352 
FORDING THE RIVER ASUA. 
cross the river Asua, a wild rocky torrent, the journey 
occupied six hours and forty minutes, our escort con- 
sisting of two hundred ivory -carriers, the Toorkees, 
their wives, women, slaves, donkeys, cattle, &c. The 
route lay above the right bank of the Nile, and al- 
though the country was uninhabited, I do not recol- 
lect ever making a more interesting march. At the 
fourth mile, and to the west, we heard from the 
heights on which we stood the White Nile sounding 
below us, like the ocean, but we could not see it until 
we had proceeded two miles further. The beautiful 
noble stream was breaking now and then into foam 
upon hidden rocks ; or running at the rate of about 
four miles an hour past islands so laden with trees and 
vegetation that we could only partially discern the 
opposite bank, and obtain occasional glimpses of the 
river. On our side we had several species of acacia, 
the double black thorned and the white ; with other 
trees in lilac bloom, wild figs, &c. ; and, had the un- 
derwood of thorny scrub been cleared away, the place 
might have been deemed a paradise. The ivory-car- 
riers marched steadily onwards, but I longed for the 
halt, that we might have a drink of the water that 
appeared so inviting. At the eighth mile a happy 
break in the thicket gave us this opportunity ; and 
we who had traced the stream from the Victoria 
Nyanza were so glad to see our Uganda acquaintance 
once more, that we addressed it in the language of 
that country, exclaiming, " Awangeh ! awangeh ! " — 
old friend ! old friend ! While resting on the rocky 
bank, the views across, up or down the river, were of 
great interest. At our feet, by the side of a foaming 
rapid, fish rose like porpoises, showing their backs in 
