32 AFRICAN WANDERINGS.

and beheld with horror our tent struck over my head, my bed, tod, packed up, and ourselves with our servants, obliged to follow the army. I could not mount, I felt as if the sun was heaping glowing

coals on ray head, but did not lose my consciousness. My brother and I, therefore, resolved to remain behind till the heat of the day was over, and ride on after the crisis was past, if I was ever to get

over it. Supported by Joseph and Achmet, Iwas ledtoaDora-palra,

near which I sank down, as if dead, under shade, certainly, but on

the burning earth. A fearful vomiting and dysentery, sending

sweat from every pore, attacked me; I could not remain lying on my carpet, but to keep in the shade, I had, with my trowsers about my heels, to crawl on the sand, round and round the tree, while the

spot I had quitted was covered over with clean sand. Dr. Bel-

lotti and the apothecary, Dumont, having heard I. was dying, had quitted the army's slow train, and come to see for themselves,

if the I'eport was true or not. They advised me to give up the ex-

pedition, the Italian, contrary to my brother's opinion however,

holding my case as most serious. I made Bellotti a sign, and as he

bent over me, prayed him, in case of my death, to do his utmost to

persuade Joseph to quit Bellad Sudan, and then he could fill all

his good posts. Duraont could hardly restrain his laughter, and

the two mounted and rode off. Never in my life have I longed for

sunset as I then did ; the very last sun beams seemed to effect my

hair, as if each separate one was electrified and discharging the

fluid into my bursting head. Hardly was the torturing sun under

the horizon when I felt much better, could again stand up and move slowly about. Good humoured Arab herd lads approached

our fire, pitied my state, and brought me milk and durra bread.*

It was a beautiful evening, the full moon glittering on the waters

of the Atbara, silvered the dark crowns of the Dom-palms; wild

geese now and then screamed, and some pigeons cooed round us,

all else was silence.

22rd March. — There is a deep pleasure in sleeping in the open

air, where weather and climate will permit. Often had I in

Greece, even when most sleepy, sought the free air, and, parti-

cularly at Nauplia, mounted up to the higher Herculesburg of

Tirynth and the rocks of Palmedes, and there passed the night.

* Kisra, flat cakes like pancakes ; other bread is called csch, as is also the durra itself.