248 UGANDA AND THE EGYPTIAN SOUDAN.

behind him, who sat on the camel's back, behind the saddle, holding on to the back pommel. Ismaen would hardly speak, he was so much annoyed at our last night's proceeding, which had caused him such an early ride. We rode for an hour and a half over the same kind of ground as the day before, crossing three dry but deep khors. We shivered with cold, and were thankful to wrap our thin overcoats tightly round us. When passing through a thicket of acacias, our horses pricked up their ears and broke into a quicker trot, and our escort, who had been scattered on all sides, took close order. Soon we heard horses approaching at a rapid pace, and through a break in the trees a company of thirty or forty gaily- dressed horsemen and begins galloped up to us, led by a European, who drew up sharply before me, throwing his horse almost on its haunches. He saluted, and said in German, " Have I the honour to meet Mr. Felkin ? " " Yes," I replied. " I am the governor of Dara, Slatin Bey." We soon became friends, and rode on together towards Dara. Slatin Bey was formerly an Austrian cavalry officer ; he is a young, gentlemanly man; and was dressed in a simple white uniform, top-boots, and turban. He rode a superb full-blood mare, with English trappings. His escort was well mounted, and dressed in all the colours of the rainbow; the lances and gun-barrels flashed in the sunlight, and the curi-