1 8 Sez'cn Years tn the Soudan.

doom was about fifty centimetres liigli. From time to time we saw a few mimosas.

Moiidaij, Jane lat. — Strong south winds ; after five hours' navigation we stopped on the right bank of the river to take in fuel.

On examining a case of medicines wliich we iiad procured on setting out, I perceived the most necessary of all, quinine, Avas wanting. Thousands of aquatic birds covered the little islands ; my friend Anson amused himself by firing into the midst of these grou})s, and did not always miss his aim. The river presents a breadth of about two miles and the water is tolerably transparent.

Tuesday, June 2nd. — We arrived at Kava, a town of four hundred houses, and summoned the Sheik to order wood for the boiler, and hay to cover the doora in the niigar. After infinite difficulty we got what Ave Avanted, but Ave remained Avhere we Avere till elcAen in tlie morning, halting at G p.m. for a neAV su])i)ly of fuel.

Thursday, June — This place is called Menazir ; the Avater in the boiler Avas changed and the crew Avas occu})ied in the transjjort of fuel. San t-yood (of the sandarach tree (?) ) is very hard, and is an excellent substitute for coal. Tlie surroundino- A'eoretation is Aery beautiful ; here and there cattle and goats are to be seen, a sign that the natives are not far distant. The extraordinary quaiitities of mosquitoes obliged us to take refuge under the nets, depriAing us therefore of the fresh eAening air, after suffocating days of heat. The first days T had my hands and face so disfigured that I seemed to liaA-e suffered from the small -pox, and I cannot understand how these poor soldiers and sailors can do Avithout the careful precautions Avhich Ave take Avitliout being able to saA'e ourselves completely, Avhile many of them do not eA'en possess a shirt. I })ut the question to tliem, and they replied that they could not help it ; but I belieAe that their skin is so hardened as hardly to feel the stings.

Captain Hussein is a capable man, authoritative