THE HALFA ABU HAMED RAILWAY the clouds of sand which it drove southwards before us gave him anxiety. The fine sand of the desert penetrates everywhere, and works mischief in locomotive machinery at the best of times, but when driven under an engine by a strong wind it clogs all the oiled parts, and if any of its bearings be not in as good a condition as they should be, it works its way into them, and becomes dangerous. And this is exactly what happened on the night in question ; about half-way between No. 3 and No. 4 Stations we stopped.

THE SUDAN EXPRESS AT NO. 4 STATION IN THE Aiit-HAMF.D DESERT.

because one of the bearings was greatly over-heated. The young Engineer was soon out of the waggon and by the engine, and he decided that we must stay where we were for two or three hours. On his return to the waggon he discoursed on the wickedness of native drivers, and related many instances of their " sinful carelessness about locomotives and people's lives," their waste of good oil, the reckless way in which they burned their furnace bars out, &c. All that he then said I have learned since was true, and that not onl}' did native stokers and drivers waste the oil, but they sold it and gave it away to their friends at the various stations through which they passed. I heard at that time of a native 243 I