128 
TEAVELS IN CENTEAL AFEICA. 
him. It was getting dark_, and I was sleepy ; and^ sitting down in 
the bottom of the boat_, I was fast going off, when I saw the great 
head of a hippo'’^ with the jaws wide open: the upper one came 
down on the gunwale^ banging it violently and upsetting the soldier 
Zein_, who was standing up_, into the river ; but he soon scrambled 
back again into the boat. We then all fired_, and the hippo^ made 
off; and I never care to go in the felucca any more ! Zein_, a 
fine tall Arab^ came forward^ and confirmed Foxcroft^s statement. 
May 16/ A. — The few days^ rest had refreshed our men^ and they 
cheerfully made preparations for towing us onwards. Dr. Murie^, 
as we were starting at an early hour^ came to bid good bye^ and to 
say that Dr. Brownell,, he believed,, was a little better ; that he had 
passed a tolerable night ; and that he too^. Dr. Murie^ felt stronger. 
Their boat and its consort will leave together,, as one boat is obliged 
to tow the other ; and as ropes are not quite ready^ it is possible 
they will not start before to-morrow. Signor Carlo returned to 
the Lady of the Nile during the indisposition of the medical 
gentlemen the cabin was too confined for three. He offered to 
brew for us a pleasant beverage from dates which we brought from 
Khartoum. Three or four hands-full of these are placed in a bur- 
mah full of water and allowed to ferment,, then a little powdered 
ginger is added to it,, and strained ; it is drinkable in twenty-four 
hours. These burmahs are made of clay, moulded into form by the 
hand — some of them are really elegantly-shaped jars — and then 
baked until they become hard. No date palms were to be seen, 
but the delaeb palm is frequently to be met with : the fruit is lovely 
to look at — golden- coloured, and as large as a pine-apple ; the 
fragrance is similar ; bat the flavour is insipid, and the fruit is very 
fibrous and stringy. The stem of this tree is slender as the date 
