ranging from nine to seventeen years of age. These
lovely captives, of a rich brown tint, with delicately
formed features, and eyes like those of the gazelle,
were natives of the Galia, on the borders of Abyssinia,
from which country they were brought by
the Abyssinian traders to be sold for the Turkish
harems. Although beautiful, these girls are useless
for hard labour; they quickly fade away and die
unless k in d ly treated. They are the Yenuses of that
country, and not only are their faces and figures perfection,
but they become extremely attached to those
who show them kindness, and they make good and
faithful wives. There is something peculiarly captivating
in the natural grace and softness of these
young beauties, whose hearts quickly respond to-
those warmer feelings of love that are seldom known-
among the sterner and coarser tribes.. Their forms
are peculiarly elegant and graceful—the hands and
feet are exquisitely delicate; the nose is generally
slightly aquiline, the nostrils large and finely shaped ;
the hair is black and glossy, reaching to about the
middle of the back, but rather coarse in texture.
These girls, although natives of Galla, invariably
call themselves Abyssinians, and are generally known,
under that denomination. They are exceedingly
proud and high-spirited, and are remarkably quick
at learning. At Khartoum, several of the Europeans
of high standing have married these charming ladies,
who have invariably rewarded their husbands by
great affection and devotion. The price of one of
these beauties of nature at Gallabat was from twenty-
five to forty dollars.
On the 24th April we were refreshed by a shower
of rain, and in a few days the grass sprang from the
ground several inches high. There was an unpleasant
dampness in the air, and, although the rainy season
would not commence until June, showers would occasionally
fall among the mountains throughout the
month of May. I accordingly purchased a number of
large tanned ox-hides, that are rendered waterproof by
a preparation with milk. These skins cost the tr Ming
sum of nine piastres each (not two shillings), and
were subsequently of great value during our White
Nile expedition, as coverlets during the night’s
bivouac, &c.
The horse-fair was a disappointment. At this season
the entire country in. the neighbourhood of Gallabat
was subject to an epidemic, fatal to these animals;
therefore there were no good horses present. I had
nothing to detain me at this place, after having procured
fresh camels, therefore I paid all my people, and
we parted excellent friends. To the Arabs and Tok-
rooris I gave all the hides of rhinoceros, elephants, &c.
that I did not require, and, with our loads considerably
lightened, we started from Gallabat, 12.30 P.M., 28th
April, 1862, and marched due west towards the river
Rahad. The country was hilly and well wooded, the
rocks were generally sandstone, and after a march of
three hours we halted at a Tokroori village. I never
witnessed more unprovoked insolence than was exhi