Chaf. LXXV. real start A WELCOME PARCEL. 141 
siwak, enjoying the faint prospect of my journey 
home, now opening before me. 
At length my friend awoke, and I went to him. 
He received me with a gentle smile, telling me that 
he was now ready to conduct me on my journey 
without any further delay or obstruction, and handing 
me at the same time a parcel of letters and papers. 
There were copies of two letters from Lord John 
Eussell, of the 19th February 1853 ; one from Lord 
Clarendon, of the 24th of the same month ; a letter 
from Chevalier Bunsen ; another from Colonel Her- 
mann ; and two from Her Majesty's agent in Fezzan. 
There were no other letters, either from home or 
from any of my friends ; but there were, besides, ten 
Galignanis, and a number of the Athenaeum, of the 
19th March 1853. 
I can scarcely describe the intense delight I felt 
at hearing again from Europe, but still more sa- 
tisfactory to me was the general letter of Lord John 
Russell, which expressed the warmest interest in my 
proceedings. The other letters chiefly concerned the 
sending out of Dr. Vogel and his companions, which 
opened to me the prospect of finding some European 
society in Bornu, if I should succeed in reaching my 
African head-quarters in safety. But of the expe- 
dition to the Tsadda or Benuwe, which had started 
for its destination some time previously to the date 
of my receiving these letters, I obtained no intimation 
by this opportunity ; and, indeed, did not obtain the 
slightest hint of that undertaking, of which T myself 
