Birds from the White Nile. 395 
British officers. When we returned to the boats we found 
that most of the crew and several of our servants were 
away ; but having at last retrieved them, all in a more or 
less intoxicated condition, we once more set sail for the 
south. Next day we landed on Abba Island, which is about 
30 miles long and well-wooded. We saw so many birds 
there that I determined to collect them on my return, but 
was prevented from doing so, many of my men being down 
with fever. On the 10th we stopped near Jebel Ain, one of 
the few hills which relieve the monotony of the White Nile 
scenery. The peaks rise abruptly from the plain and are 
formed of granite. We climbed up the largest hill, and, 
in doing so, saw a great many Guinea-fowl [Numida ptilo- 
rhyncha), while from the top we had a good view of the 
surrounding country, which was densely covered with acacia 
as far as we could see. Here we observed several herds of 
gazelles [Gazella rufifrons). 
Several miles south of Jebel Ain we saw the tracks of 
elephants, which evidently came to the river to drink. On 
the 14th we arrived opposite Jebel Ahmed-Agha, another 
granite hill, and here one of the crew died. He had caught 
a chill after a too liberal bout of merissa at El-Kawa and 
contracted pneumonia. The native treatment finished him. 
There was much wailing at his death, and the rias asked 
for cloth to bury him in, though he had plenty himself. 
A shallow trench sufficed for the grave, and the poor fellow^s 
body was buried half an hour after he died. Next day we 
stopped at the camp of Lord St. Oswald and Mr. Willie 
James, the latter a well-known traveller in North-east Africa. 
They had had very little sport, and, unluckily, just after we 
left them, Mr. James contracted dysentery and was obliged 
to return to Khartum. 
South of Jebel Ahmed-Agha big game was plentiful, and 
we saw buffalo, Hon, roan antelope, waterbuck, and giraffe. 
We arrived at Kaka on the 24th, and met the Swedish 
Expedition under Dr. Jaegerskiold. Tliey were collecting 
in all branches of zoology, the doctor being chiefly interested 
in parasites. Dr. Innes, of the Cairo Medical School, was 
