A VISITOE IN THE DESEET. 
35 
throughout the journey. The water was muddy in the extreme : 
it was impossible to drink it without being filtered; I was dis- 
appointed,, therefore,, of the draught so ardently anticipated. Many 
camels we passed on their way to this almost inaccessible watering- 
place. 
The cattle were unable to approach close to the reservoirs,, and 
were served in turn from a wooden bowl : this to the thirsty camels 
must have been very tantalizing. Our return was more perilous 
than the journey there^ and nearly the whole distance we led our 
horses. The only sho^ horse lost his shoes,, and in consequence 
sufiered severely on the entire route. Poor beast ! soon after his 
arrival at Khartoum he was set to draw the cart^ and entrusted to 
the care of Ali,, who^ it seems^ made a show of the novel turn-out to 
the great delight of the Khartoumers^ and drove him furiously over 
the plain. When brought back he was observed to be ill,, and from 
that time never rallied. A fortnight after it was deemed advisable 
to shoot him. 
When at dinner^ two dromedaries with their riders approached ; 
one proved to be a friend of Petherick^s,, an EflPendi G ,, and 
his servant. They were en route to Cairo from Berber. He told 
us how anxiously we were expected by the reis and crew of the boats 
that were waiting for us. 
September l^th . — During the night a traveller direct from Khar- 
toum bivouacked near to us. Early in the morning he came to our 
tent,, and introduced himself as the Marquis Antonori, a Venetian. 
He had travelled up the White Nile^, and visited Petherick^s station 
among the Djour tribe on Bahar el Gazal. He had made a magni- 
ficent collection of birds : ornithology was his passion. We found 
him a delightful companion during his short sojourn at Suffur. He 
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