is like an entangled skein of thread.' Wind light ]
‘course S. 20° W. The strong north wind that took us
-from Khartoum has long since become a mere breath.
I t never blows in this latitude regularly from the
north. The wind commences at between 8 and 9 a .m .,
and sinks at sunset; thus the voyage through these
frightful marshes and windings is tedious and melancholy
beyond description. Great numbers of hippopotami
this evening, greeting the boats with their loud
snorting bellow, which vibrates through the vessels.
Jan. 9 th.—Two natives fishing; left their canoe and
ran on the approach of our boats. My men wished to
steal it, which of course I prevented ; it was a simple
dome-palm hollowed. In the canoe was a harpoon,
very neatly made with only one barb. Both sides of
the river from the Bahr el Gazal belong to the Nuehr
tribe. Course S.E.; wind very lig h t; windings of
river endless; continual hauling. At about half an
hour before sunset, as the men were hauling the boat
along by dragging at the high reeds from the deck, a
man at the mast-head reported a buffalo standing on a
dry piece of ground near the river; being in want of
meat, the men begged me to shoot him. The buffalo
was so concealed by the high grass, that he could not
be seen from the deck; I therefore stood upon an
angarep (bedstead) on the poop, and from this I; could
just discern his head and shoulders in the high grass,
about' a hundred and twenty yards off. I fired with
No. 1 Reilly rifle, and he dropped apparently dead to
the shot. The men being hungry, were mad with
delight, and regardless of all but meat, they dashed
into the water, and were shortly at him ; one man
holding him by the tail, another dancing upon him
and brandishing his knife, and all shouting a yell of
exultation. Presently up jumped the insulted buffalo,
and charging through the men, he disappeared in the
high grass, falling, as the men declared, in the deep
morass. I t was dusk, and the men, being rather
ashamed of their folly in dancing instead of hamstringing
the animal, and securing their beef, slunk
back to their vessels.
Jan. 10th.—Early in the morning the buffalo was
heard groaning in the marsh, not far from the spot
where he was supposed to have fallen. About forty
men took their guns and knives, intent upon beefsteaks,
and waded knee-deep in mud and water through the
high grass of the morass in search. About one hour
passed in this way, and, seeing the reckless manner in
which the men were wandering about, I went down
below to beat the drum to call them back, which the
vakeel had. been vainly attempting. Just at this
moment I heard a distant yelling, and shot fired after