154 Seven Years in the Soudan.

titles exceeding two thousand five hundred tonf), of sesame about five hundred tons, and of doora more than five thousand tons ; but these last two products are consumed in the Soudan.

From Karkog, liaving abandoned the river, we take tlie road through the woods and mountains, a road whicli in twelve or fifteen stages will bring us to Benishangal, the centre of trade with the Galla country. Perhaps at Benishangal we shall form a caravan, with which we shall proceed in long days' marches on the route that is fixed both in our minds and our hearts ; otherwise we shall advance alone to Fadasi, and thence, in one way or other, shall hope to reach our distant goal. It is impossible to say to-day what difficulties Ave shall have to strive against, but we know how to do our duty, and shall not draw back except after a series of desperate attempts, failures, and misfortunes.

Every day it has been more difficult to forward letters, and Heaven only knows when we can send them. To every caravan we meet bound the opposite way we shall give some letters for Europe.

Fehrum'ii ISth. — On the road to Fadasi. "We arrived ten days ago at Roseres, where we lialted several hours to enjoy the fine prospect afforded by the peculiar site of the town, lying between mountain and plain, and surrounded by the most splendid tropical vegetation. Just in the middle of Roseres there is a monster tree of the Soudanese Flora, the so-called baobab, the Adansonia digitata, or Wellingtonia of Central Africa. The road from Karkog is monotonous, passing across an extensive plain, very fertile from the generosity of the soil, but left to its natural resources by the want of labourers, and by the ignorance of the natives. The traveller sees nothing but a rich crop of grass, which has noAv become dry from Avant of water ; this grass is burnt up, to be replaced by the neAv vegetation which