viii PREFACE 



My ambition may briefly be defined thus: That 

 ere the reader has completed his perusal, he will feel 

 satisfied that he has been " personally conducted " through- 

 out savage Sudan and afforded an insight into both the 

 physical features and the wild Fauna of the country 

 an insight that, in the nature of things, cannot be com- 

 prehensive, but at least is accurate so far as it goes 

 and as the Author interprets the ways and the workings 

 of wild Nature. 



In depending so largely for illustrations on my own 

 rough sketches, I risk testing the confidence of readers. 

 These crude efforts have, however, been so kindly received 

 during thirty years past, that I may fairly ask both critics 

 and the public to share some of the responsibility. The 

 only merit in the sketches, if any, is that they have 

 been drawn on the spot and from the Life. In the present 

 case it is probable that many of the creatures so depicted 

 however unskilfully have never before been sketched 

 in their haunts. But the aim remains to-day identically 

 the same as defined in rny first Preface (December i7th, 

 1888) "to serve as character-sketches rather than as 

 portraits and without pretension either to scientific 

 accuracy or to artistic merit." Mr E. Caldwell has, 

 however, furnished several beautiful drawings of Big- 

 Game and Mr J. G. Millais most kindly helped me with 

 a Crocodile " struck stiff." For numerous photographs 

 illustrative both of typical scenery and of many details 

 in bird-life, I am indebted to my gallant colleague 

 Captain Lynes. 



To my friends Dr W. Eagle Clarke, I.S.O. (Past 

 President of the British Ornithologists' Union) and 

 to Mr George Bolam (among the first of our field- 

 naturalists) my hearty thanks are due to both for 

 frequent advice and assistance : to the latter also for 

 the kindly compilation of an all-inclusive index. 



The crowning glory of the Sudan lies in its virgin 

 Savagery ; no appreciable area has yet been filched from 



