30 
COLLISION BEFORE STARTING . 
[chap. I. 
start. Just at that moment, a government vessel, by 
the merest chance, came swiftly down the river under 
sail, and in the clumsiest manner crashed right into us. 
The oars being lashed in their places on my boat, ready 
to start, were broken to pieces by the other vessel, 
which, fouling another of my boats just below, became 
fixed. The reis, or captain of the government boat 
that had caused the mischief, far from apologising, 
commenced the foulest abuse; and refused to give 
oars in exchange for those he had destroyed. To start 
was impossible without oars, and an angry altercation 
being carried on between my men and the government 
boat, it was necessary to come to closer quarters. The 
reis of the government boat was a gigantic black, 
a Tokrouri (native of Darfur) who, confident in his 
strength, challenged any one to come on board, nor did 
any of my fellows respond to the invitation. The inso¬ 
lence of Turkish government officials is beyond descrip¬ 
tion—my oars were smashed, and this insult was the 
reparation ; so, stepping quickly on board, and brushing 
a few fellows on one side, I was obliged to come to a 
physical explanation with the captain, which termi¬ 
nated in a delivery of the oars. The bank of the river 
was thronged with people, many were mere idlers 
attracted by the bustle of the start, and others, the 
friends and relatives of my people, who had come to 
