394. Mr. W. R. Ogilvie-Grant on 
■way, but that we were not to go south of Fashoda. This was 
a disappointment, as I had made plans to be absent about 
two years, and had brought stores sufficient for that period. 
I had left London with the understanding that I should be 
able to go through to Mombasa, being assured that there 
would be no objection raised by the authorities, and that I 
should not require permission from the Foreign Office to 
do so. 
Captain Parker, of the Intelligence Office, kindly arranged 
for the hire of two murkabs (native sailing-boats) and their 
crews for our use. These we got partially decked and had 
grass shelters erected over their sterns. We bought six camels, 
eight donkeys, and a pony, while a second pony was kindly 
lent us by Capt. Harold. 
Our baggage having at last arrived, we spent several days 
in re-packing it, and got it and the transport-animals on board 
on February 1st, but, as that day was a Friday, the rias 
(captain) objected to starting, as he said that it would bring 
us bad luck. We let him have his way and started on the 2nd. 
The wind was from the north, and as the boats sailed well we 
made from thirty to sixty miles a day. The scenery of the 
banks on both sides of the river was most monotonous and 
barren for some distance, and, with the exception of a few 
very prickly acacias {Mimosa asperata) and Ipomoea asari- 
folia, a plant of the convolvulus family, with large green 
leaves and fruit, the country was almost devoid of vegetation. 
There were myriads of Waterfowl and Waders feeding on 
the mud-banks, and Cranes, Storks, Herons, Spoonbills, 
Ducks, and Geese swarmed, while flocks of Doves kept 
flying down to the river to drink. Hippopotamuses and 
crocodiles, basking on some sand-bank, were occasionally 
/ seen. Near Ed-Duem the sunt-tree {Acacia nilotica) made 
its appearance, growing in belts along the river-bank. On 
the 6th we arrived at El-Kawa, which is about 130 miles 
south of Omdurman. Here we landed the ponies, as the rias 
wanted to get stores for the crew, and rode round the town 
with the Marmoor (Egyptian Magistrate) to see the sights. 
El-Kawa is built of grass huts, the streets being named after 
