08 WILD HKASTS AND Til KIR WAYS CHAP. 



Englishmen, and I regret to hear that all those mighty hunters who 

 :iiv'>iii|>.iiiir'l me have since been killed in the desperate hand-to- 

 liand encounters with wild elephants. Their life is a constant 

 warfare with savage beasts, therefore it may be expected that the 

 termination is a death uj)on their field of battle, invariably 

 sword in hand. 



James Bruce, the renowned African traveller of the last eentury, 

 was the first to describe the Agaghcers of Abyssinia, and nothing 

 could be more graphic than his description both of the people and 

 the countries they inhabit, through which I have followed in 

 Ilruce's almost forgotten footsteps, with the advantage of possess- 

 ing his interesting book as my guide wheresoever I went in 1H61. 

 Since that journey, the deplorable interference of England in 

 Egypt which resulted in the abandonment of the Soudan and the 

 sacrifice of fJencral Gordon at Khartoum has completely severed 

 the link of communication that we had happily established, which 

 had laid the foundations for future civilisation. The splendid 

 Bword-huntera of the Hamran Arabs, who were our friends in 

 former days, have been converted into enemies by the meddling 

 of the British Government with affairs which they could not 

 understand. It is painful to look back to the past, when Lady 

 ISaker and myself, absolutely devoid of all escort, passed more 

 than twelve months in exploring the wildest portions of the 

 Soudan, attended only by one Egyptian servant, assisted by some 

 Arab lx>ys whom we picked up in the desert among the Arab 

 trilies. In those days the name of England was respected, although 

 not fairly understood. There was a vague impression in the Arab 

 mind that it was the largest country upon earth ; that its Govern- 

 ment W;LS the emblem of perfection ; that the military power of 

 the country was overwhelming (having conquered India) ; and that 

 the English people always spoke the truth, and never forsook their 

 friends in the moment of distress. There was also an idea that 

 England was the only European Power which regarded the Mussul- 

 mans with a friendly eye, and that, were it not for British protec- 

 tion, the Russians would eat the Sultan and overthrow the 

 mosques, to trample upon the Mohammedan power in Con- 

 stantinople. England was therefore regarded as the friend and 

 the ally of the Mohammedans; it was known that we had together 

 fought against the Russians, and it was believed that we wore 

 always ready to fight in the same cause when called upon by the 

 Sultan. All British merchandise was looked upon as the ne jihis 

 ultra of purity and integrity; there could be no doubt of the 

 quality of goods, provided that they were of English manufacture. 



