82 
TEAVELS IN CENTEAL AFEICA. 
as it is called^ where the two rivers meet^ the Blue Nile and the 
White Nile^ two miles from Khartoum. Here the stragglers are 
picked up;, who_, having remained as long as possible with their 
friends,, cut off the bend of the river,, and proceed by land to the 
Point. There we were detained,, all the missing ones not having 
come on board The confusion was distracting through the whole 
of the night ; many of the soldiers drunk and turbulent. At dawn 
some of the men were brought back^ whilst others were not to be 
found. 
At noon on March 215/ sailed again,, hut only as far as the trees 
of Mochow Bey,, two grand sycamores. At sunset the three boats got 
off with a fair wind. We saw the doctors seated on deck,, playing 
their flutes^ and we were obliged to remain behind. There were yet 
four soldiers missing, amongst them Ahderachman. His mves and 
their children unexpectedly came on board, and room was made for 
them on the already overcrowded deck. Poor Wangyo was sadly 
changed; she grieved so for her boy. She was wasted to a shadow, 
and could no longer nourish her baby: haggard and aged she looked. 
'Saturday, March 2^rd . — Ahderachman was brought back at sun- 
rise. At nine a.m. we were fairly off : at this moment a negress 
sprang on board, and threw herself at my feet. She was one of 
our servants whom we left behind, but she would not remain there, 
and had been hiding until the last moment, when she trusted that 
we might relent, and permit her to accompany us. The wind 
blew in gusts, and the dahabyeh heeled over considerably ; she was 
also drawing a quantity of water. All her sails were set; she 
carried fore, main, and mizzen masts. Very soon, I saw for 
the first time, hippopotami. The Nile here was very broad, and 
