28 AFRICAN WANDERINGS.

The Cluibir (caravan leader), ^vith lance and shield, was on his dromedary, far in advance ; him we followed, along with the Pascha, who was on horseback, and with picturesque disorder each detachment freed itself from the confused crowd, and came on in our tra(;k. The artillery consisted of two field-pieces drawn by camels which the Pascha had trained to this work, to take the place of the usual mules in the desert. Abd-el-Kader, the jovial Top-

schi Baschi, mounted on his mule, led them on. The Turks, the

greater number of whom were Circassians, the Kurds, Arnauts, or Albanians, who an hour before could hardly put one le"- before

another, were now changed men ; the instant they were in their

saddles they were galloping like madmen round the Pascha, and thrashing their horses with as little compassion as if they had been intoxicated with opium. But all this was in honour of the Pascha, and a show-off before him of their invincible cou-

rage. The way lay over the desert, but was tolerably well marked

out. Towards morning the Pascha, accompanied by the Chabir, rode on in advance; but we did not follow him, as I felt unwell.

It was dark night when we reached the left bank of the Atbara, where, throwing ourselves down among the bushes, we sought

sleep, without waiting or caring for food.

In the morning we commenced looking about us, and came on two Sagliies or water-wheels of the Kabyle Omerab. The Atbara is a fine, clear river, with high banks, pretty deep, though here

fordable, and at this ford the Pascha posted a guard of forty men,

so that the enemy might not take us in the rear. The country on the right bank of the river was yet called Daghela ; the forest opposite is a swamp, in which were yet to be seen many lakes full of water, and also a dry river bed, which, from its considerable

breadth, must, at times, pour a large body of water into the Atbara. Some Omcrabs having joined us, we asked the name of

this gohr or rain-brook—often, in tropical climes, of great size and importance— running into the Atbara; to our surprise he answered

el Mogren, which immediately reminded us of P^xther Burckhardt, who so named the lower part of the Atbara. We also knew right well that Mogren means tlie spot where two rivei's join, as in the case of the Blue and A^^hite Niles ; but here we were told, most

distinctly, that the gohr itself was named Mogren. Unfortunately,