A TEOPICAL BIED. 
57 
boat; she was very large^ not very clean, and there was not an 
atom of paint about her, so different from the gay Cairo dahabyehs. 
The cabins admitted more light than came in through the windows ; 
this had its advantage, as more air was circulated. I found that 
both lower and upper deck were covered with packages, so at once 
abandoned the idea of walking the deck.'’^ All these boats have a 
woman on board to grind the corn, which they do in the primitive 
way, between two stones. Ours was the wife of the mate, and she 
had a dear little girl, some two years of age, — not a bit of clothing 
about the bairn. I soon made friends by giving her a yard or so 
of bright red calico : this the mother draped round the child, and 
a tropical bird she looked, flitting over the spars and ropes that in 
confusion were scattered around. At midday there was a favourable 
breeze, and all ready for a start. The British colours were flying 
from the mizzen ; the sails were unfurled ; and a great cheer, led 
by Petherick and the Doctor, well supported by all, told when the 
painters were being hauled in. The people on shore fired a salute ; 
our men returned it as we were fairly off. The wind soon died 
away, and then commenced a repetition of the scenes we had wit- 
nessed from Cairo (or Boulac) to Korosko, when the greater part 
of the crew would leap from the boat, bearing a line, scramble up 
the banks, and tow us bravely on. Often the boat would run 
aground, sometimes on a rock ; then the efforts of the men to get 
her off were taxed to the utmost. Sometimes they would wade up 
to their shoulders in the river for a long distance, where the banks 
were impracticable, singing lustily to frighten the crocodiles from 
approaching. The boat, occasionally floating over trunks of trees, 
would bump upon them ; often the branches of others would make a 
sweep into the cabin windows, tearing everything away as we were 
dragged along. The crew, after towing, always left off at sunset. 
