326 
TRAVELS IN CENTRAL AEEICA. 
mous volumes of water as described by Captain Speke and Sir 
Samuel Baker^ also^ if not to dwindle into morasses^ perhaps be 
confined within much narrower limits than they have been repre- 
sented when visited ? 
At noon we embarked in the sandal to visit the ladies who were 
at the mishra or port. This was reached in about an hour; so 
winding was the channel and choked with the ambage and rushes 
that the progress w^as from necessity slow. Warmly were we wel- 
comed by the beautiful Miss Tinne, who introduced us to her 
mother_, truly a noble dame. With tact and delicacy the ladies 
gleaned from me that I was ignorant of our having been mourned 
for as dead. Though Mr. Baker mentioned there were vague re- 
ports to that effect^ he had treated them lightly ; but now Madame 
Tinne showed extracts from newspapers asserting that we were no 
more. Oh^ how I wept ! well knowing the pain such tidings must 
have inflicted upon those who loved us. 
May loth. — Pleasant little visits were daily exchanged between 
the ladies at the Bek and ourselves. They were impatiently 
expecting the return of the steamer and a dahabyeh from Khar- 
toum^ whither the Baron d^Ablaing had proceeded^ to hire more 
soldiers and to replenish the supplies. This evening they arrived. 
Baron d^Ablaing informed us of the death of H.H. Said Pasha. 
Our men from a station in the interior at the Djour joined us 
yesterday, bringing with them ivory. 
On the 17 th we bade adieu to the ladies, who disembarked pre- 
paratory to their start for the interior, which was to be attempted 
early the following morning. 
