126 
THE SALT-CARAVAN GUM. 
I am preparing- myself for my Soudan jour- 
neys, and, en route, take as much rest as possible. 
Cold winds prevail night and morning, but the 
sun burns a few hours in the day. Certainly now 
is the best season for travelling in this country. 
What it is in Soudan it is impossible to tell. 
20th. — We rested to-day. There is a well a sho rt 
distance off, called Tilya. This morning early 
filed by a large division of the salt-caravan, about 
three hundred camels. We passed them yesterday. 
They had also a little merchandise besides salt. 
Some of the people inquired of me if I had found 
my camels. I told them two were still missing. 
They were all strangers, but were, nevertheless, 
civil. I made a short excursion in search of gum 
amongst the tholukh-trees. I was fortunate enough 
to find one piece, or, rather, a small bunch of pel- 
lucid drops, of a bright amber-colour. The bunch 
was scarcely exuding from the tree on which it 
was found, and was ready to drop when touched, 
hanging by the slenderest connexion. It was even 
somewhat disposed to become liquid. This gum 
is found only on the small young trees. The 
taste was very pleasant. It is astonishing how 
little gum has been picked off these trees by our 
people, although we have passed tens of thousands 
of them en route. 
The slaves of the caravan were having a game 
amongst themselves this morning. They brought 
into my tent a man bound as dead, and I was 
