AFRICA.
MR. LADD’S JOURNAL.
Sunday, Dec. 25.—Christmas morning in the tropics! My ankle is much better, though I cannot use my foot yet. We started at 8 A.M.; stopped for lunch under some trees at Gaigy. We are getting rather tired of our hard fare, and long for one good, square meal. We have kept further from the river than we supposed we should, and are practically on the desert. We have seen the river only once. Then we proposed to camp at it, but our guides disagreed and we went on, and finally, it being Sunday night, we camped, earlier than usual, about a mile from the river at El Hefera.
Monday, Dec. 26.—The men are getting worn out and begin to lag. It was 8:15 A.M. before we could get them started. Proximity to water has a bad effect on camel drivers. It is very hot. We turn out of our road a few steps to see the ruins of an ancient church at a place called Merre. We discover a big crocodile, about 15 feet long, lying on a mud bank. We lunch in the town of Aboo-Hashein, in a plantation on the bank of the river under the shelter of a “sakia,” or water-wheel platform. We meet the postman in the afternoon and send home some postals. We come upon some fine cataracts in the river and see half a dozen huge crocodiles. We camp for the night at El Shereigh, near the bank, in a truly tropical bit of scenery. Ankle much better.
Tuesday, Dec. 27.—Started at 6.30. Mousa’s camel ran away with him to-day. It was a most comical sight, and then to end up with, when he at last reached the ground, she kicked him twice. We lunch on the bank of the river at a point called Tondaeb, where we leave the river for 8 hours to cut a bend. Then we have a little rivalry with another caravan that has tried to keep ahead of us, and we get ahead. We are on the desert again. In fact, it is nothing but desert all the way to Berber. We climb a high plateau called Natayielinnus, and camp for the night in the middle of it, at a spot covered with the most beautiful, clean, white sand, just the thing for the children to play in if they only had it somewhere in the back yard. There is a town on the river to our right called El Karaba.
Wednesday, Dec. 28.—Started at 7 A.M., and gradually descended from the high plateau. We have seen great numbers of partridges and two gazelles. We cross the dry bed of a river lined with palms, and strike the Nile again at the “5th” cataract. The rapids here extend for several miles. The slate formation along the bank has in some places been fused and looks much like coal. We stop for lunch at a point where we can get a good view of the cataract in both directions, called Wady El Hamar. Then we leave the river for about two hours, ascend another high desert plateau, and gradually descend again to an open plain, where nestles a village called Genenila. We camp for the night opposite the large, fruitful island of Artoli, where one of our guides lives. In the evening we receive two presents of milk.
Thursday, Dec. 29.—The second guide swam over this morning from Artoli. We started at 7.15, and traversed a magnificent plain, needing only water upon it to make it a most fruitful region. As we approach Berber the houses are better built, and the villages are larger and more numerous. We passed the following in rapid succession: El Bowga; El Hodbab, a very large one; El Abidieh, close to the last; El Farekha; Dangail, where there is a ruin; El Hassa, El Ezarab, Es Sraphine and El Hor. Just before we reached this last place our guide told us that here Sheik Hassan Halifa’s father lived; that he had heard we were coming, and had sent orders to him not to let us pass without coming to dine with him. This is about five miles from Berber. Here the Sheik had come to meet us himself at the house of his father. And what a princely reception it was! The grand old Arab, who is the son of the former king of this country, came out to meet us, and brought us in. The house was ours, and we were free to stay as long as we pleased. The most delicate sherbets were placed before us. A sheep was killed, and a grand banquet served in the most royal style. We were quite surprised and overwhelmed at all this unexpected kindness. But the grand old Arab, under whose father 5,000 men bit the dust in their attempt to defend the country against the Turks, seemed to take a delight in this generous hospitality. At 3.15 P.M. we took our leave, and, following the telegraph lines, entered Berber through a fine broad avenue. Sheik Hassan Halifa accompanied us. On the way two of his men showed us their skill in dromedary racing, and it certainly was quite exciting, especially when the animals became unmanageable and came tearing down upon us, threatening to upset the whole crowd. We reached Berber at 5 o’clock. We went first to the lower landing-place, and then to the upper to select a place for our camp, and finally settled on the former. We pitched our three tents near the water, on the high bluff-like bank. The whole space of both landing places is covered with bales and boxes, etc., etc., showing that considerable business is done here. The people appear very friendly, and we are well pleased with the look of the place. We have come 405 miles on camel-back, over one of the hardest of deserts, and to-morrow morning we don’t propose to get up very early.
Friday, Dec. 30.—There is a high wind that rolls up the whitecaps on the river like a sea. The Berberinos are a fine, muscular, well-built set of people, and, apparently, a happy race. We have heard the first hearty laughter here since we came to the country. Their voices, too, are very sweet and musical. After we have made an attempt at washing off the dust and dirt of travel, we go to see the Governor, Ibrahim Bey. He talks Turkish and we get on well together. The government dahabeah is the only one here. There are a few merchant boats, but they are all full or engaged. So we have the boldness, as ours is pressing business, to ask the Governor for his dahabeah. No! we can’t have it. He is going out to collect taxes and needs it himself. We can go by camel or by merchant boat, as we please. Then we haul out our orders from Cairo and give him another opportunity to let us have the dahabeah. Finally he says that if we can get an order from Raouf Pasha, the Governor General of the Soudan, he will let us have it. We take a walk through the city, and then returning to our tents send a telegram to Khartoum to His Excellency, the Governor, asking for an order for the dahabeah.