Nile tributaries of Abyssinia, and the sword hunters of the Hamran Arabs.

Front matter

LIBEAEY

Theological Seminary,

PRINCETON, N. J.

Preface

The work entitled " The Albert Nyanza Great Basin of the Nile/' published in 1866, has given an account of the equatorial lake system, from which the Egyptian river derives its source. It has been determined by the joint explorations of Speke, Grant, and myself, that the rainfall of the equatorial districts supplies two vast lakes, the Victoria and the Albert, of sufficient volume to support the Nile throughout its entire course of thirty degrees of latitude. Thus the parent stream, fed by never-failing reservoirs, supplied by the ten months' rainfall of the equator, rolls steadily on. its way through arid sands and burning deserts until it reaches the Delta of Lower Egypt.

viii PREFACE.

It would at first sight appear that, the discoveiy of the lake sources of the Nile had completely solved the mystery of ages, and that the fertility of Egypt depended upon the rainfall of the equator concentrated in the lakes Victoria and Albert ; but the exploration of the Nile tributaries of Abyssinia divides the Nile system into two proportions, and unravels the entire mystery of the river, by assigning to each its due share in ministering to the prosperity of Egypt.

The lake-sources of Central Africa support the life of Egypt, by supplying a stream, throughout all seasons, that has sufficient volume to support the exhaustion of evaporation and absorption ; but this stream, if unaided, could never overflow its banks, and Egypt, thus deprived of the annual inundation, would simply exist, and cultivation would be confined to the close vicinity of the river.

The inundation, which by its annual deposit of mud has actually created the Delta of Lower Egypt, upon the overflow of which the fertility of Egypt depends, has an origin entirely separate from the lake-sources of Central Africa, and the supply of water is derived exclusively from Abyssinia.

PREFACE. ix

The two grand affluents of Abyssinia are, the Blue Nile and the Atbara, which join the main stream respectively in N. lat. 15° 3 0' and 17° 37'. These rivers, although streams of extreme grandeur during the period of the Abyssinian rains, from the middle of June until September, are reduced during the dry months to utter insignificance ; the Blue Nile becoming so shallow as to be unnavigable, and the Atbara perfectly dry. At that time, the water supply of Abyssinia having ceased, Egypt depends solely upon the equatorial lakes, and the affluents of the "White Nile, until the rainy season shall again have flooded the two great Abyssinian arteries. That flood occurs suddenly about the 20th June, and the grand rush of water pouring down the Blue Nile and the Atbara into the parent channel, inundates Lower Egypt, and is the cause of its extreme fertility.

Not only is the inundation the effect of the Abyssinian rains, but the deposit of mud that has formed the Delta, and which is annually precipitated by the rising waters, is also due to the Abyssinian streams, more especially to the river Atbara, which, known as the Bahr el Aswat (Black River) carries a larger prox PREFACE.

portion of soil than any other tributary of the Nile ; therefore, to the Atbara, above all other rivers, must the wealth and fertility of Egypt be attributed.

It may thus be stated : The equatorial lakes feed Egypt ; but the Abyssinian rivers cause the inundation.

This being a concise summary of the Nile system, I shall describe twelve months' exploration, during which I examined every individual river that is tributary to the Nile from Abyssinia, including the Atbara, Settite, Koyan, Salaam, Angrab, Eahad, Dinder, and the Blue Nile. The interest attached to these portions of Africa differs entirely from that of the White Nile regions, as the whole of Upper Egypt and Abyssinia is capable of development, and is inhabited by races either Mohammedan or Christian ; while Central Africa is peopled by a hopeless race of savages, for whom there is no prospect of civilization.

The exploration of the Nile tributaries of Abyssinia occupied the first twelve months of my journey towards the Nile sources. During this time, T bad the opportunity of learning Arabic and of studying the character of the people ; both necessary acquirements,

PREFACE, xl

which led to my ultimate success in reaching the " Albert N'yanza. " As the readers of the work of that title are aware, I was accompanied throughout the entire journey by my wife, who, with extraordinary hardihood and devotion, shared every difficulty with which African travel is beset.

Chapter I. *

ABOVE THE CATARACT.

•Sterility — Arrival at Korosko — Twenty-six Days from Cairo — The Nubian Desert — .Nature's Pyramids — Volcanic Bombs — The Stony Sea — The Camel's Grave — The Crows of Moorahd — A Delicious Draught — Rocks of the Desert — The perished Regiment— Arrival at the Nile — Distance from Korosko — Gazelles of the Desert — Dryness of the Atmosphere — Arrival at Berber — Halleem Effendi's Garden— Halleem gives Advice — The Nile rising — Visit of the Ladies — The Pillars of Sand — The Governor's Friendship — Save me from my Friends . . Page 1 — 25.

Chapter II

The Cairo Dragoman Mahomet— Mahomet forsakes his Pistols — The Route to the Atbara — The Dry Bed of the River — The Dome Palm — Preparation of the Fruit — Pools of the Atbara — Collection of Birds — Charms of the Desert — Suffering of Men and Beasts — Collodabad — Hippopotamus kills the Arab — Daring- Feat of the Fish-Eagle — Hippopotamus-shooting — Hippopotami bagged — Delight of the Arabs — Fishing — Catch a Tartar — Lose my Turtle Soup — Gazelle Shooting — The Speed of the Gazelle — Preparation of Water-skins — Tanning the Hides — Shoot a Crocodile — The River comes down — The mighty Stream of the Atbara — Change in the Season ». Page 26 — 54.

COXTENTS.

Chapter III. "wild Asses Of The Desert

My First and Last — Appetite for raw Meat — The Bishareen Arabs — Gozerajup — The First Kain — Limits of the Desert — The Hadendowa Arabs— The "Wells of Soojalup — Antelopes — Capabilities for Cotton Cultivation — Arab Migrations — The Arab's Prayer — The Barren Women — Difficulty in fording the Biver Gash — Arrive at Cassala — Hospitality of the Greek Merchant.

CHAPTER IY.

ROUTE FROM CASSALA TO SOUAKIM.

Facilities of the Port of Souakim — Fortifications of Cassala — Conquest of Nubia — Cruel Taxation — Extreme Cheapness of Corn — Cultivation of Cereals — Arab Bread — Military Position of Cassala — The Base — Prepare to start from Cassala — Mahomet's Family Tree — Mahomet meets Relations — We cross the Gash — Stalking the Ariel — Bagged the Game — Descent of Vultures — Change of Scenery — The Source of the Delta — The Parent of Egypt Page 72—91

Chapter V. The Storm

Cotton Farm of Malem Georgis — Ferocious Crocodiles — Shoot a Monster — The Public Enemy — Resistance of a Crocodile's Scales — Discover Gold — Heavy Action of the Camel — El Baggar selects a Hygeen— The Easy^goer, suitable for a Lady — Hooked Thorns of the Mimosa — We charge a Kittar Bush — The Scorpion's Sting — Sudden Deluge— A Regiment of Scorpions — Valley of the Atbara— The Migration of Camels— A Milk Diet— The Arab Exodus— The Desert Patriarch Page 92— 1 11.

CONTENTS.

XV

Chapter VI Sheik Achmet Abou S1xx

The Arab Welcome — Abou Sinn's Advice — Arab Tribes of Xubia — A Hint to Octogenarians — The Arab Pomade — The Arab Lady's Perfumery— The Fatal Mixture— The Coiffure of the World— The Arab Woman's Head-dress — " The Dust became Lice through all Egypt"— The Arab Charms— The Rabat or Arab Kilt- Arab Weddings — Xo Divorce Court — Anointing with Oil — Nomadic Habits of the Arabs — Exchanging Customs of the Arabs — The Hand of God — Religion of the Arabs.

Chapter VII. The Departure

Eirst-class Hygeens — Travelling Arrangements — The Evening Bivouac— The Junction of the Settite River— Sheik Atalan Wat Said — Abyssinian Frontier — Ismael Pasha burnt alive — Mek Ximmur — The Enemy of Egypt — Arrival at Son — The Reception — Position of Sofi. — Elorian, the German Settler— The Cattle Ely — Peculiarities of the Seasons — The Isew Camp — I become a Householder — Arrangement of our Establishment— My " Baby n — An African Elysium — Xo Pipe ! — The Elements at Work Page 132—154.

Chapter VIII. The Plagues Of Egypt

Go into Half Mourning—" Child of the Fever "—The Arab M.D.— Arab Eondness for Relics — The Pest Spots of the World — The Dangers of Holy Shrines — Arrival of the Holy Body — The Eaky's Grave — Arab Doctoring — Delights of Arab Surgery — xvi CONTEXTS.

The Pig and the Koran — Sword Hunters of the Hamran Arabs — The Arab Shields — Hints for carrying the Sword — Keenness of the Edge — Arab Swordsmanship — The Aggageers — Elephant-hunting with the Sword — Disabled by his own Sword — Maria Theresa — Great Failure — The Baboons and the Crocodile — The drowned Elephant — Game on the East Bank — Capabilities of the Soil — Tanning of Leather — Native Baskets and Matting — Bacheet is too attentive — "Oh Bacheet! You Ignoramus!" — Ferocity of the Seroot Fly — Cross the Atbara — The Impromptu Baft — Stalking Giraffes — Within Range — The First Bush cf the Herd — The Betreat of the Giraffes — Death of the Giraffes — Passage of the Biver — The Giraffe Sentry — A Difficult Stalk — The Seroot Fly takes Possession — Giraffe Steaks — A Hunt for the Tetel — Floating Meat across a Biver — Buoy for Men and Cargo — Scare the Crocodiles — The Lions devour the Giraffe — Arab Music — Arrange to cross the Biver Page 155 — 204.

Chapter IX. Form A Raft With The Sponging Bath

The Impromptu Ferry — Achmet is tempted by Satan — Mahomet's Belative absconds — End of the Bainy Season — The Seroot Fly disappears — The "Till" — Preparations for Fishing — "That was a Monster!" — The "Bayard" — Masara the Slave — Cross the Peninsula to Settite — Jungle Cooking — A miserable Xight — Shoot badly — Fishing in the Atbara — A Good Bun — Another Monster — Bacheet lands Him — The Baboons visit us — The Coor — Wild Vegetables — Death of Atalan "Wat Said — Catch a Baggar— Fish salting — The Arbour. Page 205 — 230.

Chapter X. A Few Notes At Eh^tilla

Fire the Valley— Arrival of Birds — Seized by a Crocodile — Audacity of the Buzzard — The Abomination of Thorns —

CONTENTS.

xvii

Boa Constrictor — The Baboons hunt for Berries — Masses of small Birds — Cunning of the Crocodile — Method of seizing its Prey — Horse- dealing — Arab Saddles and Bits — Arrive at Sherif el Ibrahim — Arrival at the Settite — Eecall of Mahomet — Sheik Achmet Wat el Negur — Mansfield Parkyns — Advantages of a "Sweet Name" — Elephants destroy the Crops — An Invitation to Shoot — The Hippo challenges Bacheet — A Good Shot — A Push at the Carcase — Elephants at Night — Kill an Elephant . . . Page 231- 256.

CHAPTER XL

THE FORD.

Girls carried away by the Eapids — An Amphibious Arab Girl — Search for the Body — The Corpse recovered — The Sheik lays down the Law — "The Fact is simply Impossible" — The Sheik's Idea of Matrimony — The Duties of His Four Wives — The Maimed, the Halt, and the Blind — The Arab Fakeers or Priests — "All the Same with a little Difference" — The Cure for Frendeet — Arrival at Katariff — The Market Day — Scenes at the Fair — Custom of scarifying the Cheeks — The Galla Slave — Purchase her Freedom — Singular Misunderstanding — Mahomet's Explanation — Mek Nimmur invades the Frontier — Mek Nimmur's Tactics — Insecurity of the Country — Mek Nimmur sends me his Compliments — Rodur Sherrif 's Withered Arm — The Aggageers — Mixture for Bullets — We make Arrowroot— Florian's Hunter — Arrive at Geera — Follow a Herd of Elephants — Track up the Elephants — A Tremendous Crash — A Critical Position — The Forehead Shot — The Half-pound Explosive Shell — Recover my old wounded Elephant — Fraternise with the Sword Hunters Page 257—295.

Chapter XII. Old Neptune Joins The Party

The Arab Centaurs — Wild Arab Horsemanship — Discipline of the Gun-bearers — Off goes the Gun, and its Master ! — Omluvga xviii

CONTENTS.

(Mother of the Thorn) — Leopard springs into the Camp — The Dog carried off — The Bull Elephant — The Forehead Shot fails — The Mountain Chain of Abyssinia — A Hunt after a Herd of Baboons — The Prisoners — A Course after a Tetel — The Cry of Buffaloes — We hunt and capture — The Baboons take Leave— The Valley of the Settite— The Bull Buffalo— The Island Camp — Mahomet hears the Lions — Tales of the Base Page 296—317.

Chapter XIII. The Lions Find The Buffalo

We seek an Introduction — The Start of the Sword Hunters — The Bull Elephant— The "Baby" Screams at him— The Eight, Sword in Hand — Abou Do's Blade tastes Blood — We find the Herd — Jali leads the Party — The Forehead Shot fairly proved — The Charge of the Phalanx — My "Baby" kicks viciously — Abou Do slashes the Sinew — The Boar wounds Bicharn — Old Moosa the Sorcerer — Xeptune and his Trident — The Beauty of the Settite — Borders of the Biver — The Hippopotamus Hunter — The Hippo is harpooned — A Cheer for Old [Neptune — Death of the Hippopotamus — Character of Hippopotami — Habits of the Animal — Activity of the Hippopotamus Page 318 — 342.

CHAPTEE XIV.

A FOREBODING OF EVIL.

Jali's Thigh is broken — Abou Do saves Jali — Extraordinary Dexterity— Jungle Surgery — We lose our best Man— My Tokrooris determine to desert — A little Diplomacy is required — The Sick are dosed — " Embrace him ! " cried old Moosa — We become staunch Friends — Abou Do's Weaknesses — The Baobab — The Crop of Gum Arabic — The Bhinoceros — Now for a "Tally Ho !" —The Hunt — Close to their Tails — " A Horse ! a Horse ! my Kingdom for a Horse The last Moment — Difficulty of Hunt-

CONTENTS.

xix ing — Power of Scent — Horns of the Rhinoceros — Peculiarity 01 the Rhinoceros — Rhinoceros Snare — Barrake poisons herself — Attractive Pood for Elephants — Florian killed by a Lion — Gloomy Prediction rage 343—371.

CHAPTER, XV.

ANTELOPES OX THE SETTITE.

The Camp at Delladilla — Trionis Nilotica — Fish linked to Reptiles — Scenes on the Eiver's Margin — The Nellut (A. Strepsiceros) — Swimming Eivers with a Horse — The Lion — The Lion Hunt — The Escape— The Bull Buffalo— Death, of the Ball— The Arabs' Tit-bit— The Arab Plan for making Fire— The Mehedehet Antelope— Sauve qui Peutf — Nearly Caught — Fire clears the Country — Discretion the better Part of Valour — The Camp in Danger — Nearly burnt out — Crocodile-harpooning — The ugly little Statue — Harpooning the Hippopotamus — The Harpoon fixed — The Hippo determines to fight — The Lances are blunted — Hor Mehetape — Geological Features — Unpleasant Report of the Spies Page 372—401.

CHAPTER XVI.

ABOU DO IS GREEDY.

Departure of the Aggageers — Game returning from the River — A Bull Rhinoceros — We stalk the Rhinoceros — The Death — The Aggageers poach upon my Manor — Their Prize dies — Taher Noor faces the Lion — We start Fresh Game — A Curious Shot — Bait for the Lions — Highly exciting — My Tokrooris don't like the Lion — The dying Lioness — Brought into Camp — Difficulty in tracking the Lions — The Lion visits our Camp — Vis a vis with a Lion — A Surprise — Tetel faces the Wounded Lion — Wonderful Courage of the Horse— Lions' Claws worn as a Charm — We commence Soap-boiling — Savon a la Bete Feroce — We bury Poor Barrake Page 402 — 427.

XX

COX TEXTS.

CHAPTER XVII.

WE REACH THE ROY AX.

Hor Mai Gubba — The Francolin Partridge — We watch for Game — Out with the Aggageers — The Banks of the Royan — We find a Bull Elephant — Ilelter Skelter — The Elephant at bay — Rodur with the withered Arm — The Sword wins the Day — The nimble Base dine cheaply — The great Whirlpool — The Royan Junction with the Settite — A Bull Rhinoceros — Bacheet has to run — Egyptians invaded Ximmur's country — Our Arabs decline to proceed — Obliged to threaten the Camels — The Troop on a Foray — Xarrow Escape — The Rifle bursts — We march from the Settite — Interesting Route — Mineral Wealth of Abyssinia — Present to Mek Nimmur — The Abyssinian Minstrel — Richard Coeur de Lion — I part with my dear Maria Theresa — The Ghost of the departed Fiddler— The "Lay of the Last Minstrel "—My Introduction to Mek Nimmur — The Reception — The Poisonous Stream — Unfortunate Contretemps — Mninmr behaves like a Gentleman —Pharaoh's Lean Kine. . . . Page 428 — 463.

CHAPTER XVIII.

A CAMEL FALLS, AND DIES.

Arabs consume the RaAV Flesh — Arrival at the Bahr Salaam — Character of the Torrents — The Junction of the Angrab — Good Sport — Four Lucky Hits — A Fall over a Cliff — We save the Camel — Narrow Escape — The Hyaena enters the Tent — Hippotragus Bakerii — The Base of the Abyssinian Alps — Delightful Country — Follow a Herd of Elephants — Aggahr takes the Lead — Fall at the Feet of Elephants — Benighted on our Return to Camp — "All's Well that Ends Well" Page 464—482.

( ONTENTS.

xxi

CHAPTBE XIX.

SEND A PARTY TO RECONNOITRE.

Ahead of the Camels — The Maarif — View from the Peak — The Bhinoceros attacks the Horse — The Bullet saves him — Arrival of the Horses — The Bhinoceros Hunt — Bidden to Bay — Arrival of Birds of Prey — Habits of Vultures — The Marabou Stork — Sight, not Scent, directs the Vulture — Abou Seen — "Last but not Least" — Boute to Xahoot Guddabi — Arrive at the Atbara — Last View of the Atbara — The Atbara Exploration completed -Page I£3 — 500.

CHAPTEE XX.

ARRIVAL AT METEMMA, OR GALLABAT.

Poisonous Water — The Trade of Abyssinia — We encounter Missionaries— The Theological Blacksmith — The Missionaries' Medicine-Chest— Jemma, Sheik of the Tokrooris — The Egyptians attack Gallabat — Settlement of the Tokrooris — Industry of the Tokrooris — Weapons, Type, and Character — The Colonisation by Tokrooris — Honey Wine of Abyssinia — All Drunk Last Night — Distance from an Act of Parliament — We leave Gallabat— A Bow with the Tokrooris — Tokroori Champion insists

* on fighting — A Beal Flat-Xosed African Xigger — Death of Aggahr and Gazelle — Forced March to the Bahad — The Biver Bahad Page 501—523.

CHAPTEB XXI.

FERTILITY OF THE COUNTRY ON THE BANKS OF THE RAH AD.

Journey along the Bahad — Bich Country — We cross over to the Dinder — Ferocity of Crocodiles in that Biver — Character of the Dinder — Activity of the African Elephant — Distinction of Species — Peculiarity of Form— African and Indian Elephants

C xxii

CONTENTS.

— Destruction of Forests — Elephant's Foot a Luxury — Preservation of Flesh and Fat for the March — Preparation of Bread for a Journey — The Bos Caffer — The most Formidable Animals — Rifles for Wild Countries — Sundry Hints — Bullets for Large Game — Antelopes of Central Africa and Abyssinia.

CHAPTER XXII.

WE LEAVE THE DINDER.

Curious Hunting Party — Character of Abyssinian Rivers — Borassus jEthiopicus — Rufaar and the Arab Sheik — The Blue Nile — The very gentlemanly Faky — Regularly " sold " — Arrival at Khartoum— The British Lion — The Zoological Collection — The Ostriches invite themselves to Tea — I intercede for Mek Nimmur — King Theodore's Ultimatum — Climate of the Soudan— Productions of the Soudan — The Sageer, or Water-wheel — Uncontrolled Action of the Nile — Suggestions for the Irrigation of Egypt — Why should not Science create a Delta? — A Series of Weirs upon the Nile — The Benefits to Egypt and to Civilization — Ancient Works of Irrigation in Ceylon — Industrious Population of Egypt — Capabilities for producing Cotton — The Great Sahara — The Race of Life — Prepare to discover the White Nile Source .... Page 547 — 575.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

From Original Sketches by Sir S. W. Baker.

PAOE

fortraits Frontispiece

GAZELLE-STALKING IN THE DESERT 16

THE DESERT JOURNEY 99

THE SEROOT FLY 185

FIRST RUSH OF THE GIRAFFES 190

THE BAYARD 213

THE COOR . 225

THE BAGGAR 229

QUARREL OVER A HIPPOPOTAMUS 254

ARABS ATTACKING THE ELEPHANT WITH THE SWORD .... 323

THE RHINOCEROS HUNT. TAIIER SHERIFF LEADS 361

HEAD OF THE BLACK RHINOCEROS 365

THE RHINOCEROSES HAVE IT ALL THEIR OWN WAY 387

HARPOONING THE CROCODILE 393

HARPOONING THE HIPPOPOTAMUS 395

THE FIGHT WITH THE BULL HIPPO 397

GAME RETURNING FROM THE RIVER 403

THE DYING LIONESS 416

CLOSE QUARTERS WITH THE LION 420

THE WHIRLPOOL AT THE ROYAN JUNCTION 44<)

THE SWORD WINS THE DAY 438

head of mehedehet. (It. Ellipsiprymna) 469

UNPROVOKED ATTACK OF A RHINOCEROS UPON THE HORSE . . . 488

THE RHINOCEROS RIDDEN TO BAY 491

THE

NILE TRIBUTARIES OF ABYSSINIA,

AND THE

SWORD HUNTERS OF THE HAM RAX ARABS.

CHAPTEE I.

ABOVE THE CATARACT.

Without troubling the public with a description of that portion of the Nile to the north of the first cataract, or with a detailed account of the Egyptian ruins, that have been visited by a thousand tourists, I will commence by a few extracts from my journal, written at the close of the boat voyage from Cairo : —

"May 8, 1861.— -No air. The thermometer 104° Fahr. ; a stifling heat. Becalmed, we have been lying the entire day below the ruins of Philse. These are the most imposing monuments of the Nile, owing to their peculiar situation upon a rocky island that commands the passage of the river above the cataract. The banks of the stream are here hemmed in by ranges of hills from 100 to 250 feet high ; these are

2 STERILITY. [chap. t.

entirely destitute of soil, being composed of enormous masses of red granite, piled block upon block, the rude masonry of Nature that has walled in the river. The hollows between the hills are choked with a yellow sand, which, drifted by the wind, has, in many instances, completely filled the narrow valleys. Upon either side of the Nile are vestiges of ancient forts. The land appears as though it bore the curse of Heaven ; misery, barrenness, and the heat of a furnace are its features. The glowing rocks, devoid of a trace of vegetation, reflect the sun with an intensity that must be felt to be understood. The miserable people who dwell in villages upon the rivers banks snatch every sandbank from the retiring stream, and immediately plant their scanty garden with melons, gourds, lentils, &c. this being their only resource for cultivation. Not an inch of available soil is lost ; but day by day, as the river decreases, fresh rows of vegetables are sown upon the newly-acquired land. At Assouan, the sandbanks are purely sand brought down by the cataracts, therefore soil must be added to enable the people to cultivate. They dig earth from the rains of the ancient town ; this they boat across the river and spread upon the sandbank, by which excessive labour they secure sufficient mould to support their crops.

In the vicinity of Philas the very barrenness of the scenery possesses a charm. The iron-like sterility of the granite rocks, naked except in spots where the wind has sheeted them with sand ; the groves of palms ctiap. i.] ARRIVAL AT KOROSKO. 3

springing unexpectedly into view in this desert wilderness, as a sudden bend of the river discovers a village ; the ever blue and never clouded sky above, and, the only blessing of this blighted land, the Nile, silently flowing between its stern walls of rocks towards the distant land of Lower Egypt, form a total that produces a scene to be met with nowhere but upon the Nile. In this miserable spot the unfortunate inhabitants are taxed equally with those of the richer districts — about fivepence annually for each date palm.

" May 9. — A good breeze, but tremendous heat. Although the floor and the curtains of the cabin are continually wetted, and the Venetian blinds are closed, the thermometer, at 4 p.m., stood at 105 in the shade ; and, upon deck, 137° in the sun. This day we passed the ruins of several small temples. The country is generally rocky, with intervals of ten or twelve miles of desert plains.

"May 10. — Fine breeze, the boat sailing well Passed several small temples. The henna grows in considerable quantities on the left bank of the river. The leaf resembles that of the myrtle ; the blossom has a powerful fragrance ; it grows like a feather, about eighteen inches long, forming a cluster of small yellow flowers. The day pleasantly cool ; thermometer, 95°.

"May 11. — At 5 a.m. we arrived at Korosko ; lat. 22° 50' N. ; the halting-place for all vessels from Lower Egypt with merchandise for the Soudan."

B 2

TWENTY-SIX DAYS FROM CAIRO. [chap. t.

At this wretched spot tlie Nile is dreary beyond description, as a vast desert, unenlivened by cultivation, forms its borders, through which the melancholy river rolls towards Lower Egypt in the cloudless glare of a tropical sun. From whence came this extraordinary stream that could flow through these burning sandy deserts, unaided by tributary channels ? That was the mysterious question as we stepped upon the shore now, to commence our land journey in search of the distant sources. We climbed the steep sandy bank, and sat down beneath a solitary sycamore.

We had been twenty-six days sailing from Cairo to this point. The boat returned, and left us on the east bank of the Nile, with the great Nubian desert before us.

Korosko is not rich in supplies. A few miserable Arab huts, with the usual fringe of dusty date palms, compose the village ; the muddy river is the frontier on the west, the burning desert on the east. Thus hemmed in, Korosko is a narrow strip of a few yards width on the margin of the Nile, with only one redeeming feature in its wretchedness — the green shade of the old sycamore beneath which we sat.

I had a firman from the Viceroy, a cook, and a dragoman. Thus, my impedimenta were not numerous. The firman was an order to all Egyptian officials for assistance ; the cook was dirty and incapable ; and the interpreter was nearly ignorant of English, although a professed polyglot. With this small beginning, Africa was before me, and thus I commenced the search for

Chap. I.] The Nubian Desert

the Nile sources. Absurd as this may appear, it was a correct commencement. Ignorant of Arabic, I could not have commanded a large party, who would have been at the mercy of the interpreter or dragoman ; thus, the first qualification necessary to success was a knowledge of the lan miaow

After a delay of some days, I obtained sixteen camels from the sheik. I had taken the precaution to provide water-barrels, in addition to the usual goat skins ; and, with a trustworthy guide, we quitted Korosko on the 16th May, 1861, and launched into the desert.

The route from Korosko across the Nubian desert cuts off the chord of an arc made by the great westerly bend of the Nile. This chord is about 230 miles in length. Throughout this barren desert there is no water, except at the half-way station, Moorahd (from moor r a, bitter) ; this, although salt and bitter, is relished by camels. During the hot season in which we unfortunately travelled, the heat was intense, the thermometer ranging from 106° to 114° Fahr. in the shade. The parching blast of the simoom was of such exhausting power, that the water rapidly evaporated from the closed water-skins. It was, therefore, necessary to save the supply by a forced march of seven days, in which period we were to accomplish the distance, and to reach Abou Hammed, on the southern bend of the welcome Nile.

During the cool months, from November until February, the desert journey is not disagreeable ; but the vast area of glowing sand exposed to the scorching

NATURE'S PYRAMIDS.

[chap, l sun of summer, in addition to the withering breath of the simoom, renders the forced march of 230 miles in seven days, at two and a half miles per hour, the most fatiguing journey that can be endured.

Farewell to the Nile ! "We turned our backs upon the life-giving river, and our caravan, commenced the silent desert march.

A few hours from Korosko the misery of the scene surpassed description. Glowing like a furnace, the vast extent of yellow sand stretched to the horizon. Eows of broken hills, all of volcanic origin, broke the flat plain. Conical tumuli of volcanic slag here and there rose to the height of several hundred feet, and in the far distance resembled the pyramids of Lower Egypt — doubtless they were the models for that ancient and everlasting architecture ; hills of black basalt jutted out from the barren base of sand, and the molten air quivered on the overheated surface of the fearful desert. 114° Fahr. in the shade under the water-skins ; 137° in the sun. Noiselessly the spongy tread of the camels crept along the sand — the only sound was the rattle of some loosely secured baggage of their packs. The Arab camel drivers followed silently at intervals, and hour by hour we struck deeper into the solitude of the Nubian desert.