Lake Victoria to Khartoum 



corners, and never disports himself in a little 

 irrigation channel by means of which the water 

 is conveyed all over the garden, but prefers to 

 walk about on the burning dry gravel. This 

 is odd, seeing that his home is in the sudd 

 country of the White Nile. He loves his keeper 

 very much, and so showed his disgust on one 

 occasion when the man was removed, that he very 

 nearly died, and was only resuscitated in the nick 

 of time by the said keeper's recall from durance 

 vile or some such horrid place. The bird's manner 

 of showing his affection is by opening his jaws — 

 one can hardly call it beak — showing a great red 

 throat, and smacking his mandibles at his keeper, 

 who seems to appreciate the compliment. 



However, to Khartoum again ! All the river 

 front is built over. The houses, which are 

 occupied by Sudan officials, civil and military, 

 are built of red brick in a picturesque but plain 

 and substantial style of architecture, and are most 

 comfortable within. Most of them are smothered 

 in creepers, which give them a pretty and homely 

 look. The wide verandahs to sit in by day, and 

 the flat roof for one's bed by night, help to keep 

 the occupants cool and peaceful in the worst of 

 hot weather. Each of these houses boasts of a 

 lovely garden, in which grow all kinds and 

 varieties of trees, as well as masses of flowers, 

 but of course there were not many in bloom at 

 Christmas-time in the middle of the dry weather. 



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