sleeping in tlie open air in the verandah, with the
simple protection of a mosquito-netting, was full of
pleasant excitement, and was a piquante entertainment
that prevented a reaction of e'hnui after
twelve months passed in constant watchfulness. The
shield over the Consulate door, with the lion and
the unicorn, was but a sign of the life within; as
the grand picture outside the showman’s wagon may
exemplify the nature of his exhibition. I enjoyed
myself extremely with these creatures, especially
when the ostriches invited themselves to tea, and
swallowed our slices of water-melons and the greater
portion of the bread from the table a few moments
before we were seated; these birds appeared to
enjoy life amazingly; one kind of food was as sweet
as another; they attacked a basket of white porcelain
beads that had been returned by Mr. Petherieks
men, and swallowed them in great numbers in
mistake for dhurra, until they were driven off; they
were the scavengers of the courtyard, that consumed
the dung of the camels and horses, together
with all other impurities.
For some months we resided at Khartoum, as it
was necessary to make extensive preparations for the
White Nile expedition, and to await the arrival of
the north wind, which would enable us to start early
in December. Although the north and south winds
blow alternately for six months, and the former commences
in October, it does not extend many degrees
southward until the beginning of December. This is
a great drawback to White Nile exploration, as when
near the north side of the equator, the drv season
commences.in November, and closes in February;
thus, the departure from Khartoum should take place
by a steamer in the latter part of September; tha
would enable the traveller to leave Gondokoro, lat. N.
4 54', shortly before November; he would then
secure three months of favourable weather for an
advance inland.
Having promised Mek Nimmur that I would • lay
his proposals for peace before the Governor-General of
the Soudan, I called upon Moosa Pasha at the public
divan, and delivered the message; but he would not
listen to any intercession, as he assured me that Mek
Nimmur was incorrigible, and there would be no real
peace until his death, which would be very speedy
should he chance to fall into his hands. He expressed
great surprise at our having escaped from his territory,
and he declared his intention of attacking him after he
should have given the Abyssinians a lesson, for whom
he was preparing an expedition in reply to an insolent
letter that he had received from King Theodore.. The
King of Abyssinia had written to him upon a question
of frontier. The substance of the document was a
declaration that, the Egyptians had no right to Khartoum,
and that the natural boundary of Abyssinia was
the junction of the Blue and White Niles as far north
as Shendy (Mek Nimmur’s original country) ; and
from that point, in a direct line, to the Atbara, but
that, as the desert afforded no landmark, he should