TEAVELS IN CENTEAL AFEICA. 
with the usual occupations of the day ; but the morning ride was 
abandoned. 
The sheikh soon arrived^ and told the soldiers it was impossible 
he could find means to send any of them across the desert,, as all 
the camels likely to arrive we required. He prevailed upon all but 
some two hundred to proceed by boat to Wadi Halfa^ where they 
would find camels in abundance to convey them by way of Dongola. 
The two hundred soldiers still remained at Korosko^ but removed 
some distance from us. One of them came to Petherick^ anxious 
to join us,, as he was without means ; and he offered that^ if pro- 
vided with quarters and allowed to accompany us to Khartoum,, he 
would make us a present of two boys whom he looked upon as his 
own. His proposition was not accepted. 
On August 27th the eighty camels started^ accompanied by Kheir 
Allah^ who^ before leaving, begged that, if his wife should arrive 
during our stay, she might be allowed to travel with us. Permission 
was given, and he left a note to be handed to her to that effect. 
The scene of confusion when these caravans are loading is inde- 
scribable. The camels moan hideously when being laden; the 
Arabs, wild-looking men, scream and shout, as each fancies his 
camel has the heaviest load. The sheikh, Petherick, and the Arab 
secretary sit on rugs beneath the shade of a mimosa tree, and 
smoke quietly. Occasionally a turbulent driver rushes to their 
presence — an Orson he appears to me, almost naked, and with 
shaggy hair standing out like Medusa^s serpents round his head. 
A wave of the hand sends him back to his post. These things I 
observe from my seat in the tent — T is there the fowls rush for 
protection when we have these noisy visitors. These fowls, by the 
gave us daily five eggs : each had a different place for laying. 
