DESEETEES. 
241 
These jars had been lent to me by my much-lamented friend^ 
Professor Queckett^ and had been round the world with the re- 
nowned Captain Cook. 
November 15M.- — At seven a.m. one of the four men sent in 
search of the deserters returned with three of them and ten new 
porters. With them we started at eight a.m._, taking with us tent 
and sundries^ Medineh remaining with ten of our men to await the 
other messengers,, in the hope of their bringing sufficient porters 
to carry the remaining loads. The path traversed led through a 
swamp for a short distance,, then we passed over a sandy soil bearing 
high grass and scraggy trees j gradually the forest beeame thicker 
and nobler^ with now and then an open gravelly spot on which we 
halted ; then came the corn-fields of the last village of the Agar^ 
called Aweel. Pursuing our way through the high dourra^ we 
passed a few isolated barricaded huts,, the stockades of which con- 
sisted of poles some twelve to fifteen feet high,, enclosing spaces about 
fifty feet in diameter,, generally eontaining a hut erected on a stage^ 
another smaller one on the ground,, a large wooden pestle and mortar,, 
and a small plot cultivated with tobacco. Wending our way along 
a winding and intricate footway^ just wide enough for a single 
person^ in turning a corner of the path we met two women ; giving 
them no time to fiy^ we learnt from them that our men and cattle 
bivouacked in the village^ and that at an early hour they had 
proceeded that morning on their journey. Here was another 
perplexity ! they had left us, contrary to orders, to follow as we 
best could, to the next tribe, a stiff day’s march in advance, with- 
out porters and provisions. In this dilemma we took temporary 
posession of a small shed, constructed in an open spot under the 
shade of a large tree, and the men encamped around in the bush. 
16 
