CHAIN y.] 
THE TURKS’ SALUTE. 
193 
difficulty in crossing muddy hollows and gullies in the 
otherwise dried marsh,we at length succeeded in finding 
the tracks of the party that had gone on ahead. 
We had been steering from Ellyria due east towards 
the high peak of “ Gebel Lafeet,” that rose exactly 
above one of the principal towns of Latooka. With 
this fine beacon now apparently just before us, we had 
no difficulty in finding our way. The country was 
now more open, and the ground sandy and interspersed 
with the hegleek trees, which gave it the appearance 
of a vast orchard of large pear trees. The “ hegleek ” 
is peculiarly rich in potash; so much so that the ashes 
of the burnt wood will blister the tongue. It bears a 
fruit about the size and shape of a date;—this is very 
sweet and aromatic in flavour, and is also so rich in 
potash that it is used as a substitute for soap. 
After an hours walk always on the tracks of the 
party, we saw a large Latooka town in the distance, 
and upon a nearer approach we discovered crowds of 
people collected under two enormous trees. Presently 
guns fired, the drums beat, and as we drew nearer we 
perceived the Turkish flags leading a crowd of about a 
hundred men, who approached us with the usual salutes, 
every man firing off ball cartridge as fast as he could 
reload. My men were already with this lot of raga¬ 
muffins, and this was the ivory or slave trading party 
VOL. i. 
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