434 
manua's cure for cold. 
end, but the proceeding would not be pleasant were 
lie to try it in a desert. We rode past a large cara- 
van from Berber — traders conveying young camels 
and home-made camel -cloths for sale to Korosko, 
whither we also were journeying. They were an- 
xious to know whether we had commenced to stint 
our camels in water, previous to putting them upon 
the desert allowance of none at all ; they had done 
so, and were ready to march next day ; we had not, 
and therefore our march must be delayed. I may 
here remark that travelling in the desert on a baggage- 
camel is far from being comfortable. The usual seat 
is the same as that of a lady on horseback, but with- 
out any kind of stirrup, consequently the legs get 
chafed, the dry wind chips your hands and nails, and 
you get cold in the head. Manua, an old and ex- 
perienced traveller, sat always upon his camel with 
his nose in a sling, which, he said, was a protection 
against cold ; he had a cloth shutting up both nos- 
trils, and tied on the top of the head. 
3d and ith. — Detained training our camels for the 
desert journey, and getting ropes and other necessaries. 
The station of Aboo Hamed is upon the right bank of 
the Nile, with the island of Mokrat opposite. An ob- 
long wall of mud, with a tower at each corner, encloses 
the few huts that are there, and other abodes are 
placed outside the walls in a straggling line of misery. 
Sand has nearly banked up the whole place — walls, 
fort, and all — and the majority of the people live upon 
the island and opposite shore. We had a call from 
two gentlemen travelling (not for their pleasure, but 
till further orders) to that Siberia of Egypt, the Sou- 
dan, with a line of camels and horses carrying their 
