12 EGYPT AND THE SOUDAN.

Stewart had had no difficulty in keeping the camels supplied on his previous journey. He had lost only twenty, or one per cent of the entire number, on the journey to Gakdul and back, and the men were in eood condition. He thought little of the difficulties of the route. The country, both in its conformation and the character of the water supply, strongly reminded him of Seccoconi's country in South Africa. There was, in fact, good water at each of the halting-places to Abu-Klea, as well as in some of the ravines of Jebel Jilig, from which torrents come down in the rainy season forming the alluvial plain a few miles south-west of the road. Crops of dhurra are grown on this plain every year, and the tracks to be seen in the district show that the Arabs keep large herds of cattle. The road is good, the country is level and open, and the ground, with the exception of a few patches of sand between Gakdul and Abu-Klea, is so firm as to enable both infantry and cavalry to march without difficulty, while the weather at that time of year was cool, the nights really cold, and even at mid-day the heat was mitigated by cool breezes.

The march and the night encampment was not, therefore, distinguished by much hardship; the men were full of fun, especially the sailors, who were delighted with their performances as camel-riders, and "steered" or gave orders for steering their strange craft in nautical terms, responding to the jocularities of their commander, Sir Charles Beresford, who bestrode a white donkey. Before reaching the wells at Hambok, however, some of the men suffered from want of water, the supply of which had leaked out of the water-skins, which even here it was necessary to carry in order to secure a sufficient provision for such an expedition. At Hambok the water had been temporarily almost exhausted by the advance troops and camels, and there were but a few pints there, so the march was continued to El-Howeiyat, nine miles further on. There also they found that the wells had been drained by the column that preceded them, and some of the reserve water had to be served out for breakfast, while sentries were placed over the wells till they gradually filled again, when the men were marched up by companies to quench their thirst. The