396 Seven Years in the Soudan.

writing, came and threw his little boy, a year old, into my cabin, crying, " His mother has eaten nothing for three days, and is dead of hunger I As I cannot give milk to my son, take him ! " I took up the poor baby, which had been pitilessly thrown on the ground, and set him doAvn outside the cabin. I then called the officer on duty, telling him that if he could not keep order among his men, I should know what to do in case of a similar impertinence being repeated. At midday, seeing a soldier Avho refused to go to work, T gave him a push. He tried to resist, but fell on the deck. He then pretended to be dead, and his comrades surrounded him, crying, " He is dead I He is dead ! He has been killed by the Pasha I " He remained quiet for at least two hours, and then I Avent to see Avhether he Avas really dead ; but his heart and ]Hilse were beating, and it was only a pretence. The next day a soldier Avas attacked with extreme giddiness, and thinking he was going to die, called an officer, who profited by the occasion to tell him that he Avas dying in consequence of bad treatment, and called many AA'itnesses to hear him say so. But the soldier said, "It is not true, I cannot tell uch a lie ; I am often subject to such fits of giddiness." Fortunately he did not die, but got quite AA'ell. October 30th. — A council Avasheldat Avhich I would not assist. The captain VA rote to me, begging that I Avould advise them what to do. He said that if he had fuel for the furnaces hcAYOuldbe able to conquer all difficulties. So we set to work to encourage the people, and were fortunate enough to arrive near the Avoods of the Bahr-el-Arab.

Noremh'r 2nd. — For three days eAeryone aa ent to cut Avood ; they made three great piles on the shore.

The captain loaded tAA'o, and left the other where it Avas, saying that what he had taken on board Avould be enough. Although everyone protested, he refused to take the third pile, pretending that there would