Soudanese Servants. 35 



We had great expectations of Mirsal, an old Soudanese 

 soldier, who was to act as a gun-bearer. When I 

 engaged him he went through a most charming panto- 

 mime. Gripping his right arm with his left hand, he 

 swore by the Prophet's beard that so long as there was 

 strength in that arm he was my most faithful servant. 

 A few days later, when on the march, we sent him over 

 to a village on the other side of the river with money 

 to buy food and tobacco. We never saw him again, 

 nor could policemen mounted on camels find him. But 

 maybe we misjudged him. The strength may have for- 

 saken his arm. Our camel men were from Dongola. 

 They were a lively, irresponsible crew, requiring much 

 physical persuasion. On the whole, we were not greatly 

 impressed by the reliability of the natives of the Soudan, 

 as far as concerns either work or honesty. 



Our final plan was to travel up the river quickly, 

 and to return slowly. While marching up the river 

 we, of course, should have no time for collecting or 

 preserving, but we should be able to make notes of the 

 birds and the country, and thus obtain a knowledge 

 of the ground which would greatly assist us on our 

 return in deciding where to make collecting camps, and 

 how long to stay at each. 



With much kind help from many in authority at 



