166 
TEAVELS IN CENTEAL AFEICA. 
Mosquitoes most annoying,— I fairly cried this morning. At noon 
two boats of the Poncets came sailing down stream; their reis 
hailed that the canoe was coming down with the towing-rope. At 
four p.m. it arrived, a note also from Monsieur Poncet : he was on 
the eve of departure for Khartoum, but would await our arrival at 
his station. 
Sunday, 2^th . — More of our people ill — ague and fever. Pethe- 
rick is much troubled, as great obstacles to our onward progress 
present themselves. The men have no longer energy; the leaks 
are so frequent, and they are tired out. They report that the grain 
is nearly ruined, and our biscuit is mouldy and full of insects. 
June ^Oth . — A leakage discovered. The river winding as a laby- 
rinth. 
July 1st . — Dreary towing. Showers and mosquitoes. 
July 2nd . — We slowly approach the Poncets^ station, known as 
Lolnun, hut by the Arabs called Abu Kuka. We can see the boats, 
from which the Sardinian colours float. Arrived at the settlement 
about noon, and found it miserably situated. I counted sixteen 
tookuls, water surrounding them — not a tree was visible ; an enclo- 
sure for cattle, which was a perfect marsh. It was impossible to 
land unless one waded through stagnant water and black mud. 
Monsieur Poncet came on board, accompanied by a German mis- 
sionary, who had arrived about the same time as ourselves at his 
mission station, Santa Croce, some ten miles farther up the river. 
Petherick had letters entrusted to him for both gentlemen, and 
they were read with the delight known only to those who live, as it 
w'ere, out of the world. Petherick had believed that palm trees 
flourished in this vicinity; from them cordage could be made to 
