524 
THE NILE CATARACTS. 
in shape as the best salmon could be; he was disabled in The shallow 
water by repeated blows of an axe. 
Everybody knows that Khartoum stands at the point of junction of 
the Blue and White Niles. It was founded and made the seat of 
government and the centre of trade by Mehemet Ali. 
Its government was Turkish, its trade was in slaves and ivory, two 
ivories in fact, for one was the complement of the other, and the 
“ black ivory/' as slaves were named, was the transport used to carry 
to the Nile shore, from the forest swamps of the interior, the ivory of 
commerce which the wild elephant supplied. 
But these are questions which lie outside the limits of this paper, 
and were I even to follow the great river along those lower shores we 
have been travelling, into these ramifications of its upper water, and 
the races of men who dwell upon them, your patience would scarcely 
go with me on the journey, besides, it is possible that in dealing with 
the relations between the governing powers in the east and their 
subjects, we might enter into ground forbidden to this Institution. 
Whenever I hear or read the numerous declarations of those persons 
in western lands who are desirous of improving and benefiting the 
condition of the Mahommedan peoples of the east, I am reminded of a 
story of a traveller on the Nile, who, in his attempts one day to shoot 
a quail, had the misfortune to lodge a portion of the charge of the shot 
in the body of a native who was reposing on the shore. Horrified at 
the accident, and being desirous of making compensation to the native 
for the injury he had received, the sportsman wrote immediately to 
the Mudir at the nearest government post reporting the occurence, and 
begging that action might be taken in the matter. On his return 
journey down stream the traveller called upon the Mudir to enquire 
how far his wishes to ameliorate the condition of the wounded man 
had been carried into effect. He was assured that everything had been 
done, that his wishes had received the fullest attention. 
And how much did your Excellency give the wounded man ? asked 
the traveller, desirous of reimbursing the Governor for the expendi¬ 
ture incurred. 
(( Fifty strokes of the kourbash/' solemnly replied the Mudir, 
“ and he will receive another fifty to-morrow, Bismillah. I do not 
think he will never be wicked enough to get in the way of your 
Sublimity's gun again.” 
There was no discussion ; the Chairman's remarks in returning 
thanks for the lecture were received with much applause. 
