258 
THE EGYPTIAN SCARABTEUS. 
[chap. IX. 
Central African difficulties in tlie simple act of pur¬ 
chasing flour. . The Obbo natives are similar to the 
Bari in some of their habits. I have had great diffi¬ 
culty in breaking my cow-keeper of his disgusting 
custom of washing the milk-bowl with cows urine, 
and even mixing some with the milk; he declares that 
unless he washes his hands with such water before 
milking, the cow will lose her milk. This filthy 
custom is unaccountable. The Obbo natives wash out 
their mouths with their own urine. This habit may 
have originated in the total absence of salt in their 
country. The Latookas, on the contrary, are very 
clean, and milk could be purchased in their own 
vessels without fear/' 
“Aug. 8 th .—Having killed a fat ox, the men are 
busily engaged in boiling down the fat. Care should 
be taken to sprinkle a few drops of water in the pot 
when the fat is supposed to be sufficiently boiled ; 
should it hiss, as though poured upon melted lead, it is 
ready; but if it be silent, the fat is not sufficiently 
boiled, and it will not keep. 
“ Three runaway female slaves were captured by 
Koorshid’s people this morning, two of whom were 
brutally treated. On the whole the female slaves are 
well kept when very young, but well thrashed when 
the black bloom of youth has passed/' 
“Aug. 1 1th .—At this season immense beetles are 
at work in vast numbers, walking off with every species 
of dung, by forming it into balls as large as small 
apples, and rolling them away with their hind-legs, 
while they walk backwards by means of the fore-legs. 
Should a ball of dung roll into a deep rut, I have fre¬ 
quently seen another beetle come to the assistance of 
the proprietor of the ball, and quarrel for its possession 
after their joint labours have raised it to the level. 
“ This species was the holy scarabseus of the ancient 
Egyptians ; it appears shortly after the commencement 
of the wet season, its labours continuing until the 
cessation of the rains, at which time it disappears. 
