314 
IBRAHIM AND PARTY RETURN NORTH, [chap. x. 
the temper of the blade I offered to cut through the 
strongest shield he could produce. This delighted him 
amazingly. I now trust to be able to reach the junc¬ 
tion of the Somerset with the M-wootan Nzige at Ma- 
gungo, and from thence to overtake Ibrahim at Shooa, 
and to hurry on to Gondokoro, where a boat will be 
waiting for me from Khartoum. 
“ Ibrahim and his men marched this morning on 
their return to Karuma, leaving me here with my 
little party of thirteen men. 
“ Should I succeed in discovering the lake I shall 
thank God most sincerely. The toil, anxiety, the 
biting annoyances I have daily been obliged to put 
up with in my association with the Turks, added to 
our now constant ill-health, are enough to break down 
the constitution of an elephant. Every day I must 
give !—to the Turks, give !—to the natives, give! If I 
lend any thing to the Turks it is an insult should I 
ask for its return. One hasty word might have upset 
my boat; and now, for twelve months, I have had to 
talk, to explain, to manage, and to lead the brutes in 
this direction, like a coachman driving jibbing horses. 
Hosts of presents to Ibrahim, combined with a vivid 
description of the advantages that he would secure by 
opening a trade with Kamrasi, at length led him to 
this country, which I could not have reached without 
his aid, as it would have been impossible for me to 
have procured porters without cattle. The porters I 
have always received from him as far as Karuma for 
a payment of six copper rings per head for every 
journey. I have now arranged that he shall leave 
for me thirty head of cattle at Shooa; thus, should 
he have started for Gondokoro before my arrival at 
Shooa, I shall be able to procure porters, and arrive 
in time for the expected boat. 
“ Up to this day astronomical observations have been 
impossible, a thick coat of slate colour obscuring the 
heavens. To-night I obtained a good observation of 
Canopus, giving latitude 1° 38' N. By Casella's ther- 
