Thetamarindswereoftwovarieties，andwereproducedinextraordinaryquantities。Abouttwomilesfromhead-quarters，therewasanextensiveportionoftheforestcomposedalmostexclusivelyofthesemagnificenttrees。
TheforestwasalsorichinthetreeknownbytheArabsas”heglik”Thisbearsafruitaboutthesizeofadatelalobe，whichisacombinationofsweet，bitter，andhighlyaromatic。Mymencollectedseveralhundredweight，asIwishedtotryanexperimentindistilling。Therewasanexcellentcopperstillinthemagazine，andIsucceededinproducingadeliciousspiritsomewhatresemblingkirschenwasser。
Mycottonwasnowripe，andIcleaneditwithasmallhandginthatcouldbeworkedbytwomen。ThisgreatlyinterestedtheBarivisitors，who，bymyspecialinvitation，hadbeenresidingforsometimeatGondokoro。
Thedryseasonhadbeenveryunfavourableforcotton；nevertheless，thequalitywasgood，andprovedthatitwouldthriveinthelocality。Thespeciesthatwasindigenousgrewtoagreatsize，andseemedtodefythedrought。Thisborearedblossom，andthepodwassmall。Thenativecottonwasofshortstaple，andadheredstronglytotheseed。
On29thNovember，twoArabsarrivedfromAbouSaood’sLatookastation，100mileseastofGondokoro：theyhadtravelledatnight，andweredesertersfromthevakeel。Oneofthesefellowsturnedouttobemyoldfollowerduringmyformerjourney，Mohammedthecamel-driver，andheliterallycriedwithjoywhenhesawmywifeandmeagain。Hegavemeallthenewsfromtheslave-traders’camp，whichwasfullofslaves，andtheywereafraidthatImightarrive，astheywereawarethatIknewtheroad。ThevakeelofLatookahadreceivedandharbouredtwoofmyEgyptiansoldiers，whohaddesertedfromGondokoroandjoinedtheslave-huntersundertheguidanceofaBari。