We
could not talk fast enough, so overwhelmed were we both to meet
again.
Of course we were his guests in a moment, and learned
everything that could be told. I now first heard of the death of
H.R.H. the Prince-Consort, which made me reflect on the inspiring
words he made use of, in compliment to myself, when I was
introduced to him by Sir Roderick Murchison, a short while before
leaving England. Then there was the terrible war in America, and
other events of less startling nature, which came on us all by
surprise, as years had now passed since we had received news from
the civilised world.
Baker then said he had come up with three vessels - one dyabir and
two nuggers - fully equipped with armed men, camels, horses,
donkeys, beads, brass wire, and everything necessary for a long
journey, expressly to look after us, hoping, as he jokingly said,
to find us on the equator in some terrible fix, that he might
have the pleasure of helping us out of it. He had heard of
Mahamed's party, and was actually waiting for him to come in,
that he might have had the use of his return-men to start with
comfortably. Three Dutch ladies[FN#27], also, with a view to
assist us in the same way as Baker (God bless them), had come
here in a steamer, but were driven back to Khartum by sickness.
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