20 HIRING AND BUYING CAMELS.

borders of the Dembelas country (where we had been the pre-

vious winter), but were rather disappointed with the sport they

obtained. One of them succeeded in penetrating to some of

the Dembelas villages, — a feat that had only been previously

accomplished by the Marquis Antinori, the Italian traveller,

the country being almost terra incognita : he reported it to be

very hilly, and impassable for camels, but found the people

friendly, possessing better houses than their neighbours who

were under Egyptian government, and he observed more ap-

pearance of cultivation. He saw very little game.

Most of our provisions we had brought from England, which we found more economical than getting them in Cairo. Our

outfit had been chiefly obtained from Silver in Cornhill, and

nearly every thing we got from him proved satisfactory.

We paid five dollars and a half each for our camels to Cas-

sala, a distance of about two hundred and eighty miles. Our

personal property in beasts of burden, which was destined after-

wards to increase to considerable proportions, commenced from

this date. My brother Arthur bought a very good hygeen, or

riding-camel, at the upset price of a hundred dollars. He had

formerly belonged to Ala-ed-Deen Pacha, and, though slow, was

very easy in gait, a great desideratum. His name was "Bel-

lus;" though what "Bellus" means, I am sure I don't know. My other brother also bought a hygeen from an Arab, who rode

after us with it, when we had gone an hour from the town ; for

this animal he gave forty dollars, and forthwith christened him

Snodgrass." These camels brought them both back eventu-

ally to the coast, but they were about done for when they

arrived.

Colvin and Aylmer each bought a horse, the only specimens

of the equine race of which Souakim could boast ; they were

wiry little animals, and came from the Hamran country. Al-