| PAGE | |
| CHAPTER I. | |
| Leave England for Paris—Drugs and Clothing Required—A “Sleeby” German—Turin | [5-12] |
| CHAPTER II. | |
| Milan—The Cathedral—Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele—Piazza d’Armi—Palazzo de Brera—Lake of Como—Bologna—Its Ancient History—Leaning Towers—The Certosa—Teatro Communale—Brindisi | [13-23] |
| CHAPTER III. | |
| P. and O. Steamer Tanjore—Arrival of the Mail and Passengers—Ancient Brindisi—Brindisi to Alexandria—Alexandria Past and Present—Its Trade | [24-37] |
| CHAPTER IV. | |
| The Fertilizing Rivers of Egypt—Leave Alexandria—Incidents en route—Shepheard’s Hotel—Ancient and Modern Cairo—The Donkey-boys—Arab Patients—Dancing Dervishes—The House where Joseph, Mary, and the Infant Saviour Lived in Old Cairo—The Boulac Museum—The Petrified Forest—Mokattam Hills—Tombs of the Caliphs and Citadel—Cairo by Sunset | [38-66] |
| CHAPTER V. | |
| A Young American at Shepheard’s Hotel—Drive to the Pyramids of Gizeh—Ascent and Exploration of the Pyramid of Cheops—The Sphinx | [67-80] |
| CHAPTER VI. | |
| Heliopolis—The Shoubra Road—Bedrashyn—Mitrahenny—Memphis—Sakhara—Apis Mausoleum—Worship of the Bull Apis—Tomb of King Phta—Meet the Khedive—Engage Servants for the Soudan | [81-91] |
| CHAPTER VII. | |
| The Land of Goshen—Ancient Canals—Suez—Howling Dervishes—Eclipse of the Moon and Strange Behaviour of Natives—Leave Suez—Where the Israelites Crossed the Red Sea—Pass Mount Sinai—Coral Reefs Abundant | [92-97] |
| CHAPTER VIII. | |
| Arrival at Souâkin—The Soudan—Bedouin Arab Prisoners in the Square, Not “on the Square”—Ivory—Engage Camels—Sheik Moussa—Souâkin Slaves—Tragic End of a Doctor—Hadendowah Arabs—An Ill-fated Missionary Enterprise | [98-110] |
| CHAPTER IX. | |
| The Start Across the Desert—My Camel Serves me a Scurvy Trick—The Camel, its Habits and Training | [111-118] |
| CHAPTER X. | |
| Our First Camp—Torrents of Rain—Jules Bardet—Camel-drivers Behave Badly—Suleiman in Trouble—Camel-drivers get Upset—The Desert—Two of Us Lose our Way—Jules Suffers from Dysentery—Sand-storm—A Pilgrim Dies on the Road; Another in the Camp—Jules’ Illness—Camp Split Up—Lose Our Way—Encamp Several Days in the Desert—Arab Huts—The Mirage—A Lion | [119-143] |
| CHAPTER XI. | |
| Arrive at Kassala—Description of Kassala—We buy Camels and Horses—The Mudir gives a Dinner—Jules’ Death and Burial—Hyænas—Arab Patients—Mahoom’s History—Demetrius Mosconas on Slavery—Menagerie at Kassala | [144-153] |
| CHAPTER XII. | |
| Camels from the Atbara—The Mudir—Gordon Pasha’s Character in the Soudan—Fertility of the Soudan | [154-159] |
| CHAPTER XIII. | |
| Leave Kassala—Character of the Country—Meet Beni-Amir Arabs on the River-bed—The Baobob Tree | [160-164] |
| CHAPTER XIV. | |
| Encamp at Heikota—Sheik Ahmed—Herr Schumann and His Zareeba—We Make a Zareeba—The Mahdi—Excitement in the Village—Horrible Tragedy—Sheik Ahmed Dines with us—The Magic Lantern—Lions Visit Us | [165-177] |
| CHAPTER XV. | |
| Patients at Heikota—Leave Heikota—Game in the Basé Country—See our First Lion—A Lion Interviews the Author—typo Tetél, Nellut, and other Game Killed on the March | [178-183] |
| CHAPTER XVI. | |
| We Arrive at the Basé or Kunama Country—The Village of Sarcella—Murder of Mr. Powell and Party—My Camel and I Unceremoniously Part Company—The First Basé We See—Encamp at Koolookoo—Our First Interview with Basé—They make “Aman” with Us—Their Appearance—Description of Koolookoo and the Basé People—Their Habits and Customs | [184-200] |
| CHAPTER XVII. | |
| We leave Koolookoo, Accompanied by a Number of the Basé—The Magic Lantern—See Buffalo and Giraffe for the First Time—Two Buffalos Killed—A Basé Feast—Curious Basé Dance—They Dry their Meat on Lines in the Sun—A Wounded Buffalo—Hoodoo, Chief Sheik of the Basé, Visits Us—A Column of Sand—A Leper—The Basé Squabble over the Meat—We Arrive at Abyssinia | [201-214] |
| CHAPTER XVIII. | |
| The Dembelas Attack Us, Mahomet Wounded, Narrow Escape of two of our Party—Activity in Camp, We Make a Zareeba and Fire the Country—Hold a Council of War—Our Silent and Dangerous Ride—Hoodoo’s Sagacity—Arrival in Camp of Mahomet, Wounded—We Retreat—Mahomet’s Death and Burial | [215-229] |
| CHAPTER XIX. | |
| Messrs. James and Phillipps Start on a Visit to Rasalulu—Curious Way of Shaving Children’s Heads—A Disgusting Basé—The Camel-drivers become Mutinous—Intended Attack by Basé—We Fire the Country and Make a Zareeba—Encamp at Wo-amma—Trouble Again with Camel-men—Lions Disturb Us—Arrival at Heikota—A Tale of Blood and Slavery | [230-243] |
| CHAPTER XX. | |
| Patients Arrive from all Parts—Rough Journeys—Arrive at the Hamran Settite—Mahomet Sali Deceives us—Crocodiles, Turtle, and Fish—We Move on to Boorkattan, in Abyssinia—Next Day we Move off as Abyssinians Approach—We Catch Enormous Quantities of Fish with the Net—Narrow Escape from a Wounded Buffalo—The Coorbatch Administered—Scorpions and Snakes—Hamrans Visit Us—Hamran mode of Hunting and Snaring—Hamran and Basé—The Hamrans Threaten to Fire on Us—Again Return to the Hamran Settite—Encamp at Omhagger | [244-263] |
| CHAPTER XXI. | |
| A Boa-constrictor Visits Us—The Burton Boat—Moussa’s Behaviour Entails a Thrashing and His Discharge—Great Heat—A Fine Hippopotamus Killed—Hamran Feast—The White Ants—Another Hippopotamus Killed—Mahomet Sali Brings Supplies—Native Music in the Night—Delicate Hints Conveyed to the Performer—A Remarkably Fine Nellut Shot—Arab and Egyptian Taxation—Baboons—A Hamran Story—Ali Stung by a Scorpion—On the March Once More—Rough Journeys | [264-278] |
| CHAPTER XXII. | |
| Encamp at Lakatakoora Without the Caravan—Description of Village—Basé Ladies Visit Me ere I Get Out of Bed—They Receive Presents and are very Amusing—Enormous Numbers of Doves and Sand-grouse—Aboosalal to Sogoda—Boa-constrictor Killed—An Unpleasant Journey, We all Get Separated—Arrive at Heikota Again | [279-284] |
| CHAPTER XXIII. | |
| An Abyssinian Improvisatore and His Little Slave—Prepare for a March to Massawa—A Strange Basé Breakfast—Patients—Arrive at Toodloak—Beni-Amirs Encamped on the Gash—Lions and Leopards are Shot—Our Monkeys in Camp—Baboon Mode of Attacking Leopards—Crafty Baboons—Lions Abound—Hyæna Method of Attacking a Lion—Hyæna Interviews Mr. Colvin—Arrival at Amadeb—Departure from Amadeb—Bareas Attempt an Attack on the Caravan—Beni-Amirs Watering their Flocks and Herds—We Meet with a young Elephant—Leopard and Hyæna Shot at Khor-Baraker | [285-297] |
| CHAPTER XXIV. | |
| A Lion Near the Camp—The Monks of Chardamba—We Meet Ali Dheen Pasha, Governor-General of the Soudan—Arrival at Keren, or Sanhît—The Priests at Keren—Account of Keren—Merissa—Dra, a Domestic Slave, Made Free—Descent from Sanhît to the Anseba Valley—The Birds There—Along the River-bed of the Labak—A Big March—Massawa—Farewell to Camels—Massawa to Souâkin—Take in Cargo—Farewell to the Soudan—Arrival at Suez | [298-314] |
| CHAPTER XXV. | |
| Suez to Cairo—Alexandria—On Board the Mongolia—Passengers on Board—Hibernian Humour—Venice—The Piazza of St. Mark—The Campanile—The Piazetta—The Zecca, or Mint—The Palace of the Doges—St. Mark’s—The Arsenal | [315-330] |
| CHAPTER XXVI. | |
| We Hear of the Murder of Lord Frederick Cavendish and Mr. Burke—A Grand Serenade on the Grand Canal—My Journey from Venice to England | [331-338] |
PREFACE.
The Soudan, two years ago, was a name unknown to the million, and I will venture to say that at that time not one in fifty knew anything about it. Only those who could afford to obtain Sir Samuel Baker’s interesting and instructive work, “The Nile Sources of Abyssinia,” would be acquainted with the locality and other particulars.
The literature extant on Egypt proper would probably amount to tons, but that on the Soudan would occupy a very small space indeed on the library shelf, for the simple reason that so very few have travelled through it.
In November, 1881, I left England to accompany six gentlemen on an exploring expedition in the Soudan, and, in view of passing events in Egypt and that locality, I indulged in the hope that an account of my journey will not be unacceptable to the public. I held the post of medical officer to the expedition, partly on account of my experience in the Turkish war, where I was continually brought face to face with dysentery, ague, and other tropical diseases, which are so easily recognised without any extraneous assistance, medical or lay, but which are troublesome to treat, especially when hampered by an ignorant and fussy interference. Doubtless many faults of omission and commission may be found in my book; but I trust that those who criticise it will do so leniently, and remember that it has been written during spare hours, when the exigencies of practice would allow of my seeking recreation by the use of my pen. “Oh, that mine enemy would write a book!” was the heartfelt expression of a vindictive old gentleman, well known for his great patience. My enemies, I trust, are few; those I have shall be gratified, though I hope I shall not find any who are utterly callous, but will use me in a gentlemanly fashion.
I have ventured to describe not only my travels in the Soudan, but the journey from England and home again, extracted from my journal, which is most accurate, as I kept it religiously day by day. Much of the old-world history has been culled from various sources of information. The Illustrations of Soudan scenery, natives, and objects of interest are from rude sketches of my own, elaborated by Mr. Fanshawe, a perfect master in the art. The frontispiece is from a photograph taken by Messrs. Lombardi and Co., of Pall Mall.
Although I am aware of the fact that Mr. F. L. James has published a book on the Soudan, I have carefully refrained from reading it, fearing I might inadvertently use any of his expressions, and also feeling sure that in some matters we may materially differ in opinion.