FORGOTTEN OR FORSAKEN. 457 



times. Will they ever come ? The worst mishap, and the 

 one that has vexed me most, is the entire destruction of our 

 gardens by the river floods. My bamboo plantations, so care- 

 fully tended, and the lovely roses, are gone, while even the rice 

 has been drowned. I have seeds of the latter, but what of 

 the others ? Only the guavas have benefited by the rain, and 

 they are now covered with fruit, which, however, no one eats 

 here, because of their aroma. The Elais seeds have not yet 

 sprouted. Cabbages, grown from French seed, have done very 

 well, and so have the carrots, though they are not sweet. The 

 vines are in good condition, but have no fruit yet. Peaches, 

 plums, and olives will hardly be able to bear fruit on account 

 of the great heat, although they are beautifully green ; I 

 will transplant them to Makraka, where it is cooler (Janda, 

 3300 feet). 



November 29, 1883. 



It is rather a long time since I last worked at my notes for 

 you. I waited from day to day, hoping that a steamer would 

 come at last and bring me news from you, but we seem to be 

 forgotten in Khartum or consigned to perdition. On Novem- 

 ber 23 I was delighted at receiving a letter from Lupton Bey, 

 who had not written for a long time, and who now informed 

 me that a steamer had arrived in the Meshra, but had not been 

 heard of till a month afterwards, on the Ilth of Shewed 

 (August 15), for the road between the Meshra and Jur 

 Ghattas was blocked by the Dinka, and could only be used 

 with an escort of several hundred armed men. According to 

 a note Lupton had received — the despatches were still on 

 board the steamer on October 14, and Lupton himself was 

 at Jur Ghattas — the Governor-General in Khartum has been 

 changed once more, and Giegler Pasha has gone on leave. 



A European traveller had come to the Meshra, and as he 

 would try to force his way to Jur Ghattas in spite of all the 

 warnings of the people, he was killed by the Dinka, one and 

 a half day's march from the Meshra, the victim of his own 

 obstinacy. The unfortunate man may have been your friend 

 Schuver.* 



* It was Schuver.— R. W. F. 



