onlÿ large coin current in this country ; tile effigy of
tlie empress, with, a very low dress and a profusion of
bust, is, I believe, the charm that suits the Arab taste.
So particular are these people, that they reject the coin
after careful examination, unless they can distinctly
count seven dots that form the star upon the coronet.
No clean money will pass current in this country; all
coins must be dirty and gummy, otherwise they are
rejected : this may be accounted for, as the Arabs-
have no method of detècting false money ; thus they
are afraid to accept any new coin.
- “August 16.—Great failure! “We launched the
canoe, but although it was carefully hollowed out, the
wood was so heavy that it would only carry one
person, and even then it threatened to become a
bathing-machine ; thus nine days hard work are lost.
Florian is in despair/ but ‘Nil desperandum! ’ I
shall set to work instanter, and make a-raft. Counted
twenty-eight giraffes on the opposité side of the river.
“ A.ugust -1.7.—I set to work at daybreak to make,
a raft of bamboo and inflated skins. There is a wood
called ambatch {Anemone mirabilis) that is brought
down by the river from the upper country; this is
lighter than cork, and I have obtained four large
pièces for my raffi Mahomet has been very saucy today
; he has been offensively impertinent for à long
time, so this morning I punched his head.
“ August i 5.—Launched the raft ; it carries four
persons safely, but the current is too strong, and it is
therefore unmanageable.. In the afternoon I shot a
large crocodile on the other side of the river (about
two hundred yards) with the little Fletcher rifle,
and after struggling for some time upon the steep
bank it rolled into the water.
“ The large tamarind trees on the opposite bank are-
generally full of the dog-faced baboons (Cynoeephalus)
in the evening, at their drinking-hour. I watched a
large crocodile., creep slily out of the water, and lie in
waiting among the rocks’ at the usual drinking-place
before they arrived, but the baboons were too wide
awake to be taken in so easily. A young- fellow was-
the first to discover the enemy; he had accompanied
several wise and experienced old hands, to the
extremity of a bough that at a considerable height’
overhung the river ; from this post they had a bird’s-
eye view, and reconnoitred before one of the numerous
party descended to drink. The sharp' eyes of the
young one at once detected the crocodile, who
matched in colour so well with the rocks, that most,
probably a man would not have noticed it until too
late. At once the young one commenced: shaking the
bough and screaming with all his might to attract the
attention of the crocodile, and to induce it to move.
In this he was immediately joined by the whole party,,
who yelled'in chorus, while the large old males bellowed
defiance, and descended to the lowest branches,
within eight or ten feet of the crocodile. It was of no,
use—the pretender never stirred, and I watched it
until dark; it remained’ still in the same place, waiting-
for some unfortunate baboon whose thirst might pro