246 UGANDA AND THE EGYPTIAN SOUDAN.

the southern limit in the northern hemisphere of the baobab-tree {Adansonia digitata) ; there were one or two very fine specimens in Ismaen Agha's village.

We started again at 5 p.m., and soon afterwards arrived at a small village, and were told that we should stay the night there. Our patience had been over- much tried the last few days by short marches and unnecessary delays, so we flatly refused. Our guide said Ave must remain ; this made matters worse. We asked, and were told, the direction of Dara ; and as this agreed with compass bearings taken at Fasko, we held a short consultation, and decided to take the matter into our own hands, and give our escort a race. After a good drink of water, we tightened our horses' girths, and mounted. Our guide came to ask where we were going. " To .Dara," we said. " You cannot find the way," he replied. " Oh yes, we can." " But it will be dark soon," said he ; and, in fact, the sun was just setting, causing the dark shadows to fall and the golden sand to shine more glitteringly than ever.

" There will be a moon," we said, and waving an adieu, off we went at a hand-gallop. Until we obtained horses at Kalaka, neither of us had ridden for some time, and these horses are so very differently trained to English ones, that it required a few days to put us at our ease upon them. The Arabs had been rather incredulous as to our riding