A Peculiar Species, That Resembles A
Vetch, Bears A Circular Pod As Large As A Horse-Bean; The
Exterior Of
The pod is armed with long and sharp spikes like the
head of an ancient mace; these pods when ripe
Are exceedingly
hard, and falling to the ground in great numbers, the spikes will
pierce the sole of any shoe unless of a stout substance.
"August 29.--Florian is very ill with fever. The mosquitoes are
so troublesome that the Arabs cannot sleep in their huts, but are
forced to arrange platforms about six feet high, upon which the
whole family rest until they are awakened by a sudden
thunderstorm, and are compelled to rush into their huts;--this
has been the case nightly for some time past.
"I find that the whole village has been trying on my new
hunting-cap, that an Arab woman has just completed; this was
brought to me to-day, thick with butter and dirt from their
greasy pates. This is a trifle: yesterday Florian was ill and
required some tea; his servant tried the degree of heat by
plunging his dirty black finger to the bottom.
"Shortly after our wild Arab lad, Bacheet, was engaged, we
drilled him as table servant. The flies were very troublesome,
and continually committed suicide by drowning themselves in the
tea. One morning during breakfast there were many cases of felo
de se, or 'temporary insanity,' and my wife's tea-cup was full of
victims; Bacheet, wishing to be attentive, picked out the bodies
with his finger and thumb!--'Now, my good fellow, Bacheet,' I
exclaimed, 'you really must not put your dirty fingers in the
tea: you should take them out with the tea-spoon. Look here,' and
I performed the operation, and safely landed several flies that
were still kicking. 'But mind, Bacheet,' I continued, 'that you
wipe the tea-spoon first, to be sure that it is clean!' On the
following morning at breakfast we covered up the cups with
saucers to prevent accidents; but to our astonishment Bacheet,
who was in waiting, suddenly took a tea-spoon from the table,
wiped it carefully with a corner of the table-cloth, and stooping
down beneath the bed, most carefully saved from drowning, with
the tea-spoon, several flies that were in the last extremity
within a vessel by no means adapted for a spoon. Perfectly
satisfied with the result, he carefully rewiped the tea-spoon
upon the table-cloth, and replaced it in its proper position. 'Oh
Bacheet! Bacheet! you ignoramus, you extraordinary and impossible
animal!' However, there was no help for it--the boy thought he
was doing the right thing exactly.
"September 1.--The animals are worried almost to death by the
countless flies, especially by that species that drives the
camels from the country. This peculiar fly is about the size of
a wasp, with an orange-coloured body, with black and white rings;
the proboscis is terrific; it is double, and appears to be
disproportioned, being two-thirds the length of the entire
insect. When this fly attacks an animal, or man, it pierces the
skin instantaneously, like the prick of a red-hot needle driven
deep into the flesh, at the same time the insect exerts every
muscle of its body by buzzing with its wings as it buries the
instrument to its greatest depth. The blood starts from the wound
immediately, and continues to flow for a considerable time; this
is an attraction to other flies in great numbers, many of which
would lay their eggs upon the wound.
"I much prefer the intense heat of summer to the damp of the
rainy season, which breeds all kinds of vermin. During the hot
season the nights are cool and delightful, there is not one drop
of dew, and we live entirely in the open air beneath the shade of
a tree in the day, and under a roof of glittering stars at night.
The guns never rust, although lying upon the ground, and we are
as independent as the antelopes of the desert, any bush affording
a home within its limit of shadow. During the rainy season
hunting and travelling would be equally impossible; the rifles
would constantly miss fire. The mud is in most places knee-deep,
and a malignant fever would shortly settle the hunter. The rains
cease early in September, after which we are to expect a complete
vapour-bath until the end of October, by which time the fiery sun
will have evaporated the moisture from the sodden earth; that
interval will be the most unhealthy season.
"As this fertile country can depend upon three months' periodical
rain, from the middle of June until September there is no reason
for unproductiveness; it would produce a large revenue if in
industrious hands.
"September 2.--For many days past we have seen large herds of
giraffes and many antelopes on the opposite side of the river,
about two miles distant, on the borders of the Atbara, into which
valley the giraffes apparently dared not descend but remained on
the table land, although the antelopes appearmed to prefer the
harder soil of the valley slopes. This day a herd of twenty-eight
giraffes tantalized me by descending a short distance below the
level flats, and I was tempted at all hazards across the river.
Accordingly preparations were immediately made for a start. The
sheik of the village and several of the Arabs were hippopotami
hunters by profession; these fellows could swim like otters, and,
despite the crocodiles, they seemed as much at home in the water
as on land. We prepared an impromptu raft. My angarep (bedstead)
was quickly inverted; six water-skins were inflated, and lashed,
three on either side. A shallow packing-case, lined with tin,
containing my gun, was fastened in the centre of the angarep, and
two tow-lines were attached to the front part of the raft, by
which swimmers were to draw it across the river.
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