SAATI EFFENDI. 229 father at his death left him several hundred slaves, he gave them all free papers, and this before the slave war had taken place. He and one or two of the other officers came to us twice a day bringing food, ready prepared, and we all ate together. This was a very good arrangement for us, as the food was always cooked in a superior manner, and we were saved the necessity of looking after our meals ourselves ; which, as we had few servants, would have been very troublesome.

Although at times very trying, we being anxious to get on as fast as possible, these occasional halts were of service to us, for we thus had time to write out our diaries and protract our map, and as we were obliged to send off three copies of all that we wrote, to ensure against loss, it was often hard work to get all written. After a twenty or twenty-five mile march one is not fresh enough to begin to write without some rest, and then the sun setting soon after 6 p.m., the work often had to be done by firelight. Our supply of candles soon came to an end; and even if one has candles to use, they attract swarms of insects that make any work tedious and unpleasant. Often we were so much tormented by them that we had to write in our mosquito-curtains, when the cramped-up position is not an aid to elegant composition. The ink, too, is always drying up. Aniline ink is useless ; Indian ink is really the best, but it is a great trial of patience to have to rub fresh every