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A small handy double rifle, such as my little Fletcher 24, not
exceeding eight pounds and a half, is very necessary, as it
should seldom be out of the hand. Such a rifle should be a
breech-loader, as the advantage of loading quickly while on
horseback is incalculable. Hunting-knives should be of soft
steel, similar to butchers' knives; but one principal knife to be
worn daily should be of harder steel, with the back of the blade
roughed and case-hardened like a butcher's steel, for sharpening
other knives when required.

All boxes for rough travelling should be made of strong metal,
japanned. These are a great comfort, as they are proof both
against insects and weather, and can be towed with their contents
across a river.

Travelling is now so generally understood, that it is hardly
necessary to give any instructions for the exploration of wild
countries; but a few hints may be acceptable upon points that,
although not absolutely essential, tend much to the comfort of
the traveller. A couple of large carriage umbrellas with double
lining, with small rings fixed to the extremities of the ribs,
and a spike similar to that of a fishing-rod to screw into the
handle, will form an instantaneous shelter from sun or rain
during a halt on the march, as a few strings from the rings will
secure it from the wind, if pegged to the ground. Waterproof
calico sheeting should be taken in large quantities, and a
tarpaulin to protect the baggage during the night's bivouac. No
vulcanised India-rubber should be employed in tropical climates;
it rots, and becomes useless. A quart syringe for injecting brine
into fresh meat is very necessary. In hot climates, the centre of
the joint will decompose before the salt can penetrate to the
interior, but an injecting syringe will thoroughly preserve the
meat in a few minutes. A few powerful fox-traps are useful for
catching night-game in countries where there is no large game for
the rifle: also wire is useful for making springs.

Several sticks of Indian-ink are convenient, as sufficient can be
rubbed up in a few moments to write up the note-book during the
march. All journals and note-books should be of tinted paper,
green, as the glare of white paper in the intense sunlight of the
open sky is most trying to the eyes. Burning glasses and flint
and steels are very necessary. Lucifer matches are dangerous, as
they may ignite and destroy your baggage in dry weather, and
become utterly useless in the damp.

A large supply of quicksilver should be taken for the admixture
with lead for hardening bullets, in addition to that required for
the artificial horizon; the effect of this metal is far greater
than a mixture of tin, as the specific gravity of the bullet is
increased.

Throughout a long experience in wild sports, although I admire
the velocity of conical projectiles, I always have retained my
opinion that, in jungle countries, where in the absence of dogs
you require either to disable your game on the spot, or to
produce a distinct blood-track that is easily followed, the
old-fashioned two-groove belted ball will bag more game than
modern bullets; but, on the other hand, the facility of loading
a conical bullet already formed into a cartridge is a great
advantage. The shock produced by a pointed projectile is nothing
compared to that of the old belted ball, unless it is on the
principle of Purday's high velocity expanding bullet, which,
although perfection for deer-shooting, would be useless against
thick-skinned animals, such as buffalo and rhinoceros. In Africa,
the variety of game is such, that it is impossible to tell, when
loading, at what animal the bullet will be fired; therefore, it
is necessary to be armed with a rifle suitable for all comers. My
little Fletcher was the Enfield bore, No. 24, and, although a
most trusty weapon, the bullets generally failed to penetrate the
skull of hippopotami, except in places where the bone was thin,
such as behind the ear, and beneath the eyes. Although I killed
great numbers of animals with the Enfield bullet, the success was
due to tolerably correct shooting, as I generally lost the larger
antelopes if wounded by that projectile in any place but the
neck, head, or shoulder; the wound did not bleed freely,
therefore it was next to impossible to follow up the blood-track;
thus a large proportion of wounded animals escaped.

I saw, and shot, thirteen varieties of antelopes while in Africa.
Upon arrival at Khartoum, I met Herr von Heuglin, who commanded
the expedition in search of Dr. Vogel; he was an industrious
naturalist, who had been many years in the Soudan and in
Abyssinia. We compared notes of all we had seen and done, and he
very kindly supplied me with a list of all the antelopes that he
had been able to trace as existing in Abyssinia and the Soudan;
he now included my maarif, which he had never met with, and which
he agreed was a new species. In the following list, which is an
exact copy of that which he had arranged, those marked with an
asterisk are species that I have myself shot:--

Catalogue des especes du genre "ANTILOPE," observees en Egypte,
dans la Nubie, au Soudan orientale et en Abissinie.

A.--GAZELLA, Blains.

1.--Spec. G. Dorcas.* Arab. Ghasal.

2.--G. Arabica,* Ehr. A la cote de la Mer rouge.

3.--G. Loevipes, Sund. Arab. Abou Horabet? Nubie, Taka, Sennaar,
Kordofan.

4.--G. spec. (?) en Tigreh Choquen (Bogos).

5.--G. Dama,* Licht. Arab. Adra, Ledra. Riel, Bajouda, Berber,
Sennaar, Kordofan.

6.--G. Soemmeringii, Rupp. Arab. Om Oreba. Tigreh, Arab. Taka,
Massowa, Gedaref, Berber, Sennaar.

7.--G. Leptoceros. Arab. Abou Harab. Gazelle a longues cornes,
minces et paralleles. Bajouda, Berber, Taka, Sennaar, Kordofan.

B.--CALOTRAGUS, Luad.

8.--C. montanus,* Rupp. Arab. Otrab and El Mor. Amhar, Fiego,
Sennaar, Abissinie, Taka, Galabat.

9.--C. Saltatrix, Forst. Amhar. Sasa. Abissinie.

C.--NANOTRAGUS, Wagn.

10.--N. Hemprichianus, Ehr. Arab. Om dig dig. Abissinie orientale
et occidentale, Taka, Kordofan.

D.--CEPHALOLOPHUS, H. Smith.

11.--C. Madaqua. Amhar. Midakoua. Galabat, Barka, Abissinie.

12, 13.--Deux especes inconnues du Fleuve blanc, nominees par les
Djenkes, "Amok."

E.--REDUNCA.

14.--R. Eleotragus, Schrb. Djenke, Bor. Bahr el Abiad.

15.--R. Behor, Rupp. Amhar. Behor. Abissinie centrale, Kordofan.

16.--R. Kull, nov. spec. Djenke, Koul. Bahr el Abiad.

17.--R. leucotis, Peters et Licht. Djenke, Adjel. Bahr el Abiad,
Saubat.

18.--R. Wuil, nov. spec. Djenke, Ouil. Bahr el Abiad, Saubat.

19.--R. Lechee,* Gray. Bahr el Abiad.

20.--R. megcerosa,* Heuglin. Kobus Maria, Gray. Djenke, Abok,
Saubat, Bahr el Abiad et Bahr Ghazal.

21.--R. Defassa,* Rupp. Arab. Om Hetehet. Amhar. Dofasa. Djenke,
Bor. Bahr el Salame, Galabat, Kordofan, Bahr el Abiad, Dender,
Abissinie occidentale et centrale.

22.--R. ellipsiprymna, Ogilby. Djenke, Bor. Bahr el Abiad.

F.--HIPPOTRAGUS, Sund.

23.--H. niger, Harris. Arab. Abou Maarif. Kordofan meridionale,
fleuve Blanc (Chilouk).

24.--H. nov. spec. Arab. Abou Maarif.*--Bakerii.* Bahr el Salaam,
Galabat Dender, fleuve BIeu, Sennaar meridionale.

25.--H. Beisa, Rupp. Arab. Beisa et Damma. Souakim, Massowa,
Danakil, Somauli, Kordofan.

26.--H. ensicornis, Ehr. Arab. Ouahoh el bagr. Nubie, Berber,
Kordofan.

27.--H. Addax, Licht. Arab. Akach. Bajouda, Egypte occidentale
(Oasis de Siouah).

G.--TAUROTRAGUS, Wagn.

28.--T. Orcas, Pall. (Antilope Canna). Djenke, Goualgonal. Bahr
el Abiad.

29.--T. gigas, nov. spec. Chez les pleuplades Atoats, au Bahr el
Abiad.

H.--TRAGELAPHUS, Blains.

30.--Tr. strepsiceros (Pallas). Arab. Nellet, Miremreh. Tigreh,
Garona. Ambar. Agazen. Abissinie, Sennaar, Homran, Galabat,
Kordofan.

31.--Tr. sylvaticus, Spaerm. Bahr el Abiad.

32.--Tr. Dekula, Rupp. Amhar. Dekoula. Arab. Houch. Djenke, Ber.
Taka, Abissinie, Bahr el Abiad.

I.--BUBALIS.

33.--B. Mauritanica, Sund. (Antilope Bubalis, Cuvier). Arab.
Tetel; Tigreh, Tori. Taka, Homran, Barka, Galabat, Kordofan, Bahr
el Abiad.

34.--B. Caama, Cuv. Arab. Tetel. Djenke, Awalwon. Bahr el Abiad,
Kordofan meridionale.

35.--B. Senegalensis, H. Smith. Bahr el Abiad.

36.--B. Tiang, nov. spec. Djenke, Tian. Bahr el Abiad, Bahr
Ghazal.

37.--B. Tian-riel, nov. spec. Bahr el Abiad.

SPECIES INCERTAE

"Soada," au Oualkait et Mareb (Taurotragus?).

"Uorobo," au Godjam, Agow (Hippotragus).

"Ouoadembi." March, Oualkait (Hippotragus).

"El Mor." Sennaar, Fazogle (Nanotragus?).

"El Khondieh." Kordofan (Redunca?).

"Om Khat." Kordofan (Gazella?).

"El Hamra." Kordofan, Bajouda (Gazella?).

CHAPTER XXII.

WE LEAVE THE DINDER.

FOR some days we continued our journey along the banks of the
Dinder, and as the monotonous river turned towards the junction
with the Blue Nile, a few miles distant, we made a direct cut
across the flat country, to cross the Rahad and arrive at Abou
Harraz on the Blue Nile. We passed numerous villages and
extensive plantations of dhurra that were deserted by the Arabs,
as the soldiers had arrived to collect the taxes. I measured the
depths of the wells, seventy-five feet and a half, from the
surface to the bottom; the alluvial soil appeared to continue the
whole distance, until the water was discovered resting upon hard
sand, full of small particles of mica. During the march over a
portion of the country that had been cleared by burning, we met
a remarkably curious hunting-party. A number of the common black
and white stork were hunting for grasshoppers and other insects,
but mounted upon the back of each stork was a large
copper-coloured flycatcher, which, perched like a rider on his
horse, kept a bright look-out for insects, which from its
elevated position it could easily discover upon the ground. I
watched them for some time: whenever the storks perceived a
grasshopper or other winged insect, they chased it on foot, but
if they missed their game, the flycatchers darted from their
backs and flew after the insects like falcons, catching them in
their beaks, and then returning to their steeds to look out for
another opportunity.

On the evening of the 23d May we arrived at the Rahad close to
its junction with the Blue Nile: it was still dry, although the
Dinder was rising. I accounted for this, from the fact of the
extreme length of the Rahad's bed, which, from its extraordinary
tortuous course, must absorb a vast amount of water in the dry
sand, before the advancing stream can reach the Nile. Both the
Rahad and Dinder rise in the mountains of Abyssinia, at no great
distance from each other, and during the rains they convey a
large volume of water to the Blue Nile. Upon arrival at Abou
Harraz, four miles to the north of the Rahad junction, we had
marched, by careful dead reckoning, two hundred and eighty miles
from Gallabat. We were now about a hundred and fifteen miles from
Khartoum, and we stood upon the banks of the magnificent Blue
Nile, the last of the Abyssinian affluents.

About six miles above this spot, on the south bank of the river,
is the large town of Wat Medene, which is the principal
trading-place upon the river. Abou Harraz was a miserable spot,
and was only important as the turning point upon the road to
Katariff from Khartoum. The entire country upon both sides of the
river is one vast unbroken level of rich soil, wlich on the north
and east sides is bounded by the Atbara. The entire surface of
this fertile country might be cultivated with cotton. All that is
required to insure productiveness, is a regular supply of water,
which might be artificially arranged without much difficulty. The
character of all the Abyssinian rivers is to rise and fall
suddenly; thus at one season there is an abundance of water, to
be followed by a scarcity: but in all the fertile provinces
adjacent to the Settite and the upper portion of the Atbara, the
periodical rains can be absolutely depended upon, from June to
the middle of September; thus, they are peculiarly adapted for
cotton, as a dry season is insured for gathering the crop. As we
advance to the north, and reach Abou Harraz, we leave the rainy
zone. When we had left Gallabat, the grass had sprung several
inches, owing to the recent showers; but as we had proceeded
rapidly towards the north, we had entered upon vast dusty plains
devoid of a green blade; the rainy season between Abou Harraz and
Khartoum consisted of mere occasional storms, that, descending
with great violence, quickly passed away. Nothing would be more
simple than to form a succession of weirs across the Rahad and
Dinder, that would enable the entire country to be irrigated at
any season of the year, but there is not an engineering work of
any description throughout Upper Egypt, beyond the sageer or
water-wheel of the Nile. Opposite Abou Harraz, the Blue Nile was
a grand river, about five hundred yards in width; the banks upon
the north side were the usual perpendicular cliffs of alluvial
soil, but perfectly bare of trees; while, on the south, the banks
were ornamented with nabbuk bushes and beautiful palms. The
latter are a peculiar species known by the Arabs as "dolape"
(Borassus AEthiopicus): the stem is long, and of considerable
thickness, but in about the centre of its length it swells to
nearly half its diameter in excess, and after a few feet of extra
thickness it continues its original size to the summit, which is
crowned by a handsome crest of leaves shaped like those of the
palmyra. The fruit of this palm is about the size of a cocoa-nut,
and when ripe it is of a bright yellow, with an exceedingly rich
perfume of apricots; it is very stringy, and, although eaten by
the natives, it is beyond the teeth of a European. The Arabs cut
it into slices, and boil it with water until they obtain a strong
syrup. Subsequently I found this palm in great quantities near
the equator.

At Abou Harraz I discharged my camels, and endeavoured to engage
a boat to convey us to Khartoum, thus to avoid the dusty and
uninteresting ride of upwards of a hundred miles along its flat
and melancholy banks; but there was not a vessel of any kind to
be seen upon the river, except one miserable, dirty affair, for
which the owner demanded fourteen hundred piastres for a passage.
We accordingly procured camels, and started, intending to march
as rapidly as possible.

"June 2, 1862.--We packed the camels in the morning and started
them off to Rufaar. We followed at 2.30 P.M. as the natives
declared it was half a day's journey; but we did not arrive until
8.30 P.M. having marched about twenty-one miles. The town is
considerable, and is the head-quarters of our old friend, the
great Sheik Achmet Abou Sinn; he is now absent, but his son Ali
is at home. He received us very kindly, and lodged us in his own
house within a large inclosed court, with a well of good water in
the centre. Having read my firman, be paid us the usual
compliments, but he lacked the calm dignity and ease of manner of
his grand old father. He sat stiffly upon the divan, occasionally
relieving the monotony of his position by lifting up the cover of
the cushions, and spitting beneath it. Not having a handkerchief,
but only the limited natural advantages of a finger and thumb, a
cold in the head gave him much trouble, and unpleasant marks upon
the wall exhibited hieroglyphics of recent date, that were ill
adapted to the reception-room of an Arab chieftain. In about an
hour he departed, and shortly after, a dinner of four dishes was
brought. No. 1 was an Arab Irish stew, but alas! MINUS the
potatoes; it was very good, nevertheless, as the mutton was fat.
No. 2 was an Arab stew, with no Irish element; it was very hot
with red pepper, and rather dry. No. 3 was a good quick fry of
small pieces of mutton in butter and garlic (very good); and No.
4 was an excellent dish of the usual melach, already described.

The wind had within the last few days changed to south, and we
had been subjected to dust storms and sudden whirlwinds similar
to those we had experienced at this season in the preceding year,
when about to start from Berber. We left Rufaar, and continued
our march along the banks of the Blue Nile, towards Khartoum. It
was intensely hot; whenever we felt a breeze it was accompanied
with a suffocating dust, but the sight of the broad river was
cool and refreshing. During the dry season the water of the Blue
Nile is clear, as its broad surface reflects the colour of the
blue sky; hence the appellation, but at that time it was
extremely shallow, and in many places it is fordable at a depth
of about three feet, which renders it unnavigable for large
boats, which, laden with corn, supply Khartoum from the fertile
provinces of the south. The river had now begun to rise, although
it was still low, and the water was muddy, as the swelling
torrents of Abyssinia brought impurities into the main channel.
It was at this same time last year, when at Berber, that we had
noticed the sudden increase and equally sudden fall of the Nile,
that was influenced by the fluctuations of the Blue Nile, at a
time when the Atbara was dry.

From Abou Harraz throughout the route to Khartoum there is no
object of interest; it is the same vast flat, decreasing rapidly
in fertility until it mingles with the desert; and once more, as
we journey to the north, we leave the fertile lands behind, and
enter upon sterility. The glare of barren plains and the heat of
the summer's sun were fearful. Bacheet had a slight coup de
soleil; my Tokrooris, whose woolly heads were shaved, and simply
covered with a thin skull-cap, suffered severely, as we marched
throughout the burning hours of the day. The Arabs were generally
very inhospitable, as this was the route frequented by all native
merchants, where strangers were of daily occurrence; but towards
evening we arrived at a village inhabited by a large body of
Fakeers, or priests. As we entered, we were met by the principal
Faky, who received us with marked attention, and with a charming
courtesy of manner that quite won our hearts; he expressed
himself as delighted at our arrival, hoped we were not fatigued
by the heat, and trusted that we would rest for a few minutes
before we departed to the enchanting village "just beyond those
trees," as he pointed to a clump of green nabbuk on the yellow
plain, about a mile distant; there, he assured us, we could
obtain all kinds of supplies, together with shade, and a lovely
view of the river. We were delighted with this very gentlemanly
Faky, and, saying adieu with regret, we hurried on to the
promised village "just beyond those trees."

For fourteen miles we travelled, hungry and tired, beyond the
alluring clump of trees, along the wild desert of hot sand
without a habitation; the only portion of truth in the Faky's
description was the "lovely view of the river," that certainly
accompanied us throughout our journey. We were regularly "sold"
by the cunning Faky, who, not wishing to be incommoded by our
party, had got rid of us in a most gentlemanly manner. At length
we arrived at a village, where we had much difficulty in
procuring provisions for ourselves and people.

On the 11th June, having slept at the village of Abou Dome, we
started at sunrise, and at 9 A.M. we reached the bank of the
river, opposite to Khartoum. We were delighted with the view, as
the morning sun shone upon the capital of the Soudan provinces;
the grove of date trees shaded the numerous buildings, their dark
green foliage contrasting exquisitely with the many coloured
houses on the extreme margin of the beautiful river; long lines
of vessels and masts gave life to the scene, and we felt that
once more, after twelve months of utterly wild life, we had
arrived in civilization. We had outridden our camels, therefore
we rode through a shallow arm of the river, and arrived upon an
extensive sandbank that had been converted into a garden of
melons; from this point a large ferry-boat plied regularly to the
town on the south bank. In a few minutes we found ourselves on
board, with our sole remaining horse, Tetel, also the donkeys
that we had purchased in Berber before our expedition, and our
attendants. As we gained the centre of the river, that was about
800 yards broad, we were greeted by the snort of three of our old
friends, the hippopotami, who had been attracted to the
neighbourhood by the garden of water-melons. We landed at
Khartoum, and, having climbed up the steep bank, we inquired the
way to the British Consulate.

The difference between the view of Khartoum at the distance of a
mile, with the sun shining upon the bright river Nile in the
foreground, to the appearance of the town upon close inspection,
was about equal to the scenery of a theatre as regarded from the
boxes or from the stage; even that painful exposure of an optical
illusion would be trifling compared with the imposture of
Khartoum; the sense of sight had been deceived by distance, but
the sense of smell was outraged by innumerable nuisances, when we
set foot within the filthy and miserable town. After winding
through some narrow dusty lanes, hemmed in by high walls of
sun-baked bricks, that had fallen in gaps in several places,
exposing gardens of prickly pears and date palms, we at length
arrived at a large open place, that, if possible, smelt more
strongly than the landing spot. Around this square, which was
full of holes where the mud had been excavated for brickmaking,
were the better class of houses; this was the Belgravia of
Khartoum. In the centre of a long mud wall, ventilated by certain
attempts at frameless windows, guarded by rough wooden bars, we
perceived a large archway with closed doors; above this entrance
was a shield, with a device that gladdened my English eyes: there
was the British lion and the unicorn! Not such a lion as I had
been accustomed to meet in his native jungles, a yellow cowardly
fellow, that had often slunk away from the very prey from which
I had driven him, but a real red British lion, that, although
thin and ragged in the unhealthy climate of Khartoum, looked as
though he was pluck to the backbone.

This was the English Consulate. I regarded our lion and unicorn
for a few moments with feelings of veneration; and as Mr.
Petherick, the consul, who was then absent on the White Nile in
search of Speke and Grant, had very kindly begged me to occupy
some rooms in the Consulate, we entered a large courtyard, and
were immediately received by two ostriches that came to meet us;
these birds entertained us by an impromptu race as hard as they
could go round the courtyard, as though performing in a circus.
When this little divertissement was finished, we turned to the
right, and were shown by a servant up a flight of steps into a
large airy room that was to be our residence, which, being well
protected from the sun, was cool and agreeable. Mr. Petherick had
started from Khartoum in the preceding March, and had expected to
meet Speke and Grant in the upper portion of the Nile regions, on
their road from Zanzibar; but there are insurmountable
difficulties in those wild countries, and his expedition met with
unforeseen accidents, that, in spite of the exertions of both
himself, his very devoted wife, Dr. Murie, and two or three
Europeans, drove them from their intended path. Shortly after our
arrival at the Consulate, a vessel returned from his party with
unfavourable accounts; they had started too late in the season,
owing to some difficulties in procuring boats, and the change of
wind to the south, with violent rain, had caused great suffering,
and had retarded their progress. This same boat had brought two
leopards that were to be sent to England: these animals were led
into the courtyard, and, having been secured by chains, they
formed a valuable addition to the menagerie, which consisted of
two wild boars, two leopards, one hyaena, two ostriches, and a
cynocephalus or dog-faced baboon, who won my heart by taking an
especial fancy to me, because I had a beard like his master.

Although I take a great interest in wild animals, I confess to
have an objection to sleep in the Zoological Gardens should all
the wild beasts be turned loose. I do not believe that even the
Secretary of that learned Society would volunteer to sleep with
the lions; but as the leopards at the Khartoum Consulate
constantly broke their chains, and attacked the dogs and a cow,
and as the hyaena occasionally got loose, and the wild boars
destroyed their mud wall, and nearly killed one of my Tokrooris
during the night, by carving him like a scored leg of pork with
their tusks, the fact of sleeping in the open air in the
verandah, with the simple protection of a mosquito-netting, was
full of pleasant excitement, and was a piquante entertainment
that prevented a reaction of ennui after twelve months passed in
constant watchfulness. The shield over the Consulate door, with
the lion and the unicorn, was but a sign of the life within; as
the grand picture outside the showman's wagon may exemplify the
nature of his exhibition. I enjoyed myself extremely with these
creatures, especially when the ostriches invited themselves to
tea, and swallowed our slices of water-melons and the greater
portion of the bread from the table a few moments before we were
seated. These birds appeared to enjoy life amazingly; one kind of
food was as sweet as another; they attacked a basket of white
porcelain beads that had been returned by Mr. Petherick's men,
and swallowed them in great numbers in mistake for dhurra, until
they were driven off; they were the scavengers of the courtyard,
that consumed the dung of the camels and horses, together with
all other impurities.

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