404 Seven Years in the Soudan.

the current, but stops short some distance away. Meanwhile we must recover the ropes and postpone work till to-morrow.

January 4th. — We advance at full speed, but fresh masses of flotsam break away from both shores of the river. Still we succeed in gaining ground on the bar in front, and in stopping those descending the river, so that they remain behind. The woods are now only an hour and a half away. By procuring a sufficiency of fuel we hope to issue from this chaos. But I have now only four sailors, my two servants, and Jinau Bey with his three men. They must attempt to provide the steamer with fuel, which work will cause us to lose at least eight days. We are all weak, and cannot work rapidh'.

At four p.m. we heard a gun-shot, and, a few moments after, cries arose. The launch was manned and went to see what had happened. My two boj's, who had gone in search of sutep had been attacked by the Kuers ; the eldest had a gun, he fired, and the juers fled. Enough sutep was collected to last for two days, and a feAv tamarinds. The sutep is ground to flour and boiled with tamarinds, which gives an acid taste and makes up for the want of salt.

To-day we cannot Avork on our own account, having to go to the assistance of the nugger, which is rather far behind. At last we are rid of all the corpses that surrounded us. The air is pure, and the vicinity of the woods gives courage and hope to the survivors.

We work from morning till night to free the nuors-er from another bar. Hunger has exhausted our strength, and hope has again vanished. The depression of the crew is such that if we cannot reach the woods to-day, we shall all indubitablv perish to-morrow.

Even the engineer and the captain eat rushes. The captain who had sold his provisions for one