THE NILE ONCE MORE. 591
i antelopes, I did not succeed in killing one head. All my
! men were surprised as well as myselfjj and the villagers
j who were escorting me in the hope of getting flesh, were
so annoyed at their disappointment, they offered to cut
my fore-finger with a spear and spit on it for good-luck.
| Joining in their talk, I told them the powder must be
| crooked; but, on inspecting my rifle closer, I found that
the sights had been knocked on one side a little, and this
I created a general laugh at all in turn. Going home from
the shooting, I found all the villagers bolting again with
[their cattle and stores, and, on looking towards Faloro,
saw a party of Turks coming.
As well as I could I reassured the villagers, and brought
them back again, when they said to me, “ Oh, what have
you done ? We were so happy yesterday when we found
out who you were, but now we see you have brought
those men, all our hearts have sunk again; for they beat
us, they make us carry their loads, and they rob us in
such a manner, we know not what to do.” I told them
II would protect them if they would keep quiet; and,
when the Turks came, I told them what I had said to the
head man. They were the vanguard of Mahamed’s party,
and said they had orders to march on as far as Apuddo
; with me, where we must all stop for Mahamed, who, as
well as he could, was collecting men. There was a certain
tree near Apuddo which was marked by an English-
I man two years ago, and this, Mahamed thought, would
keep us amused.
The next march brought us to Paira, a collection of
L ¡r villages within sight of the Nile. It was I To Paira, 13iA. ® . f truly ridiculous; here had we been at b aloro Bjso long, and yet could not make out what had become of
the Nile. In appearance it was a noble stream, flowing
on a flat bed from west to east, and immediately beyond
it were the Jbl (hills) Kükü, rising up to a height of
2000 feet above the river. Still we could not make out