C¥g9a% ) WAG ON THE GEOGRAPHY OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS.

1. THE ACCLIMATISATION OF VARIOUS DomeEstTIC ANIMALS IN THE EQUATORIAL NILE REGION.

(Letter to Professor G. Schweinfurth, dated Ladé, December 25, 1881.)

You ask after the elephants.* There are three of them, and they are stationed in Makraka, but are scarcely used for transport at present, for want of fit persons to attend to them. It was the greatest mistake that Gordon could have committed, for the sake of a few guineas, to send back the attendants that came with the elephants from India, before they had trained other proper attendants, and to entrust them to Shiluk soldiers, who, lke all Negroes, have no interest in animals except as articles of food. Besides, the elephants arrived here at the time of the block in the river, when I was cut off for eighteen months from all communication even with Khartum, and had quite enough to do to preserve myself and my people from destruction. In spite of most liberal promises to the Negro chiefs, I have not yet been fortunate enough to procure any young animals. I have no doubt that, with sufficient care and a staff trained for the purpose, elephants would save us much of the continual annoyance from porters.

The camels are doing well, and keep up the postal service between Lado and Rejaf. They will be useful to me in those districts where there are tracts without much water. Donkeys can only be used for a few years; even those from the Lango * The Indian elephants (six in number) were sent by the Khedive Ismail from Cairo to the Sudan. They travelled the long distance of two thousand miles uninjured, swimming the Nile six times,—G, 5S.