370 KOORSHID AGA'S HOSPITALITY. 
and place of trade. For about fourteen months previ- 
ous to our arrival, it had never been without Egyptian 
boats and boatmen. A sailing boat, " diabeah," or a 
" nsegur," leaving Cairo in November, can reach Gon- 
dokoro, with a north wind, in three months. On the 
19th February, Baker received English news dated 1st 
November. The return journey to Khartoom is made 
so as to insure arrival by June, with the advantage of 
the south wind ; but we made the voyage much earlier, 
and landed on the thirty-third day from Gondokoro. 
To give an idea of Nile travelling in these regions, I 
may mention that a boat which conveyed Baker, with 
his crew, attendants, and four horses, was hired by 
him at Khartoom at eight pounds per month — a most 
comfortable boat, with two cabins. The pay of his 
sailors was lower than what we paid our Seedees for 
the journey — namely, two dollars per month, and the 
helmsman and carpenter seven dollars each. Their 
food, "doora," grain — i. e., jowari — would cost, say, 
ten dollars monthly ; so this, altogether, was cheap 
travelling on the^ Nile. He had also brought up 
several camels and donkeys ; and the former gave an 
Oriental look to the scene around his encampment. 
Koorshid Aga, a Circassian gentleman, lived here for 
some months, and was noted for his hospitality. 
Plainly dressed, and living in the most simple style, 
he would produce to his friends sparkling wines and 
other luxuries in profusion, for which we could make 
no return. Here he remained in security, with his 
guard-ships at anchor in the Nile below his premises, 
while his three or four hundred dark Nubians, armed 
with beautiful, though cheap, percussion guns, were on 
their beat for ivory in the interior. He had his tract 
