ALBANIAN SOLDIEES. 
61 
to England. Miss Tinne kindly took him into her service. Zitella, 
who had promised to be a good girl if she might accompany us_, 
was a very nanghty one ; we therefore sent her back to Khartoum^ 
protected by people whom Petherick knew. 
“ We have the hope of being off in a few days. Petherick expects 
that on the desert the temperature will be lower than it is here ; I 
must_, however, make up my mind to endure an inevitably trying 
journey; for a week we must travel at the rate of eighteen hours 
out of the twenty-four. We have so few camels, that to carry any 
quantity of water is out of the question ; and there is but one place 
about the centre of the desert where it may be found, so the 
marches must be forced, and our poor servants must walk. 
I regret to tell you that the Albanian soldiers who so frightened 
me at Berber destroyed the tablet to the memory of Mr. Melly, 
which Petherick had assisted to place on his tomb at Gagee. They 
broke the marble, hoping to convert it into mouth-pieces for pipes. 
The people of Gagee were highly incensed, as the tomb was uni- 
versally respected, and they were pleased to point it out to travellers. 
These Albanians were supported by the Viceroy; large numbers 
were on their way to the Soudan to strengthen the Egyptian army, 
who were then supposed to be preparing to invade Abyssinia. 
These lawless soldiers pillaged some villages en route to Khartoum. 
And now farewell. I hope to write to thee from Korosko.’^ 
“ON BOARD THE ‘KATHLEEN,’ 
“Sailing down the Nile to Assouan. 
“ October.) 1864. 
How we crossed the desert I know not ; it had been all 
the time one long troubled dream, and as such I recount it. 
