“ Aug. 11th.—At this season immense beetles are
at work in vast numbers, walking off with every species
of dung, by forming it into balls as large as small
apples, and rolling them away with their hind-legs,
while they walk backwards by means of the fore-legs.
Should a ball of dung roll into a deep rut, I have frequently
seen another beetle come to the assistance of
the proprietor of the ball, and quarrel for its possession
after their joint labours have raised it to the level.
“ This species was the holy scarabseus of the ancient
Egyptians ; it appears shortly after the commencement
of the wet season, its labours continuing until the
cessation of the rains, at which time it disappears.
Was it not worshipped by the ancients as the harbinger
of the high Nile ? The existence of Lower Egypt
depending upon the annual inundation, the rise of the
river was observed with general anxiety. The beetle appears
at the commencement of the rise in the river level,
and from its great size and extraordinary activity in
clearing the earth from all kinds of ordure, its presence
is remarkable. Appearing at the season of the flood,
may not the ancients have imagined some Connexion
between the beetle and the river, and have considered
it sacred as the harbinger of the inundation ?
“ There is a wild bean in this country, the blossom
of which has a delicious perfume of violets. I regret
that I have not a supply of paper for botanical specimens,
as many beautiful flowers appeared at the
commencement of the rains. Few thorns and no gums
form a strong contrast to the Soudan, where nearly
every tree and shrub is armed.
“ Aug. 18th.—I had a long examination of a slave
woman, Bacheeta, belonging to one of Koorshid’s men.
She had been sent two years ago by the king, Kamrasi,
from Unyoro, as a spy among the traders, with orders
to attract them to the country if appearances were
favourable, but to return with a report should they be
dangerous people.
“ On her arrival at Faloro, Debono’s people captured
her, and she was eventually sold to her present owner.
She speaks Arabic, having learnt it from the traders
people. She declares that Magungo, the place of which
I have heard so much, is only four days’ hard marching
for a native, direct from Faloro, but eight days for
the Turks; and that it is equi-distant from Faloro
and from Kamrasi’s capital in Unyoro. She had heard
of the Luta N’zige, as reported to Speke, but she knew
it only by the name of ‘ Kara-wootan-N’zige.’
“ She corroborated the accounts I had formerly received,
of large boats arriving with Arabs at Magungo,
and she described the lake as a * white sheet as far as
the eye could reach.’ She particularized it as a pern.-