accordingly requested me to keep a vigilant watch
during the night, as they would be very likely to
attack us in revenge, unless they had been scared by
the rifles and by the size of our party. They advised
me not to remain long in this spot, as it would
he very dangerous for my wife to be left almost
alone during the day, when we were hunting, and
that the Basé would be certain to espy us from the
mountains, and would most probably attack and
carry her off when they were assured of our departure.
She was not very nervous about this, but
she immediately called the dragoman, Mahomet, who
knew the use of a gun, and she asked him if he
would stand by her in case they were attacked in
my absence ; the faithful servant replied, “ Mahomet
fight the Basé ? 'No, Missus ; Mahomet not fight ;
if the Basé come, Missus fight; Mahomet run away;
Mahomet not come all the way from Cairo to get
him killed by black fellers ; Mahomet will run—
Inshallah!” (please G-od).
This frank avowal of his military tactics was very
reassuring. There was a high hill of basalt, something
resembling a pyramid, within a quarter of a
mile of us ; I accordingly ordered some of my men
every day to ascend this look-out station, and I
resolved to bum the high grass at once, so as to
destroy all cover for the concealment of an enemy.
That evening I very nearly burnt our camp ; I had
several times ordered the men to clear away the dry
grass for about thirty yards from our resting-place ;
this they had neglected to obey. We had been joined
a few days before by a party of about a dozen Hamran
Arabs, who were hippopotami hunters; thus we mustered
very strong, and it would have been the work
of about half an hour to have cleared away the
grass as I had desired.
The wind was brisk, and blew directly towards our
camp, which was backed by the river. I accordingly
took a fire-stick, and I told my people to look sharp,
as they would not clear away the grass. I walked to
the foot of the basalt hill, and fired the grass in several
places. In an instant the wind swept the flame and
smoke towards the camp. All was confusion; the
Arabs had piled the camel-saddles and all their corn
and effects in the high grass about twenty yards from
the tent; there was no time to remove all these things ;
therefore, unless they could clear away the grass so as
to stop the fire before it should reach the spot, they
would be punished for their laziness by losing their
property. The fire travelled quicker than I had expected,
and, by the time I had hastened to the tent, I
found the entire party working frantically; the Arabs
were slashing down the grass with their swords, and
sweeping it away with their shields, while my Tok-
rooris were beating it down with long sticks and tearing
it from its withered and fortunately tinder-rotten
roots, in desperate haste. The flames rushed on, and
we already felt the heat, as volumes of smoke enveloped
us ; I thought it advisable to carry the gunpowder,
(about 20 lbs.) down to the river, together with the