18G AFRICAN WANDERINGS.

blown into the air by the explosion of the powder stored there. The next day we paid a visit to Tlieodore Kotschy, a collector of objects of natural history from Austrian Silesia, wlio Avas encamped in the open land near Onidurman, on the left bank of the Bacli'r abiat. His tent, fastened with twenty strong ropes, was totally torn away and blown high into the air, and he and his people seemed yet far from having got over the terrors of a night they described as a most fearful one.

It now tui*ns out most fortunate for iis that we have brouglit with us, on our camels, our light bedsteads or angarebs, else must we have lain on the earth, like the soldiers, who have much want and many sufferings besides to undergo, as money becomes dily scarcer in the camp. All kinds of things ai-e carried round by the criers (dellal) for sale, as cooking utensils, clothing, pipes, &c. We, too, seem likely ere long to have nothing left us ; our Hussein the Gaddam taib (or good servant, as he called himself on being hired, but who, in reality, is a cunning discontented stupid fellow), a Djaln, had suddenly deserted us, and in company Avith our best camel, taken his road to return to his own land. He had arrived at Kassela, but Avas met by Ibrahim Kaschef of Kataref, who asked him for his papers, and, as he could produce none, Avas brought back to the camp as a deserter. He bad tried to defend himself by a trumpedup story, that he had been sent by us to Beni-Amer, to see Avhy our huntsman Abdallah remained so long there. The Arab ser-A'ants are in general a real pest to every master, as among many hundreds of them you Avill not find ten honest or fjiithful.

Ibrahim Kaschef, a Circassian, foster brother of Soliman Kaschef of Carreri, made his entrance with a great following of soldiers and some considerable Sheiks of Kataref, and fortunately for us, brought with him a large quantity of Abyssinian coffee. Ibraliim is, as most Circassians, a handsome man, but, unfortunately, has had his nose somcAvhat damaged. He com])Uiins much of tlie unhealthy climate of Kataref, tlie Avater, constant fevers there, and that the smallest cut, in spite of the utmost care, soon becomes a great ulcer ; and that the fercndit (thread-worm) has twice attacked him, and shoAved us a very distinct scar it had left.