefully mapped out our route every day by aid of the sextant and pris matic compass. It adds a portion, however small, to the map of Africa. The woodcuts were all done in New York from my brother's and Mr. Aylmer's photographs, and are specimens of a branch of art in which Americans excel. The

PREFACE.

. IX etchings were executed in London by Mr. Thomas Riley; three of them were etched from sketches of Mr. Colvin's, the remainder from photographs taken in the Soudan by Professor Buchta of Munich. I would, in conclusion, ask the indulgence of the public for this effort of one who for the first time publishes a record of his daily life and experiences. CONTENTS. PAGE List of Illustrations xvii

Chapter I

We leave Cairo for the Egyptian Soudan. — The Base Country. — Egyptian Officials. — Quarantine Regulations.— Our Party. — Servants of the Party. — Ali the Cook. — Shereef the staid and stately Waiter. — Mahoom. — The Agra's Passengers .......... i

Chapter II

Arrival at Souakim. — The Wakeel. — Thieving Propensities of Egyptian Officials. — Encouragement of Slavery. — Souakim. — Caravan -routes from Souakim. — Ala-ed-Deen Pacha. — The Governor's "Palace." — Bedouin Government Prisoners. — Omnipresence of Greeks. — Dhitrra. — " Hotel du Soudan." — Curious Manner of dressing the Hair. — An African Hurlingham. — Story of the Seven Virgins. — Departure from Souakim . . io

Chapter III

The First Halt. — The Rainy Season. — The Camel-sheik comes for Baksheesh. — Three Caravan-routes to Cassala. — Disputes with the Camel-drivers. — Gazelles. — Management of Camels. — Halt at Siterabb. — A Piteous Tale . 22

Chapter IV

Journey continued. — Buck Gazelle shot. — More trouble with the Camel-drivers. — A rose-breasted Shrike. — Sand-storm at Ellegua. — Jules taken ill. — Death in Camp. — Takroori Woman abandoned by her People. — We divide the Camp. — Mishaps of those left behind.— Christmas Day at Wandi.— "Molly" CONTENTS. XII

Chapter V. Page

We divide the Camp.— Part start for Cassala.— The Rest remain at Wandi.— Continued Illness of Jules. — Dharra runs short. — Departure from Wandi. —Khor Belag.— News of the First Party.— A Deserted Village.— Omri. — The Belgian Doctor. — Halt at Khor Rassay. — Pharaoh's Lean Kine. — Desolate Tract of Country. — Scorpions 35

Chapter VI

Arrival at Fillik. — The Gash. — Abundance of Game. — Cassala reached. — Encampment in the Dry Bed of the Gash. — Caravans on the Cassala Road. — The Governor of Cassala. — Servants sent from Sanheit. — Death ofjules .........•■■ 41

Chapter VII

Purchase of Camels Expedition to the Atbara — The Village of Naouri. — Mosconas and his Son. — White Ants. — Dinner with the Governor. — The Town of Cassala. — Hyænas. — Pariah Dogs. — Collections for European Zoological Societies. — Hiring Camel-drivers. — Strike of Souakim Servants. — Departure from Cassala. — Bashi-Bazouks ..... 47

Chapter VIII

Journey from Cassala. — Game shot by the Way. — The Dog-faced Baboon. — Arrival at Haikota. — The German "Animal-catcher." — Visits from two Sheiks. — Sheik Achmed Ageer. — Attack on the Beni-Amers by the Base. — Fresh Supply of Camels. — Dinner to Sheik Achmed and the German. — Success of the Magic-Lantern ........ 59

Chapter IX

Departure from Haikota. — Mahomet Salee. — Abundance of Game. — Halt at Toadelook. — Tete/. — Adventure with a Lion on the Prowl. — A Shooting Expedition. — Fifty-seven Sand-grouse netted. — Night-watches in hopes of a Shot ............ CONTENTS. XIII

Chapter X

The Camp moves forward. — Scarcity of Game.— Water easily obtainable.— Difficulties of the Journey.— Baby Crocodiles.— Sheik Achmed rejoins the Travellers.— A Battue.— Mimosa-Trees.— Road-cutting through the Jungle. — A Buffalo Adventure 77

Chapter XI

Arrival at Wo Ammar. — First Interview with Base. — A Base Village. Giraffe-stalking. — The Village of Koolookoo.— Deputation from the Village.— The Sheik's Son makes himself "generally useful." — Presents for the Deputation. — The Koolookoo Villagers much interested in us. — Visit to the Village. — Women of Koolookoo 84

Chapter XII

Scarcity of Dhurra. — A number of Base join our Camp. — Water-Carriers. — Another deserted Village. — Ceremony of making Peace. — Friendliness of the Base Women. — The Mareb. — Buffaloes seen for the First Time. — More Base join the Camp. — Exciting Stalk after an Ostrich. — A Leper. — Game abounds ........... 93

Chapter XIII

Aylmer and I start for Ma Ambasah, and find Water. — A Chase after Buffaloes. — Both Barrels at once. — A nasty Recoil. — A Visit from Sheik Kudul. — He departs, promising to return. — The Camp moves to Ma Ambasah. — Two Bull Buffaloes killed. — Some of the Camel-drivers sent to Amedeb for Dhurra ........... 104

Chapter XIV

Disastrous Adventure with Abyssinians. — Akabah brings the Alarm. — Two of our Party surprised by a Hundred armed Abyssinians. — Making Friends. — Treachery of the Abyssinians. — Mahomet fearfully wounded. — The Search for him. — The Dembelas Tribe. — Contemplated Expedition against the Dembelas abandoned . . . . . . . . . CONTENTS. XIV

Chapter XV. Pace

We leave Ma Ambasah.— Arrival of Mahomet. — Doubts of the Base. — A Picturesque Scene.— Sport or Exploration? — The Medicine -Chest. — Death of Mahomet. — Two of the Party start for Amedeb.— Difficulty of keeping Camels. — The "Guffer" Disease. — Dilatoriness of the Arabs. — Poverty of the Base.— The Barea Tribe 123

Chapter XVI

Our Joumey to Amedeb. — History of Sheik Said Carcashi. — The Bombashi. — Promises Aid in recovering the Stolen Property. — Ras Aloula. — Town of Amedeb. — Pere Picard. — Mahomet's Sister. — Return to the Mareb . 132

Chapter XVII

Alarm of an Attack by the Base. — Our Camp moves on. — Independence of the Base. — Elephant-tracks. — Most of the Base leave the Camp. — A Shot at a Lion. — Difficulty of Shooting while riding Camels. — The Arabs strike. — Abundance of Quail . . . . . . . -139

Chapter XVIII

Return to Haikota. — Mishaps with the Camels. — Success of the Magic-Lantern. — Departure for the Settite. — The Village of Sogada. — Arrival at the Settite 148

Chapter XIX

The Road to the Settite. — The Everlasting Forest. — Sheik Achmed's Deception. — Fishing in the Settite. — The Camp moves on. — The Guides and Camel-drivers refuse to proceed. — The Return to Khor Meheteb. — Adventure with a Crocodile. — A Scare . . . . . 153

Chapter XX

Encampment at Khor Meheteb.— Good Fishing. — The Kelb-el-bahr. — Capture of a Baggar. — A Visit from Base of Lacatecourah. — Tracking Buffaloes. — Arab Escort sent back to Haikota. — Baboons. — Exciting Night among the Buffaloes . . . . . . . . . .163 CONTENTS. XV

Chapter XXI

A Visit from two Hamran Sheiks.— Fresh Sport among the Buffaloes.— A Shereker. — A Second Visit from Hamran Sheiks. — They offer to guide us into their own Country. — Three Base join the Camp. — They are attacked by the Hamrans. — Moosa's Discharge . . . . . . .172

Chapter XXII

Departure for Om Hagar. —Good Sport. — Arrival at Om Hagar. — Buffalo- Tracks. — Capture of the First Hippopotamus. — Visit from Hamran Sheik's Son. — The Last Hippopotamus.— Marabou Storks. — Purchase of a Tortoise. — A splendid Buck Nellut shot 182

Chapter XXIII

Extracts from Diary. — Bait set for Lions. — Mosquitoes. — Among the Buffaloes again. — Beginning of the Homeward Journey. — Journey towards Lacatecourah. — The Village of Lacatecourah. — A Bonne-Bouche . . 195

Chapter XXIV

Encampment at Abou Sellal. — A Native of the Base Settite. — A Dabergoum Sheik offers to conduct us to the Base Settite. — Base Villages on the Settite. — Capture of a Boa-constrictor. — Arrival at Haikota. — The Beni- Amer's Raid on the Base. — A Visit from Sheik Achmed Ageer. — His Lame Apologies .......... 204

Chapter XXV

Immense Flocks and Herds. — Night-Watch for Lions. — Two Panthers killed. — Two Lions bagged. — The Camp moves on. — Religion of the Base. — Origin of various African Tribes . . . . . . . .213

Chapter XXVI

First Day's Journey towards Amedeb. — A False Alarm. — Arrival at Amedeb. — Journey continued. — Khor Baraka. — Another Watch for Lions. — Thrilling Adventure with a Lion. — News of the Stolen Rifles and Horses . CONTENTS.

Chapter XXVII. Page

Perilous Ascent of Tchad-Amba. — The Church. —The Monks.— We move on again. — An Old Acquaintance. — Arrival at Sanheit. — The Town of Sanheit. — A Last Attempt to recover the Stolen Property. — A Visit to the Church and Schools at Sanheit ........ 233

Chapter XXVIII

We start for Massawa.— Dra's Sad Story.— The Anseba Valley.— An Attempt to make India-rubber from the Quol-quol Plant. — El Ain. — Bashi- Bazouks and their Prisoners. — We encamp at the Water-course Camphor. —Occasional Sudden Rising of the Water in the Kliors .... 244

Chapter XXIX

Arrival at Massawa. — Comfortable Quarters at the "Palace." — Situation of Massawa. — Water-supply of Massawa. — The Town is guarded at Night. — Camel-Sale by Auction. — The Start from Massawa. — Perilous Position of Mahoom . . . . . . . . . . .252

Chapter XXX

Arrival at Souakim. — A Visit to Mr. Bewley. — Our Fellow-Passengers on the "Messina." — Arrival at Suez. — Accounts of Abyssinian Raid in English and Egyptian Press. — Suleiman's History. — We leave Cairo for England 259 Index LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. TO FACE PAGE A Base " Professional Beauty." Etched by Thomas Riley from a Sketch by R. B. Colvin Title " Bellus." Drawn by W. H. Drake. Engraved by Photo Engraving Co. 20 On the March. Engraved by J. Augustus Bogert .... 26 Shukreeyeh Camel-Driver. Etched by Thomas Riley, from a Photograph by Professor Buchta ........ 30 Gebel Cassala. Engraved by E. Schoonmaker ..... 43 Camp at Cassala. Drawn by W. Taber. Engraved by Photo Engraving Co 47 White Ant Hill. Engraved by G. A. Bogert ..... 50 Cassala Natives. Drawn by W. Taber. Engraved by Photo Engraving Co 55 The Gash, Cassala.

Etched by Thomas Riley, from a Sketch by R. B. Colvin ........... 59 Haikota. Drawn by Harry Fenn. Engraved by Photo Engraving Co. . 64 Walkait Minstrel. Engraved by Chas. Cullen .... 70 Camp at Koolookoo. Engraved by A. E. Wood .... 88 Base at Koolookoo. Drawn by W. H. Drake. Engraved by Photo Engraving Co. .......... 89 Bed of the Mareb at Aibaro. Engraved by John Filmer . . 90 Base Women. Engraved by E. Heinemann 91 Arrival of Meat in Camp. Engraved by J. A. Coughlan . . 100 Shukreeyeh Boy. Etched by Thomas Riley, from a Photograph by Professor Buchta .......... LIST OF ILLLUSTRATIONS. XVIII TO FACE PAGE Beni Amer Camel-Driver. Etched by Thomas Riley, from a Photograph by Professor Buchta .....■•■ I23 At Mai Sarsah. Engraved by E. Heinemann 127 Longay Base Sheik. Etched by Thomas Riley, from a Sketch by R. B. Colvin 139 Base at Aibaro.

Engraved by E. Heinemann . . . . . 139 Bas£ Hut at Koolookoo. Engraved by E. R. Tichenor . . 141 Bas£. Engraved by E. Heinemann . . . . . . 152 Khor Meheteb. Engraved by J. Clements . . . . . 155 Camp at Settite, near Khor Meheteb. Engraved by E. Schoonmaker 159 Khor Meheteb. Engraved by E. Schoonmaker . . . . . 161 The Settite, near Khor Meheteb. Engraved by J. Clements . 163 The Settite. Engraved by E. R. Tichenor 164 Our Fishing-Grounds near Meheteb. Engraved by W. W. Scott . 166 Island in the Settite. Engraved by J. Augustus Bogert . . . 172 Return to Camp after Night at Meheteb. Engraved by John Filmer ........... 175 Settite. Drawn by Harry Fenn. Engraved by Photo Engraving Co. . 1 76 Hamrans at Om Hagar. Engraved by Thos. Hallawell . . . 179 Ali's Kitchen at Om Hagar. Engraved by J. Augustus Bogert 1S2 "Khor" near Om Hagar.

Engraved by E. Schoonmaker . . 185 Hamrans Drying Hippopotamus Meat. Drawn by Harry Fenn. Engraved by Photo Engraving Co. . . . . . . . 188 Hippopotamus and Salee. Drawn by Harry Fenn. Engraved by Photo Engraving Co. ......... 192 Lacatecourah. Drawn by W. Taber. Engraved by Photo Engraving Co. 201 Breaking up Camp at Abou Sellal. Drawn by W. Taber. Engraved by Photo Engraving Co. ....... 204 Sheik Achmed Ageer at Toadelook. Drawn by W. H. Drake. Engraved by Photo Engraving Co. . . . . . . 2I2 Lion and Lioness. Drawn by W. H. Drake. Engraved by Photo Engraving Co 21g Baobab-Tree. Drawn by Harry Fenn. Engraved by Photo Engraving Co. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. XIX TO FACE PAGE Dhoum-Palms at Gargi, Khor Baraka. Drawn by Harry Fenn. Engraved by Photo Engraving Co. . . . . . . . 229 Keren (Sanheit).

Drawn by Harry Fenn. Engraved by Photo Engraving Co. ........... 238 Pass on the Road to El Ain. Drawn by W. H. Drake. Engraved by Photo Engraving Co. ........ 247 Midday Halt on Road to El Ain. Engraved by R. F. Rea . . 248 MAPS. Egypt and Part of the Soudan .... To face Chap. I. page 1 The Base Country. Showing the Author's Journeys, from Observations by W. D. James and G. P. V. Aylmer .... To face page 225 Abyssinia and Adjacent Countries .... At end of Index London; John MvTTa__y.Albemarle $treet,l#83. SPORT AND TRAVEL IN THE SOUDAN.

Chapter I

We leave Cairo forthe Egyptian Soudan.— The Base Country. — Egyptian Officials. — Quarantine Regulations.— Our Party.— Servants of the Party.— Ali the Cook.— Shereef the staid and stately Waiter. — Mahoom. — The Agra's Passengers. On December i, 1881, we left Cairo for Suez, en route for the Egyptian Soudan, with the intention of exploring the Base country, a small tract lying between Taka (an Egyptian pro vince, of which Cassala is the principal town) and Abyssinia. We were going chiefly for sport ; and, the Base country being almost if not entirely unknown to Europeans, we hoped to be successful, especially as it had not previously been shot over, and, moreover, lies in a part of Africa abounding in many dif ferent kinds of game. We knew that in all probability there would be considerable difficulty to encounter in exploring the country ; as only a small part of it, and that a part where there is little or no game, belongs to Egypt, and consequently no help could be expected, but rather hindrance, from the Egyptian officials in endeavouring to carry out our programme.

They naturally dislike the possibility of sportsmen running the risk of getting into trouble with tribes bordering on their frontier. The Base" are the betes tioires, moreover, of all that part of the Soudan, and have the character of being a very treacherous B AN UNPROMISING OUTLOOK. 2 and unfriendly people ; so that it was not only on the part of the Egyptian officials that we expected to have obstacles thrown in our way, but we felt sure that we should have considerable difficulty in getting camel-drivers and servants to undertake the journey. Then, too, the Base, dwelling as they do between Egyptian and Abyssinian territory, would naturally be jealous of any one entering their country through that of their powerful Egyptian neighbours, and might think that, instead of being bent purely on travel and sport, we were really come on behalf of the Egyptian Government to endeavour to squeeze taxes out of them, and to reduce them to submission.

On our arrival in Cairo we heard that we should probably be delayed for some three or four weeks before we could find a steamer to take us to Souakim (the port on the Red Sea from which we wished to make our start into the interior), owing to the existing quarantine regulations. In consequence of the prevalence of cholera in India and at Aden, all steamers going from an Arabian to an African port were subjected to quarantine on their arrival. The only regular steamers calling at Souakim are those of the Khedivial Company ; and they, as a rule, call at ports on both sides of the Red Sea, in their voyages up and down. The steamers of the Rubattino Company are also advertised to stop at Souakim, but they are, at the best of times, most irregular ; and when we wished to go, their " fleet " had been reduced to one steamer, the " Messina," and even she had, for the time being, been withdrawn from the service, owing to the quarantine.

Most of the steamers, moreover," were keeping to the Arabian ports, while several were being done up at Alexandria ; so that there was only one steamer, the " Zagazig," performing the service between Suez and the African ports, and she had started before we had collected our party together. OUR PARTY. 3 In this dilemma we fortunately were able to induce the captain of the British India Company's steamer " Agra " to stop for us at Souakim on her way out to India. This was most lucky for us, as we grudged spending more of the cool weather at Cairo than we could help ; the heat in the Soudan becoming very trying by the spring. The " Agra " was delayed in the canal, and instead of leaving Suez on Dec. 2, as she should have done, did not start until the 7th ; this was, however, fortunate as one of our party (Colvin) was to join us there from Australia, and had she started on the right day he would have been too late, as he did not arrive until the 4th, running it rather fine.

He had come straight from Adelaide, in the " Chimborazo," one of the Orient line, without touching anywhere ; and she had been a few days late in starting. Before embarking at Suez, I may as well introduce our party to my readers. It consisted of seven, besides servants, — G. Percy V. Aylmer, R. B. Colvin, E. Lort Phillips, my two brothers, the Doctor, and myself. Of these, all except Colvin and the Doctor had made an expedition together, during the previous winter, into the Bogos country, on the Abyssinian frontier ; and my brothers and myself had, four years previous to that, travelled vid the Nile and Atbara Rivers, as far as the River Settite : so that we were not novices in African travel, and, moreover — a most important consideration in undertaking such an expedition — we felt that we should get on well together.

As we were so large a number of Europeans, we thought that it would be prudent to have a doctor in the party. I undertook the task of finding one, and found it no sinecure. As I could not hear privately of any one willing to accompany our party, who seemed suitable, I considered the best thing to do was to advertise in the principal medical journals ; I also ADVERTISING FOR " THE DOCTOR." 4 put an advertisement in the " Times " and " Athenæum." The result was, I was inundated with replies. Some of these were most amusing. The evident difficulties some of my correspondents found in describing their personal qualifications may be best illustrated by the following extracts from some of their letters, which I here subjoin. One, after stating that his age was forty-three, and that he had never had a day's illness, went on to say that he possessed " a disinfectant, unknown to the profession, for the prevention of fevers ; also, the means of curing the same without medicine."

He had had more experience in the treatment of fever than most medical men in England. His concluding sentence we all thought delicious, and felt he was quite the man to rough it in Central Africa. I again quote from his letter : " I like a cigar after my dinner and supper, with a glass of mild ale, and meals at regular hours ; so that I call myself an abstemious man, and one to be depended upon day or night." Another applicant kindly observed : " If the expedition is of a scientific character, I should not object to take professional charge, provided that I am allowed to obtain a sufficient stock of Jaborandi (?) Warburg's tincture, and other prophylactics against marsh-fever, without which it would be unsafe to venture into that country, or to permit others to do so. Furnished with these, I would, using proper precautions as regards sanitation, food, and clothing, face the Terai or the Gold Coast without fear or hesitation.

I have an excellent constitution, delight in tropical climate (barring swamp), am never sea-sick, and accustomed to rough travel, and to carry my life in my hand. Like all old Westminster scholars of my time, I can cook, do any kind of rough-andready housework, row, fish, shoot, and, I'm sorry to admit, fight, if occasion demands it, and also keep my temper under almost any provocation. I have the reputation of QUALIFICATIONS OF CANDIDATES. 5 being a scholar, and I believe I may say a gentleman. I forgot to state that I pick up languages rapidly, am a tolerable connoisseur in art and cookery, play whist, piquet, and chess well for an amateur, and don't drink or gamble ; and that I am a member of the Church of England, as my father's son should be." We felt that the field for this gentleman to display his taste in art as well as in cookery would be somewhat limited in the countries we proposed visiting, although his pugilistic skill might prove of value.

We, however, fully appreciated the kind care he was anxious to take of us. His concluding sentence was most cheering in case of any sinister accident : " I am engaged in devising a series of tests to determine whether people are really dead before they are buried ; and Egypt is a good country to make observations of this sort in." One applicant wrote in praise of a man whom he eulogized as follows : " It will be found on inquiry, that Dr. is highly and most respectably connected. He is good-looking, though unassuming, jovial yet refined, and strictly abstemious. He is about to commence practice for himself. When he does, his unpretending amenity, simplicity of manners and deportment, combined with his great acumen and high professional attain ments, are sure to meet with success." We felt that this gentleman's " deportment and unpretending amenity " would be quite thrown away on the wild tribes of the Soudan ; and passed on to another letter in which the writer, after enumerating every place marked on the most extensive map of the West Coast of Africa yet published, all of which places he stated he had visited, went on to say he had " attended Ocko Jumbo's son, made the acquaintance of King Ja Ja at Opobo," and that he was "on the most inti mate terms with King Ockei."

We felt that this gentleman was accustomed to altogether too high society for us, and we SERVANTS OF THE PARTY. 6 could promise him no royal acquaintances in the part of the Soudan we were about to visit. I shall only trouble my readers with one more quotation, and that from a telegram I received from a French doctor ; in which after stating his terms, which were "guatre mille francs pour deux mois, pay7s d'avance, et tous les frais du voyage',' he went on to say that he required "une chambre a part, ct ne vent pas etre oblig/ de suivre ces messieurs dans leurs excursions de chassc /" For servants we had with us George Reason, an Englishman who had accompanied us during our journey into the Bogos country ; and two Swiss, Jules Bardet and Anselmier ; these made up the European contingent. The native servants that we took from Cairo consisted of Suleiman Daoud, our head man and a most excellent fellow ; he had been with us on our last expedition, and was for nearly five years with Sir Samuel Baker when he went as head of the Egyptian government expedition to the White Nile and equatorial lakes ; Shereef the waiter, very staid and stately, never ruffled or put out by anything, slow, but an excellent man in his particular line, keeping the canteen, his special care, in first-rate condition throughout the entire journey ; Ali the cook, a native of the Soudan, a most important functionary and a very good servant.

He was with us during the winter of 1877-78. And on one occasion when at Cassala, he asked leave to get drunk, urging as his excuse that some gentlemen, with whom he had travelled several times previously, always allowed him to do so at that place ; he had consequently got to look upon it as a sort of local privilege ; a lecture was delivered to him on the sin of drunkenness, which I believe he regarded as a sort of permission to get drunk ; for he got very drunk, but not before he had sent us up a most excellent dinner, and, as far as I know, he never aftenvards offended again in this respect: Mahoom, a coal-black negro from the White Nile, a boy of sixteen, speaking both English " TARTAR." 7 and Arabic. Mahoom was originally captured by some slave traders on the White Nile, in a raid that they made against a village ; he was freed by Col. Gordon, the late governor-general of the Soudan, and given to Dr. Felkin at Khartoum.

Dr. Felkin was the medical man in charge of the Church Missionary Society's expedition to Uganda, and took Mahoom with him to that place. He had returned with the doctor to England, where he had spent some months ; hearing that we were going to the Soudan, Dr. Felkin was glad that we should take the boy with us, in order that he might escape the cold of an English winter. Of these servants, the only one who did not speak English easily was Shereef. On asking him, at Cairo, if he spoke Eng lish, he replied in the negative, but added that he spoke " too much French." His powers, however, in that respect, we found were very limited ; but, as most of us spoke a little Arabic, " too much French " was not required. We brought with us from England two dogs, — a setter and a fox-terrier, " Tartar."

The former, when he was put in the dog-box of the train at Cairo, to go to Suez, was in perfect health and spirits ; but when we came to take him out at Zag azig, a station about half way between the two places, where we had to change trains, he was dead. They had been poisoning a great many dogs at Cairo ; and he must have been poisoned, probably, on the morning we left. " Tartar " stood the climate very well : he would run with the camels all day, and sometimes, when tired, we let him ride on some of the baggage. He would often run on ahead of us, and rest under the shade of some tree ; and then, after we had passed him some distance, he would catch us up again. Once or twice we feared we had lost him. He was very fond of chasing gazelles, — which it is un necessary to add he never caught, — and he sometimes went so far after them that we lost him for hours.