THE WOKLD'S WONDERS. 149 



rocks and surrounded them. They were all armed with bows 

 and arrows and lances, and were much excited at seeino- the 



O 



horses, which to them were unknown animals. Says Baker : 



" There were five or six hundred natives pressing round us. 

 They were excessively noisy, hallooing to us as though we were 

 deaf, simply because we did not understand them. Findino-that 

 they were pressing rudely around us, I made signs to them to 

 stand off, when at that moment a curiously ugly, short, humped- 

 back fellow came forward and addressed me in broken Arabic. 

 I was delighted to find an interpreter, and requesting him to tell 

 the crowd to stand back, I inquired for their chief. The hump- 

 back spoke very little Arabic, nor did the crowd appear to heed 

 him, but they immediately stole a spear that one of my Latooka 

 guides had placed against the tree under which we Avere sitting. 

 It was getting rather unpleasant ; but having my revolver and a 

 double-barreled rifle in my hands, there was no fear of their 

 being stolen. 



" In reply to a question to the humpback, he asked me ' Who 

 I was? ' I explained that I was a traveler. ' You. want ivory? ' 

 he said. ' No,' I answered, ' it is of no use to me.' ' Ah, you 

 want slaves ! ' he replied. ' Neither do I want slaves,' I answered. 

 This was followed by a burst of laughter from the crowd, and 

 the humpback continued his examination. < Have you got plenty 

 of cows ? ' * Not one ; but plenty of beads and copper.' ' Plenty ? 

 Where are they?' * Not far off; they will be here presently, 

 with my men,' and I pointed to the direction from which they 

 would arrive. ' What countryman are you? ' ' An Englishman.' 

 He had never heard of such people. * You are a Turk?' ' All 

 right,' I replied ; ' I am anything you like.' 'And that is your 

 son?' (pointing at Mrs. Baker). * No, she is my wife.' Your 

 wife ! What a lie ! He is a boy.' ' Not a bit of it,' I replied ; 

 * she is my wife, who has come with me to see the women of this 

 country.' 'What a lie! ' he again politely rejoined in the one 

 expressive Arabic word, 'Katab.' 



"After this charmingly frank conversation he addressed the 

 crowd, explaining, I suppose, that I was endeavoring to pass off 



