224 WITH THE CAMEL CORPS UP THE NILE.

during the march without noticing it. It was everything having such weather ; the camels bore up better, and the men did not suffer in the least, although they had walked a long distance to ease their steeds. Our chief difficulty was our boots ; both pairs had long since been worn out, and fabulous prices were offered for a new pair. During the ten days we had been quartered at Gakdul the rocks had cut them to ribbons, and now, more than six weeks after, there was hardly a respectable pair in the whole force. No shoemakers' tools or spare leather had been sent out, so the only way for us to repair them was to cut up old rifle-buckets, and tie the improvised soles on with string as best we could.

At noon on the iSth our force reached Gakdul ; there we were to wait for the rest of Duller' s column before retiring finally on Korti. By this time the wells were in a bad state ; the two upper pools had been drunk down to the animalculae, and the camel pool was still worse. Several men had contracted typhoid, and altogether it was about time to quit the place.