Chapter XVII

Return to the North—Tikkitikki’s reluctance to start—Passage of
the Gadda—Sounding the Keebaly—The river Kahpily—Cataracts
of the Keebaly—Kubby’s refusal of boats—Our impatience—Crowds
of hippopotamuses—Possibility of fording the river—Origin and
connection of the Keebaly—Division of highland and lowland—
Geographical expressions of Arabs and Nubians—Mohammedan
perversions—Return to Nembey—Bivouac in the border-wilderness—
Eating wax—The Niam-niam declare war—Parley with the enemy—My
mistrust of the guides—Treacherous attack on Mohammed—Mohammed’s
dangerous wound—Open war—Detruncated heads—Effect of arrows—
Mohammed’s defiance—Attack on the abattis—Pursuit of the enemy—
Inexplicable appearance of 10,000 men—Waudo’s unpropitious omen—
My Niam-niam and their oracle—Mohammed’s speedy cure—Solar
phenomenon—Dogs barbarously speared—Women captured—Niam-niam
affection for their wives—Calamus—Upper course of the Mbrwole—
Fresh captive—Her composure—Alteration in scenery—Arrival at
the Nabambisso 147

CHAPTER XVIII.

Solitary days and short provisions—Productive ant-hill—Ideal
plenty and actual necessity—Attempt at epicurism—Expedition
to the east—Papyrus swamp—Disgusting food of the Niam-niam—
Merdyan’s Seriba—Hyæna as beast of prey—Losing the way—
Reception in Tuhamy’s Seriba—Scenery of Mondoo—Gyabir’s
marriage—Discovery of the source of the Dyoor—Mount Baginze—
Vegetation of mountain—Cyanite gneiss—Mohammed’s campaign
against Mbeeoh—Three Bongo missing—Skulls Nos. 36, 37, and 38—
Indifference of Nubians to cannibalism—Horrible scene—Change
in mode of living—Invasion of ants—Peculiar method of crossing
the Sway—Bad tidings—Successful chase—Extract of meat—Return
of long absent friends—Adventures of Mohammed’s detachment—Route
from Rikkete to Kanna—Disappointment with Niam-niam dog—Limited
authority of Nganye—Suspension-bridge over the Tondy 194

CHAPTER XIX.

Division of the caravan—Trip to the east—African elk—Bamboo-
forests—Seriba Mbomo on the Lehssy—Abundance of corn—Route
between Kuddoo and Mbomo—Maize-culture—Harness-bushbock—
Leopard carried in triumph—Leopards and panthers—The Babuckur—
Lips of the Babuckur women—Surprised by buffaloes—Accident in
crossing the Lehssy—Tracts of wilderness—Buffaloes in the
bush—The Mashirr hills—Tamarinds again—Wild dates—Tikkitikki
and the cows—The Viceroy’s scheme—Hunger on the march—Passage
of the Tondy—Suggestion for a ferry—Prosperity of Ghattas’s
establishments—Arrival of expected stores—A dream realised—
Trip to Kurkur—Hyæna dogs—Dislike of the Nubians to pure water—
Two soldiers killed by Dinka—Attempt to rear an elephant—My
menagerie—Accident from an arrow—Cattle plagues—Meteorology—
Trip to the Dyoor—Gyabir’s delusion—Bad news of Mohammed—
Preparations for a second Niam-niam journey 246

CHAPTER XX.

A disastrous day—Failure to rescue my effects—Burnt Seriba by
night—Comfortless bed—A wintry aspect—Rebuilding the Seriba—
Cause of the fire—Idrees’s apathy—An exceptionally wet day—
Bad news of Niam-niam expedition—Measuring distance by
footsteps—Start to the Dyoor—Khalil’s kind reception—A
restricted wardrobe—Temperature at its minimum—Corn requisitions
of Egyptian troops—Slave trade carried on by soldiers—
Suggestions for improved transport—Chinese hand-barrows—Defeat
of Khartoomers by Ndoruma—Nubians’ fear of bullets—A lion shot—
Nocturnal disturbance—Measurements of the river Dyoor—
Hippopotamus hunt—Habits of hippopotamus—Hippopotamus fat—Nile
whips—Recovery of a manuscript—Character of the Nubians—Nubian
superstitions—Strife in the Egyptian camp 289

CHAPTER XXI.

Fresh wanderings—Dyoor remedy for wounds—Crocodiles in the
Ghetty—Former residence of Miss Tinné—Dirt and disorder—The
Baggara-Rizegat—An enraged fanatic—The Pongo—Frontiers of
the Bongo and Golo—A buffalo-calf shot—Idrees Wod Defter’s
Seriba—Golo dialect—Corn magazines of the Golo—The
Kooroo—The goats’ brook—Increasing level of land—Seebehr’s
Seriba Dehm Nduggoo—Discontent of the Turks—Visit to an
invalid—Ibrahim Effendi—Establishment of the Dehms—Nubians
rivals to the slave-dealers—Population of Dar Ferteet—The
Kredy—Overland route to Kordofan—Shekka—Copper mines of
Darfoor—Raw copper 332

CHAPTER XXII.

Underwood of Cycadeæ—Peculiar mills of the Kredy—Wanderings in
the wilderness—Crossing the Beery—Inhospitable reception at
Mangoor—Numerous brooks—Huge emporium of slave-trade—Highest
point of my travels—Western limit—Gallery-woods near Dehm
Gudyoo—Scorbutic attack—Dreams and their fulfilment—Courtesy
of Yumma—Remnants of ancient mountain ridges—Upper course
of the Pongo—Information about the far west—Great river of
Dar Aboo Dinga—Barth’s investigations—Primogeniture of the
Bahr-el-Arab—First giving of the weather—Elephant-hunters from
Darfoor—The Sehre—Wild game around Dehm Adlan—Cultivated
plants of the Sehre—Magic tuber—Deficiency of water—A night
without a roof—Irrepressible good spirits of the Sehre—Lower
level of the land—A miniature mountain-range—Norway rats—
Gigantic fig-tree in Moody—The “evil eye”—Little steppe-
burning—Return to Khalil’s quarters 373

CHAPTER XXIII.

Katherine II.’s villages—Goods bartered by slave-traders—Agents
of slave-traders—Baseness of Fakis—Horrible scene—Enthusiasm
of slave-dealers—Hospitality shown to slave-dealers—Three
classes of Gellahbas—Intercourse with Mofio—Price of slaves—
Relative value of races—Private slaves of the Nubians—
Voluntary slaves—Slave-women—The murhaga—Agricultural slave-
labour—Population of the district—Five sources of the slave-
trade—Repressive measures of the Government—Slave-raids of
Mehemet Ali—Slow progress of humanity—Accomplishment of half
the work—Egypt’s mission—No co-operation from Islamism—
Regeneration of the East—Depopulation of Africa—Indignation
of the traveller—Means for suppressing the slave-trade—
Commissioners of slaves—Chinese immigration—Foundation and
protection of great States 410