SIGNIOR MIANI MR AIPPEELY. 409 
farther up the Nile than any previous traveller, his 
information was always sought for by gentlemen 
arriving from Europe. Four Frenchmen asked for 
counsel and advice ; but Miani gave them such an 
unpromising account of the country that they said 
they would defer their journey, and returned to 
Europe. Another traveller sent for M. Miani, and 
told him he wished to go up country ; " Very good ; 
but you will find the monkeys up there very savage." 
" Oh, then/' replied the other, " I shall not go." The 
Signior, I suspect, is somewhat of a " character," or 
original. In his native town of Venice, one room, 
with his name in large characters upon the door, is 
entirely devoted to his collections of arms and curio- 
sities, and the wall is hung round with sketches of his 
battles, as he has designated them, with the natives. 
He himself is made to figure very largely in his col- 
lection of sketches. 
We were much interested with the honest frank- 
ness of a clergyman belonging to the Pilgrim Mission 
from the Swiss Protestant Church, Mr Aipperly. He 
was under middle age, and seemed to have great de- 
termination of character and kindliness of disposition. 
He had come in from his station at Gaiabat, Blue 
Nile, riding upon his handsome camel, to transact 
business in Khartoom, and, knowing English, he came 
frequently to visit us. His labours were amongst the 
Dacrooree people, who originally settled in Gaiabat, 
in preference to returning from their Mecca pilgrim- 
age to their own country in Kordofan. These people 
clothe themselves in coarse " damoor," or calico, made 
into long "jungeers," somewhat like the trousers worn 
by the handsomest of races — the Seikhs of the Pun- 
