28 AFRICAN WANDERINGS.

The Chabir (caravan leader), with 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 track. 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 leg befoi'e

another, were now changed men ; the instant they Avere 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 Avas 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 Saghies 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,

50 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 Omerabs 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 Father Burckhardt, who so named the lower part of the Atbara. We also knew right

well that Mogren means the spot where two rivers join, as in the

case of the Blue and White Niles; but here we were told, most

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