rlet, that no bouquet of flowers
could have been more gaudy. They were attended by numerous slaves, the
head of whom requested Mr Baker to withdraw while the ladies paid his
wife a visit.

Many of them she described as young and pretty. By distributing a
number of small presents among them, she completely won their
confidence.

After a week spent at this pleasant spot, they commenced their journey
on the evening of the 10th of June, attended by a guard of Turkish
soldiers, who were to act in the double capacity of escort and servants.

Their dragoman was called Mahomet, and the principal guide Achmet. The
former, though almost black, declared that his colour was of a light
brown. He spoke very bad English, was excessively conceited, and
irascible to a degree. Accustomed to the easy-going expeditions on the
Nile, he had _no_ taste for the rough sort of work his new master had
undertaken.

The journey across the desert tract was performed on donkeys, the
luggage being carried on camels or dromedaries.

In two days they reached the junction of the Atbara river with the Nile.
Here, crossing a broad surface of white sand, which at that season
formed the dry bed of the river, they encamped near a plantation of
water-melons, with which they refreshed themselves and their tired
donkeys. The river was here never less than four hundred yards in
width, with banks nearly thirty feet deep. Not only was it partially
dry, but so clear was the sand-bed that the reflection of the sun was
almost unbearable.

They travelled along the banks of the river for some days, stopping by
the side of the pools which still remained. Many of these pools were
full of crocodiles and hippopotami. One of these river-horses had
lately killed the proprietor of a melon-garden, who had attempted to
drive the creature from his plantation. Mr Baker had the satisfaction
of killing one of the monsters in shallow water. It was quickly
surrounded by Arabs, who hauled it on shore, and, on receiving his
permission to take the meat, in an instant a hundred knives were at
work, the men fighting to obtain the most delicate morsels. He and his
wife breakfasted that morning on hippopotamus flesh, which was destined
to be their general food during their journey among the Abyssinian
tributaries of the Nile.

Game abounded, and he shot gazelles and hippopotami sufficient to keep
the whole camp well supplied with meat.

On the 23rd of June they were ne