THE JOURNEY'S END 315 



through." This "eye" can be seen for miles from 

 the west. 



I here left all my party save one man. Six miles 

 beyond J. Abd el Kheir, about 20 miles from the 

 river, we entered the hilly bordure of the Nile. We 

 had left the path, known to my companion, with the 

 intention of striking Haifa instead of a point south 

 of Abu Sir. The going in the dark became so abom- 

 inable that we had to halt, though only a few miles 

 from the river. Our dinner consisted of two dates 

 and the expectation of food next day. I dug a hole 

 for myself in the sand, so was not very cold. When 

 we started next morning after sunrise we expected 

 to see the Nile over every crest we mounted. We 

 could see a vast panorama of hills rising in a gentle 

 slope some distance off. Soon we located the little 

 blockhouse above the Shaigia village opposite the 

 governor's house whence I had started. We now, 

 after several handshakes of mutual congratulation, 

 were making for the ferry at racing speed. There a 

 friend of mine, the old sheikh, lord of two families, 

 came to meet me, bringing with him a delicious bunch 

 of grapes as a present. Hastily a boat was com- 

 mandeered for my use and the sail spread, and thirty- 

 four days after leaving it (during which I had halted 

 nine), I sat down in the mess again. 



My journey ings end here. Should the description 

 of them prove of no interest to others, the time spent 

 in writing them has not been wasted, for I have lived 

 every moment of them again. The steamer tugging at 

 the sudd-block; the antelope switching off the fly; 



