124 
TEAYELS IN CENTEAL AFEICA. 
May \Oth . — A severe storm; quick blinding rain ; no fires could 
be kept alight. 
Sunday, 11th . — Again a serious leak ; more damage to the stores. 
Game is abundant^ and so we live luxuriously^ and are enabled to 
preserve the fresh-killed meat by drying it^ and salting a small 
portion. The boats can be seen ; the sun shines again^ and all are 
gay. My gazelle on shore,, with its nurse the goat,, was chased by 
a dog. I watched with painful anxiety the little pet as the dog 
neared him^ but one of our men instantly fired^ killing the cur. 
The gazelle madly raced until^ nearing the dahabyeh, he with one 
amazing bound reached the deck, when, rushing to the extreme 
end of the cabins, the poor little thing fell exhausted ; a long time 
elapsed ere I could coax it from its retreat. 
Several women carrying wood for sale came to the boat : in their 
upper lip a straw some three inches in length was inserted, one end 
of which passed through a bead ; a similar decoration was worn in 
lieu of an ear-ring. The older women wore a leather apron, whilst 
the younger had a rachat of straw round their loins, like a kilt. 
Before the sun was down, as we walked towards the village we saw 
with great delight the boats approachiog ; but the river was winding 
and they were still a long way off. 
May l%th . — At a very early hour, when all but the watchmen 
were sleeping, two boats from Gondokoro came floating down the 
river. They were hailed by the reis to make fast, as Petherick was 
anxious to hear if tidings had been received of the Speke expedi- 
tion. One of the boats stayed her onward course and remained 
close to ours; the other made fast a mile or two beyond her 
consort. 
