256 LOSS OF CAMEL A MISFORTUNE. [chap. vi. 
of the sun, he would willingly ride for ever. The 
difference of action and of comfort to the rider between 
a common camel and a high class hygeen, is equal to 
that between a thoroughbred and a heavy dray horse. 
However, with all the good qualities of a “Bisha- 
reen,” my best camel was dead. This was a sad loss. 
So long as my animals were well I felt independent, 
and the death of this camel was equal to minus five 
cwt. of luggage. My men were so idle that they paid 
no attention to the animals, and the watcher who had 
been appointed to look after the four camels had 
amused himself by going to the Latooka dance. Thus 
was the loss of my best animal occasioned. 
So well had all my saddles and pads been arranged 
at Khartoum, thaf although we had marched seven 
days with exceedingly heavy loads, not one of the 
animals had a sore back. The donkeys were exceed¬ 
ingly fresh, but they had acquired a most disgusting 
habit. The Latookas are remarkably clean in their 
towns, and nothing unclean is permitted within the 
stockade or fence. Thus the outside, especially the 
neighbourhood of the various entrances, was excessively 
filthy, and my donkeys actually fattened as scavengers, 
like pigs. I remembered that my unfortunate German 
Johann Schmidt had formerly told me that he was at 
one time shooting in the Base country, where the 
