148 THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 



composed chiefly of thorn bushes. The camels being tall the 

 overhanging branches caught in their packs, either shifting the 

 loads or dragging them off altogether, and while going down 

 ravines the animals frequently stumbled and would sometimes 

 roll over and over to the bottom. Thus it was that the men 

 would have to unload, carry the packs up the opposite hill, and 

 reload the camels about every half hour. The Turks made slow 

 progress also, as they were trading with the natives along the 

 route, and had no object to hurry them. 



While proceeding under great difficulty, two Latookas, who 

 had deserted Ibrahim for being severely beaten by him, overtook 

 Baker and offered to guide him through the Ellyria country ; 

 this was a piece of extraordinary good luck, for bis men, having 

 neglected to supply themselves with water, were now suffering 

 much from thirst. The Latooka guides led the way, and soon 

 brought the half-famished party to a place where water was pro- 

 cured by digging a few feet in a dry basin. While the men we r e 

 regaling themselves and the animals at the wells thus made, some 

 natives appeared, carrying the head of a wild boar that was in a 

 horrible state of decomposition and fairly alive with maggots. 

 They made themselves familiar with Baker's men, and building 

 a fire proceeded to cook the unsavory dish. The skull becoming 

 too hot for its inhabitants, the maggots wriggled out from the 

 ears and nose like a jam of people escaping from the doors of a 

 theatre on fire. The natives tapped the skull with a stick to 

 hasten their exit, and when the cooking was done they devoured 

 the meat and sucked the bones. No matter how putrid meat may 

 be, it does not appear to affect the health or stomach of native 

 Africans. 



BESIEGED BY CURIOUS NATIVES. 



THE blacks having finished their repast, joined the caravan, 

 which now moved on again, with Mr. and Mis. Baker about one 

 mile in advance, accompanied by the Latooka guides. Crossing 

 a deep gully they halted under a large fig tree at the extremity 

 of a vale, to await the party. They were soon observed by the 

 Tolloga natives, who emerged from their villages among the 



