CHAPTER XXIX.

Arrival at Massawa.— Comfortable Quarters at the "Palace."— Situation of Massawa. — Water-supply of Massawa. — The Town is guarded at Night. — Camel-sale by Auction. — The Start from Massawa. — Perilous Position of Mahoom.

Another very long march brought us to Massawa ; and so, on April 15, terminated our wanderings by land. It was after dark when we arrived, having made a caravan-journey of over thirteen hours. We had intended making two easy days of it ; but the messenger we had sent forward, the previous day, met us early in the afternoon to tell us that an Italian boat of the Rubbatino Company would leave the next morning, and that, if we wished to catch it, we must hurry on. This was luck ; and, of course, we did not hesitate to take advantage of it. On the way Aylmer's servant shot a fine buck ariel, and my brother wounded a gazelle in the shoulder, but not badly. His fox-terrier Tartar, after a long and exciting chase, caught it, and so at the last moment retrieved his character, as we had come to look upon him as a useless kind of dog ; he stood the heat and journey well, and soon learned to bark if tired, when he would be placed on the back of one of the baggage-camels. We saw a large troop of baboons, which are not often observed so near the coast.

On arriving at Massawa, the first thing we did was to call on the governor, who was very civil, and gave us rooms in what Suleiman called the ''palace." We were amused to learn from 260