68 AFRICAN WANDERINGS.

-with their hands, and some hurtful herb been among the durra.

But as the conjunctiva balbi et palpebral, as well as the pupil of the eyes, are wholly uninjured, Joseph doubts much that it is the effect of any blistering or deleterious substance. Probably the 'cause is cold. The men are highly heated by day while cutting durra, and then exposed to cold on night duties, without a sufficient covering for the head ; for it is at these times, by their own showing, that the evil commences.

To-day the Sheik of the Beni-Amer, with his elephant uncle, left us for his three days' distant home, to bring in his Tulba.

Hassan Effendi, of Chartum, accompanied him with his soldiers, and also Melek Aat and his Schaigies. Our hunter Abdallah goes with this party, to shoot, and collect specimens for our collection.

His Mentor is an old Schaigie named Hami, who is answerable to us for Abdallah with his head. Mohammed Defalla may once more rejoice in being master in his own tent, as this heretofore has been ever filled with these Sheiks and their attendants, so that he could call no part of it his own ; besides, on him fell the heavy burden of providing for all these people. If a stranger arrives, and asks the Pascha where he is to lodge, the reply, without a moment's consideration, is, *' Go to Defalla ! " Unalarmed at his thus ever increasing expenses, the good-natured Defalla, into whose head the idea of repayment never enters, replies, " Taib (Well, good) Effendina I " and has another guest. Our fat friend comes daily to our tent for his cough mixture, i. e. a beaker of strong punch, after swallowing which he never fails to remark that his Batte (paunch) feels much better. This Batte of his is much in his way when he would kneel to say his prayers ; so he now holds it wiser to sit quietly down on his hinder end. For our bodily refreshment he often regales us with Kuschab, a kind of mead made with dripped honey, water, and much pepper ; by no means unpleasant to the taste, and slightly intoxicating. We received to-day, as a present from the leader of the Magrabins, Mohammed Ladham, of Tripolis, the skin of an antelope (Ariel) as large as an ass, with legs like those of a cow ; on the back and sides it is bright brown, white under the belly, greyish on the sides of the iiead and under the eyes; over the forehead and nose runs a broad brown stripe, and the horns are black, twisted, rising upwards from behind, and turning away from