14 AFRICAN "WANDERINGS.

for Talsa. Karreri (by the Turks called Cliirreri), a, village some three hours below Cliartum, and the residence of the friend and countryman of the Paseiia's, Suliman Kaschef, has a healthy climate, and on this account Joseph hsid advised the Pascha to iiasten there as soon as possible, fur the latter was again suffering from fever, and would hear nothing of quinine, but insisted on bleeding; and that, Joseph in his turn, with equal stern pertinacity, would not allow of, let the other fume and look as fierce as he chose.

Often have I admired the Pascha's composure during illness. The curtain of the great door was down, and I therefore entered by a side one, and there he sat as usual, occupied with various affairs, and all kinds of business; but at such times the Circassian lion •was tamed and mild as a lamb. The whole burden of our unfinished preparations now fell to my lot. For provisions, clothes, arms, ammunition, tent, &c., were already 6,000 piastres gone. As far as food and drink went, we might perchance have saved ourselves somewhat, as the Pascha had assured us of places at his table ; but we could not depend on the Turkish complimentary style of promising, knowing the hungry state of his dependants, and were particularly anxious to reserve perfect liberty to ourselves. I still required ten camels for the conveyance of our baggage, as tiie golden cupolas of Bagdad yet held a place in our minds, and had bought, at a high price, two pack-camels (hamln) that had escaped the searching eyes of the soldiery, when Khaimakan (Lieutenant-colonel) Sorop Effendi offered me eight camels from government (belik), their price to be deducted from our allowances. Now came the puzzle, what was I to do with our animals? Our great pride, a young lion without a mane, was dead, Soliman Effendi, who was in terror of it even when it was shut up, had dared to jHuson it, as I afterwards learned from our servants, but not until the renegade himself was dead; but still there were the birds I had trapped, all in their cages, and these 1 turned out into tiie garden, and scattered about a good supply of food for them. Still there were the larger carnivorous birds, an eagle, and our special pet the black horn bird, Abu Goru (Buceros abyss. />.), who answered to the name of '• Hans," came hopping up on being so calleil, took in his long bent beak the piece of meat offered him, threw it up in the air, catching it again as it