season. He started under disadvantageous circumstances,
as lie had purchased a horse that was a
had bargain. The Arabs, who are sharp practitioners,
had dealt hardly with him, as they had sold
him a wretched brute that could make no other use
of its legs than to kick. Of course they had imposed
upon poor Florian a long history of how this horse
in a giraffe hunt had been the first at the death, &c.
&c., and he, the deceived, had promised to shoot a
hippopotamus to give them in barter. This he had
already done, and he had' exchanged a river horse,
worth twenty dollars, for a terrestrial horse, worth
twenty piastres.
Florian had never mounted a horse in his lifetime,
as his shooting had always been on foot. This he
now explained to us, although the confession was
quite unnecessary, as his first attempt at mounting
was made upon the wrong side.
Throughout his journey to Geera on the Settite,
there was a constant difference of opinion between
him and his new purchase, until we suddenly heard
a heavy fall. Upon looking back, I perceived Florian
like a spread eagle, on his stomach upon the ground,
lying before the horse, who was quietly looking at
his new master. On another occasion, I heard a
torrent of abuse expressed in German, and upon
turning round I found him clinging to the neck of
his animal, having lost both stirrups, * while his rifle
had fallen to the ground. He was now cursing his
beast, whom he accused of wilful murder, for having
replied by a kick to a slight tap he had administered
with a stick. I could not help suggesting that he
would find it awkward should he be obliged to
escape from an elephant upon that animal in rough
and difficult ground, where good riding would be
essential; and he declared that nothing should
tempt him either to hunt or to escape from any
beast on horseback, as he would rather trust to
his legs.
Upon arrival at Geera, we bivouacked upon the
sandy bed of the river, which had much changed in
appearance since our last visit. Although much
superior to the Atbara, the stream was confined to a
deep channel about 120 yards wide, in the centre of
the now dry bed of rounded pebbles and sand.
Exactly opposite were extensive encampments of the
Hamran Arabs, who were congregated in thousands
between this point and the Atbara junction. Their
limit for pasturage was about six miles up stream
from Geera, beyond which point they dare not trust
their flocks on account of their enemies, the Base.
We were immediately visited, upon our arrival,
by a number of Arabs, including the Sheik Abou
Do, from whom I purchased two good milk goats
to accompany us upon our journey. I had already
procured one at Wat el Ndgur in exchange for
a few strips of hippopotamus hide for making
whips.
Lions were roaring all night close to our sleeping
place ; there were many of these animals in