304 WITH THE CAMEL CORPS UP THE NILE.

steamers anchored, as it was impossible to pilot in the dark, and then was the time for a beautiful swim. The Arab sailors used to climb on to the paddle-box with their patches of carpet, turn their faces to the East and say their prayers, and it gave me extreme pleasure to take a header off the paddle-box just in front of them. They got awfully annoyed at a dog of a Christian getting between them and Mecca, as they had to begin their prayers all over again, and at last they took to cursing me in the most approved style ; but it apparently had no effect.

The first important place we touched at was Korosko, where the 79th (Cameronian) Highlanders.

were quartered. It seemed a regular sun- trap to live in. High rocks on all sides and hardly a scrap of vegetation anywhere. The desert road (225 miles) to Abu Hamed starts from this point, and that was I suppose the reason for having a regiment there. There was not the slightest chance of being attacked that way ; but still important information came sometimes across that fearful desert, one of the worst in the Soudan ; so it was necessary tointercept it.