running round the boat in a circle, pulling with their
hands at the grass, which thus acts like the cogs of a
wheel to move us gradually forward.. One of my
horses,“ Filfil,” out of pure amusement kicks at the men
as they pass, and having succeeded several times in
kicking them into the river, he perseveres in the fun,
I believe for lack of other employment.
Hippopotami are heard snorting in the high reeds both
day and night, but we see very few.. The black women,
on board are daily quarrelling together and fighting
like bull-dogs ; little Gfaddum Her is a regular black toy
terrier, rather old, wonderfully strong, very short, but
making up in spirit for what she lacks in stature ; she;
is the quintessence of vice, being ready for a stand-up
fight at the shortest notice. On one occasion she
fought with her : antagonist until both fell down the
hold, smashing all my water jars ; on another day they,
both fell into the river. The ennui of this wretched
voyage appears to try the temper of both man and
beast; the horses, donkeys, and camels ate constantly
fighting and bitiug at all around.
- Jan. 23d.—At 8 a .m . arrived at Aboukooka, the
establishment of a Trench trader. I t is impossible to
describe the misery of the la n d ; in the midst of the
vast expanse of marsh is a little plot of dry ground
about thirty-five yards square, and within thirty yards
of the river, but to be reached only by wading through
the swamp. The establishment consisted of about a
dozen straw huts, occupied by à wretched fever-stricken
set of people ; thé vakeéf, and. others employed, came
to the boats to beg for corn. I stopped for ten minutes
at the charming watering-place Aboukooka to obtain
the news of the country. The current at this point is
as usual very strong, being upwards of two and a half
miles per hour ; the river is quite bank-full although
not actually flooding, the windings endless ; one moment
o u r‘course is due north,- then east,, then again
‘north, and as suddenly due south;' in fact, we face every
point of the compass within an hour. Frequently the
noggors that are far in the rear, appear in advance ;
it is a heartbreaking river without a single redeeming
point ; I do not wonder at the failure of all expeditions
111 this wretched country. There, is a breeze to-day,
■thus thé oppressive heat and stagnated marsh atmosphere
is relieved. ; I have always remarked, that when
:the sky is clouded we suffer more from heat and oppression
than when the day is. clear. ; there is a weiOnht
in the atmosphere that would be intérest in g if tested
by thé barometer.
The water is excessively bad throughout the White
Nile, especially between the Shillook and the Kytch
tribes, that of the Bahr G-azal is even worse. The