CHAPTER XVII. 
THE NATIVES IN MOURNING. 
The hour of deliverance from our long sojourn in 
Central Africa was at hand;—it was the month of 
February, and the boats would be at Gondokoro. The 
Turks had packed their ivory; the large tusks were 
fastened to poles to be carried by two men, and the 
camp was a perfect mass of this valuable material. I 
counted 609 loads of upwards of 50 lbs. each; thirty- 
one loads were lying at an out-station : therefore the 
total results of the ivory campaign during the last 
twelve months were about 32,000 lbs., equal to about 
£9,630 when delivered in Egypt. This was a perfect 
fortune for Koorshid. 
We were ready to start. My baggage was so un¬ 
important that I was prepared to forsake everything 
and to march straight for Gondokoro independently 
with my own men, but this the Turks assured me was 
impracticable, as the country was so hostile in advance 
that we must of necessity have some fighting on the 
road; the Bari tribe would dispute our right to pass 
through their territory. The porters were all engaged 
to transport the ivory, but I observed that the greater 
number were in mourning for either lost friends or 
cattle, having ropes twisted round their necks and 
waists, as marks of sorrow. About 800 men received 
payment of cattle in advance ;—-the next day they had 
all absconded with their cows, having departed during 
