OUE LIFE AT KHAETOUM. 
69 
an enemy. He also discarded his robe; and^ arming himself with 
a wicked-looking curved hatchet^ and putting his arm through the 
sling of a large oblong shield,, he sang himself into a fury, and 
then a grand imaginary combat took place. It was horrible, for 
when he had his foe on the ground, he feigned to rip him open 
with the hatchet. 
The days pass far too quickly. We are up before the sun, and 
in the saddle for a gallop over the plain outside Khartoum. Pethe- 
rick now rides a beautiful Arabian horse. It was a colt when he 
left for England. He has been brought up by hand on a milk 
diet, and, in consequence, we have called him Baby.^^ His dam 
died a week after his birth. Baby^s paces are beautiful ; and 
when he is properly trained, he is destined to carry me. He often 
far distances Luxor and when pulled in, and I am again at my 
husband^s side, Luxor makes great snaps at the colPs tail. It 
is evidently a jealous freak on my horse^s part — he can only show 
a shortish tail, whilst Baby^s reaches the ground. 
We generally have two attendants, whose dress is showy in the 
extreme ; and they always use the handsome Turkish saddle, with 
silver-mounted trappings. They carry our guns, so that, when any 
game is seen, they are readily handed to us; and as our horses 
stand fire well, there is no difficulty in the way of dismounting. 
We return in an hour — Petherick to his work, and I to pay the 
garden a visit, in which we have planted many English flower and 
vegetable seeds ; and I have also generally time, before the gong 
sounds for nine o^clock breakfast, to hold a concert. To the kind- 
ness of poor Dr. Peney^s widow I am indebted for a piano, mine 
being on board the Kathleen,^'’ still on her way from Korosko. 
The musicians who assist are the birds. When they hear the first 
chords, they assemble, outside and in. They sing joyously, and 
