pool in the sand, tempted by a couple of wild geese ;
these were sufficiently unsophisticated as to allow me
to approach within shot, and I bagged them both,
and secured our breakfast; they were the common
Egyptian geese, which are not very delicate eating.
The donkeys being saddled, we at once started with
our attendant, Hadji Achmet, at about five miles per
hour, in advance of our slower caravan. The route
was upon the river’s margin, due east, through a sandy
copse of thorny mimosas which fringed the river’s
course for. about a quarter of a mile on either side ;
beyond this all was desert.
The Atbara had a curious appearance; in no
part was it less than 400 yards in width, while in
many places this breadth was much exceeded. The
banks were from twenty-five to thirty feet deep:
these had evidently been overflowed during floods,
but at the present time the river was dead; not only
partially dry, but so glaring was the sandy bed, that
the reflection of the sun was almost unbearable.
Great numbers of the dome palm (Hyphcene The-
baica, Mart.) grew upon the banks ; these trees are of
jrreat service to the Arab tribes, who at this season of
drought forsake the deserts and flock upon the margin
of the Atbara. The leaves of the dome supply them
with excellent material for mats and ropes, while the
fruit is used both for man and beast. The dome
palm resembles the palmyra in the form and texture
of its fan-shaped leaves, but there is a distinguishing
peculiarity in the growth : instead of the straight
single stem of the palmyra, the dome palm spreads
into branches, each of which invariably represents the
letter Y. The fruit grows in dense clusters, numbering
several hundred, of the size of a small orange,
but of an irregular oval shape ; these are of a rich
brown colour, and bear a natural polish as though
varnished. So hard is the fruit and uninviting to
the teeth, that a deal board would be equally practicable
for mastication; the Arabs pound them between
stones, by which rough process they detach
the edible portion in the form of a resinous powder.
The rind of the nut which produces this powder is
about a quarter of an inch thick ; this coating
covers a strong shell which contains a nut of vegetable
ivory, a little larger than a full-sized walnut.
When the resinous powder is detached, it is either
eaten raw, or it is boiled into a delicious porridge,
with milk ; this has a strong flavour of gingerbread.
The vegetable ivory nuts are then soaked in. water
for about twenty-four hours, after which, they are
heaped in large piles upon a fire until' nearly dry,,
and thoroughly steamed ; this process renders them
sufficiently tractable to be reduced by pounding in a
heavy mortar. Thus broken into small pieces' they1
somewhat resemble half-roasted chestnuts, and in this
state they form excellent food for cattle. \ The useful
dome palm is the chief support of the desert Arabs
when in times of drought and scarcity the supply of
com has- failed. T At this season (June) there was not
a blade of even the withered grass of the desert' oases.
D