agreeable to pass tbe day than at tbe camp , accordingly
we arranged tbe ground witb mats and
carpets, and my wife converted tbe thorny bower
into an African drawing-room, where she could sit
with her work and enjoy the view of the river at her
feet, and moreover watch the fishing.” CHAPTER X.
A FEW NOTES AT EH^TILLA.
I w il l n o t fo llo w th e d ates o f th e jou rn al consecu
tiv ely , b u t m erely pou nce from tim e to tim e
u p o n su ch passages as w ill com plete th e d escrip tion
of our life at Ehbtilla.
“ October 4.—I went out fishing in the usual place,
where the Till joins the Atbara; the little stream has
disappeared, and the bed is now perfectly dry, but
there are many large rocks and sandbanks in the
river, which are excellent places for heavy fish. I
had only three runs, but I landed them all. The first
was a beautiful baggar about forty pounds, from which
time a long-interval elapsed before I had another. I
placed a bait of -about a pound upon my treble hook,
and this, being a fine lively fellow, was likely to entice
a monster. I was kept waiting for a considerable
time, but at last he came with the usual tremendous
rush. I gave him about fifty yards of line
before I fixed him, and the struggle then commenced
as usual with the baggar, by his springing out of the
water, and showing his superb form and size. This
was a magnificent fish, and his strength was so great,