14 * 
TEAVELS IN CENTEAL AFEICA. 
always his gun at hand, and revolver pistols beneath his rug, would 
take aim, and on three consecutive nights shot an intruder. ° After 
this the visits became more rare. 
The womnn of Korosko came daily to inspect the palm trees : 
the dates were ripening rapidly, and promised an abundant harvest. 
These women, clad in loose flowing robes, barefooted, sometimes 
carrying a child astride their hip or shoulder, walk with inimitable 
grace. 
One morning a boat left for Dongola, bearing some rough-looking 
soldiers, who had remained at Korosko a night. Soon after their 
departure, a woman of the village came as usual to look to her 
trees. Sundry bunches of dates were missed. Never shall I 
forget her superb attitudes — grand, because they were unstudied. 
She lifted on high her arms, from which the drapery fell back : 
beautifully moulded arms they were, encircled by ivory bracelets. 
For a brief moment she was silent, and then her tongue became 
vehement. She prayed that the robbers might be smitten by blind- 
ness, because their eyes had enviously regarded the fruit ; that 
those who, knowing it stolen, ate of it, might be choked ; and so on. 
From my heart I pitied the poor creature : all in the Egyptian land 
are so heavily taxed ; every fruit-bearing tree has its impost, and 
no relief, if the crop fails, can be obtained. At a distance the hair 
of the women appeared to me arranged in natural curls, small ones 
over the forehead, increasing in length at the back ; but on inspec- 
tion these supposed ringlets were plaits, so fine and numerous, that 
it was with difficulty I made out the difierence. All wear necklaces 
of beads or pebbles, and bracelets of ivory, stained sometimes black or 
red into a pretty pattern. Nearly all have cuts in their face, which 
they paint blue, and also their lips. The girl-children wore the rachat 
