hives. The Adansonia digitata, although a tree,
always reminds me of a gigantic fungus ; the stem
is disproportioned in its immense thickness to its
height, and its branches are few in number, and as
massive in character as the stem. The wood is not
much firmer in substance than cork, and is as succulent
as a carrot. In Kordofan, where water is
exceedingly scarce, the Adansonia is frequently used
as a reservoir; one of these huge hollow trees is
cleaned out and filled with water- during the short
rainy season. The fruit was ripe at the time we
halted, and after many attempts, by throwing sticks,
we succeeded in procuring a considerable number.
The sub-acid flavour of the seeds, enveloped in a dry
yellow powder within the large shell, was exceedingly
refreshing.
The immediate neighbourhood was a perfect exhibition
of gum arabic bearing mimosas. At this season
the gum was in perfection, and the finest quality was
now before us in beautiful amber-coloured masses
upon the stems and branches, varying from the size
of a nutmeg to that of an orange. So great was the
quantity, and so excellent were the specimens, that,
leaving our horses tied to trees, both the Arabs and
myself gathered a large collection. This gum, although
as hard as ice on the exterior, was limpid in the
centre, resembling melted amber, and as clear as
though refined by some artificial process. The trees
were perfectly denuded of leaves from the extreme
drought, and the beautiful balls of frosted yellow
gum recalled the idea of the precious jewels upon
thè trees in the garden of the wonderful lamp of the
“ Arabian Nights/' This gum was exceedingly sweet
and pleasant to the taste ; but, although of the most
valuable quality, there was no hand to gather it
in this forsaken, although beautiful country ; it
either dissolved during the rainy season, or was
consumed by the baboons and antelopes. The agga-
geers took off from their saddles the skins of tanned
antelope leather, that - formed the only covering to
the wooden seats, and with these they made bundles
of gum. When we remounted, ever}'- man was well
laden.
We were thus leisurely returning home through
alternate plains and low open forest of mimosa, when
Taher Sheriff, who was leading the party, suddenly
reined up his horse, and pointed to a thick bush,
beneath which was a large grey, but shapeless, mass.
He whispered, as I drew near, “ Oom gurrin” (mother
of the horn), their name for the rhinoceros. I immediately
dismounted, and with the short No. 10
Tatham rifle I advanced as near as I could, followed
by Suleiman, as I had sent all my gun-bearers direct
home by the river when we had commenced our
circuit. As I drew near, I discovered two rhinoceros
asleep beneath a thick mass of bushes ; they were
lying like pigs, close together, so that at a distance
I had been unable to distinguish any exact form. It
was an awkward place ; if I were to take the wind
fairly, I should have to fire through the thick bush,