THE ORIGIN OF THE SUEZ CANAL. 27 



and attend the doctor whom he had told off for me. 

 The doctor was very ill with low fever, and despite 

 my want of experience in medicine, I succeeded in 

 bleeding him and bringing him round. 



" You are aware that, instead of returning by 

 Korosko, upon the right bank of the Nile, we changed 

 our itinerary so as to avoid the windings of the stream 

 and five of its cataracts, and that we took the other 

 route on the left bank of the river, through the so- 

 called desert of Bayuda. I did not meet with a single 

 accident or adventure in the course of this journey 

 through a land occupied by supposed barbarian 

 populations. Upon quitting the banks of the Nile 

 and making for the country to the south-west of 

 Khartoum, we traversed the tribe of the Hassanieh, 

 the women of which, who are very handsome, are 

 allowed complete liberty one day out of four. 



" My caravan was always well supplied with pro- 

 visions, while that of the Viceroy, which preceded 

 mine, often ran short. The Prince asked me once 

 how this was, and I answered him as follows : ' This 

 is not at all to be wondered at. Your Government 

 has so maltreated this country that, after you have 

 passed through, I have to be very patient before I can 

 overcome the mistrust of the inhabitants. Seated alone 

 in front of an abandoned hut, and, letting my caravan 

 get well out of sight, I have to wait an hour, or 

 perhaps two, before the children will come near me. 

 Children are always sent on in advance to reconnoitre. 



D2 



