234 SAD NEWS.

The two men we had previously met had flourished their spears at them, shouting to them to keep back, at the same time telling them we were friends, and not Turks. On seeing this, Gerghis and some of the other servants had thought it necessary to point guns at them. The Base shouted out for some of our people to go back, and parley with them, but this they were all afraid to do ; and there certainly would have been nothing gained by so doing, as we only wished to travel quickly through the country, and had no thought of stopping there. By the time we had returned to the caravan, all we saw of them was four men watching us from a hill. Soon after we met tranquil people feeding their flocks, and a number of them drew water 'from a well for our horses and goats.

Before reaching Amedeb we passed a great many large villages belonging to the Barea tribe. On arriving at the town, we were very glad to find newspapers and letters for us. Our letters, however, contained very sad news, telling us of the death, in England, of the Hon. John Maxwell, who had been one of our party in the Soudan the previous winter. Poor fellow, he had had some thoughts of joining us on our present expedition, but had decided not to leave England again so soon ; and had died of rheumatic fever.

Our latest news from England was of Feb. 24, and it was only the second time we had had letters since leaving Suez. We found that the Bombashi, who had been in charge when I was there before, had gone to Gedariff ; the Bey from Geera, on the Settite, being there in his stead. He was most civil, and gave us tea, — a somewhat unusual refreshment to be offered in those parts. We encamped on the same spot that Lort Phillips and I had selected when there on Feb. 16; spending nearly the whole of the next day at Amedeb, which we found as uninviting a place as I had previously thought it.