Settite, never ceased to flow; every drop of their
waters was evaporated by the air, and absorbed by the
desert sand in the bed of the Atbara, two hundred
miles above its junction with the Nile !
The Atbara exploration was completed; and I
looked forward to the fresh enterprise of new rivers
and lower latitudes, that should unravel the mystery
of the Nile! CHAPTER XX.
ARRIVAL AT METEMMA, OR GALLABAT.
W e left the village of Toganai at 5 a .m. and, after
a rapid march of sixteen miles, we came in view of
Metemma, or Gallabat, in the bottom of a valley surrounded
by hills, and backed on the east by the range
of mountains of which Nahoot Guddabi formed the
extremity of a spur. As we descended the valley,
we perceived great crowds of people in and about the
town, which, in appearance, was merely a repetition
of Katariff. It was market-day, and as we descended
. the hill and arrived in the scene below, with our nine
camels heavily laden with the heads and horns of a
multitude of different beasts, from the gaping jaws
of hippopotami to the vicious-looking heads of
rhinoceros and buffalo, while the skins of lions and
various antelopes were piled above masses of the
much-prized hide of the rhinoceros, we were beset by
crowds of people who were curious to know whence
so strange a party had appeared. We formed a
regular procession through the market, our Tokrooris
feeling quite at home among so many of their brethren.
Upon arrival at the extremity of the valley, we were