lO Seven Years in the Soudan.

The sale of slaves is, one rnay say, carried on in public. I went- to two places where these unhappy wretches were lying on the ground ; they were of both sexes, and were being closely examined to dis-

cover any ph3^sical defect. An old negro, sixty 3'ears of age, was sold for twenty-seven Austrian thalers. His master had had him in the magazine for seven months without finding a purchaser : tired at length of waiting, he had ]<arted with him for the above price.

By this time the Zagazujhixd finished its operations, and we embarked, followed by our new acquaintances. The deck of the steamer was crowded with pilgrims returning from Mecca. Men, women and children stood there in a crowd, impeding every movement, and we were oblioed to take refuge below. Towards

nine o'clock the ship was put in motion ; the weather was still fine and the Zcujazifj sailed as if on a pond.

But we had hardly made twenty miles when the vessel stopped, and the commotion which arose in the engine- room told us plainly that the vessel was damaged. The principal engineer told the captain that the boiler was leaking, and he had been obliged to empty it. A slight breeze allowed us to spread the sails,

and so we managed to proceed. AVe were hardly able to pass some coral banks, and if the wind had been unfavourable, Ave should have ended by being shipwrecked. I asked Linant de Belief ouds if we did not run some risk of imitating the fate of the Medusa, since we had only four boats in all, which were scarcely sufficient for the twentieth part of the passengers and baggage.

The English mechanics set to work at the repairs, and in four hours the furnace could be re-lighted. But three hours later, water again escaped, and the boiler had to be emptied. Suddenl}^ the excitement Avas greatly increased, for an enormous shoal of sharks were folloAving us, and we began to ask ourselves whether we Avere really destined to serve them as food. I had some strong hooks, and