52 
MEN AND BEASTS IN A BAD TEMPER. [chap. i. 
course—the river about a hundred yards in width of 
clear water; alive with floating vegetation, with a 
current of about two miles per hour. 
Jan. 22 d .—The luxuries of the country as usual—- 
malaria, marshes, mosquitoes, misery ; far as the eye 
can reach, vast treeless marshes perfectly lifeless. At 
times progressing slowly by towing, the men struggling 
through the water with the rope ; at other times by 
running round the boat in a circle, pulling with their 
hands at the grass, which thus acts like the cogs of a 
wheel to move us gradually forward. One of my 
horses,“ Filfil,” out of pure amusement kicks at the men 
as they pass, and having succeeded several times in 
kicking them into the river, he perseveres in the fun, 
I believe for lack of other employment. 
Hippopotami are heard snorting in the high reeds both 
day and night, but we see very few. The black women 
on board are daily quarrelling together and fighting 
like bull-dogs ; little G-addum Her is a regular black toy 
terrier, rather old, wonderfully strong, very short, but 
making up in spirit for what she lacks in stature ; she 
is the quintessence of vice, being ready for a stand-up 
fight at the shortest notice. On one occasion. she 
fought with her antagonist until both fell down the 
hold, smashing all my water jars ; on another day they 
both fell into the river. The ennui of this wretched 
voyage appears to try the temper of both man and 
beast; the horses, donkeys, and camels are constantly 
fighting and biting at all around. 
Jan. 23d. — At 8 A.m. arrived at Aboukooka, the 
establishment of a French trader. It is impossible to 
describe the misery of the land ; in the midst of the 
vast expanse of marsh is a little plot of dry ground 
about thirty-five yards square, and within thirty yards 
of the river, but to be reached only by wading through 
the swamp. The establishment consisted of about a 
dozen straw huts, occupied by a wretched fever-stricken 
set of people ; the vakeel, and others employed, came 
to the boats to beg for corn. I stopped for ten minutes 
