THE KUEBAM BIEEAM. 
155 
to-morroWj and lasts three days. The men shaved their heads and 
anointed themselves with oil to do honour to the occasion. 
Sunday, June ^th . — Such a gay scene on deck this morning ! The 
men were all dressed in what remained of their best clothes^ all the 
colours were hoisted^ and Petherick was asked if the Turkish flag 
might also be displayed. In addition to the Crescent and the Star^ 
a large handsome one was hoisted^ embroidered with an Arabic 
sentence : In the name of the Great God^ we humbly pray the 
grace of God through the intercession of the Prophet Mahomet. 
Every one came up to kiss our hands and utter good wishes. One 
flne old man^ our syce or groom_, from Sur Kattks boat^ said with 
much feeling : God grant that you may come down this river again 
well and happy as you now are ; your actions are good^ and He^, the 
Almighty^ will guard you.^/ Slow^ tedious towing all day, and 
showers frequent. 
June 9th . — Cold and wet ; the sun attempting to shine at times, 
but the vapoury clouds veiled him. A good deal of sickness 
amongst our people — ague and dysentery. The corporal in reis 
Sur Katti^s boat is said to be worse : when the boat was pulled up 
to ours, Petherick went on board, and he does not like the appear- 
ance of the invalid at all. 
This towing is very dreary work : the small boat carries our line 
to the reeds in advance, and we are pulled up by it, taking the 
line of our consort, so that when we are stationary, she in turn pulls 
up to us ; then off goes the felucca again with our line, and so on. 
The canoe is worked in the same way to assist the doctors^ dahabyeh 
and her consort. At midday an abominable smell penetrated the 
cabins ; in answer to the inquiry as to its cause, we heard that the 
