chap, xix.] DESTRUCTION BY THE PLAGUE. 497 
be impossible to give preference to any individual 
stream. Such a theory would become a source of great 
confusion, and the Nile sources might remain for ever 
undecided; a thousand future travellers might return, 
each with his particular source in his portfolio, some 
stream of insignificant magnitude being pushed forward 
as the true origin of the Nile. 
I found few letters awaiting me at Khartoum : all 
the European population of the place had long ago 
given us up for lost. It was my wish to start without 
delay direct for England, but there were extraordinary 
difficulties in this wretched country of the Soudan. A 
drought of two years had created a famine throughout 
the land, attended by a cattle and camel plague, that 
had destroyed so many camels that all commerce was 
stagnated. No merchandize could be transported from 
Khartoum; thus no purchases could be made by the 
traders in the interior : the country, always wretched, 
was ruined. 
The plague, or a malignant typhus, had run riot in 
Khartoum : out of 4,000 black troops, only a remnant 
below 400 remained alive ! This frightful malady, that 
had visited our boat, had revelled in the filth and 
crowded alleys of the Soudan capital. 
The Blue Nile was so low that even the noggors 
drawing three feet of water could not descend the 
river. Thus, the camels being dead, and the river im¬ 
passable, no corn could be brought from Sennaar and 
Watmedene : there was a famine in Khartoum— 
neither fodder for animals, nor food for man. Being 
unable to procure either camels or boats, I was com¬ 
pelled to wait at Khartoum until the Nile should rise 
sufficiently to enable us to pass the cataracts between 
that town and Berber. 45, 
We remained two months at Khartoum. During 
* The want of water in the Blue Nile, as here described, 
exemplifies the theory that Lower Egypt owes its existence during 
the greater portion of the year entirely to the volume of the White 
Nile. 
K K 
