5 J. CHANGE IN THE SEASON. [c h a p . n .
“ The river has still risen; the weather is cooler, and
the withered trees and hushes are giving signs of bursting
into leaf. This season may be termed the spring
of this country. The frightful simoom of April, May,
and June, burns everything as though parched by fire,
and not even a withered leaf hangs to a bough, but
the trees wear a wintry appearance in the midst of
intense heat. The wild geese have paired, the: birds
are building their nests, and,, although not even a drop
of dew has fallen, all Nature seems to be aware of an
approaching change, as the south wind blowing cool
from the wet quarter is the harbinger of rain. Already
some of the mimosas begin to afford a shade, under
which the gazelles may be surely found at mid-day;
the does are now in fawn, and the young will be
dropped when this now withered land shall be green
with herbage.
“ Busy, packing for a start to-morrow; 1 send Hadji
Velli back to Berber in charge of the two hippos’
heads to the care of the good old Halleem Effendi.
No time for shooting to-day. I took out all the
hippo’s teeth, of which he possesses 40, 5^ , six tusks
and fourteen molars in each jaw. The bones of the
hippopotamus, like those of the elephant, are solid,
and without marrow.”
CHAPTER III.
WILD ASSES OE THE DESERT.
T h e journey along the margin of the Atbara was
similar to the entire route from Berber, a vast desert,
with the narrow band of trees that marked the course
of the river; the only change was the magical growth
of the leaves, which burst hourly from the swollen
buds of the mimosas : this could be accounted for by
the sudden arrival of the river, as the water percolated
rapidly through the sand and nourished the famishing
roots.
The tracks of wild asses had been frequent, but
hitherto I had not seen the animals, as their drinking-
hour was at night, after which they travelled far into
the desert: however, on the morning of the 29th
June, shortly after the start at about 6 a .m . we perceived
three of these beautiful creatures on our left
an ass, a female, and a foal. They were about half
a mile distant when first observed, and upon our
approach to within half that distance they halted
and faced about; they were evidently on their return
to the desert from the river. Those who have seen