Iaskedhimwhetherhewouldkeeptherainawayduringthejourney，asitwouldbeveryunpleasantshouldthesoldiers’kitsgetwet。Heimmediatelyblewhisrain-whistlethatwassuspendedtohisneck，andlookedatmeasthoughIcouldnolongerdoubthiscapability。IthensentforaGermanhornfrommycabin。Thiswasapolishedcow’shorn，fittedwithbrass，whichIthinkhadcostashilling。Ibeggedtheoldrain-maker’sacceptanceofthisinstrument，whichmightbeperhapssuperiortohiswhistle。
Thewinehadnowsofarwarmedhisoldblood，thattheancientsorcererwasjustinthatstateofgood-willwithallmankindwhichmadehimdoublygratefulforsointerestingapresent。Heblewthehorn！——again，andagain！Hegrinnedtillthetearsrandownhiseyes，andatoncesuspendedtheglitteringtoyaroundhisneck。Henowsaid，”Iamagreatsheik；thereisnorain-makersogreatasI；youwilltravelwithme，andthishornshallkeepyoudry。Don’ttroubleyourselfabouttheBaris，theywon’tmolestyou；butstartassoonasyoucan。”
Wehadthusgainedavaluableallyandguide。AlthoughIknewthedirectionofLobore，Ishouldhavebeenobligedtotravelbycompass，thereforeIwasoverjoyedthatwehadobtainedsoexperiencedanoldfellowastherain-maker。HisnamewasLokko。
At3p。m。，on8thFebruary，westarted，oldLokkoleadingtheway，andwavingacoupleofthin，peeledsticksatarefractoryblackcloudthatappeareddeterminedtodefyhisrain-rulingpowers。Afewloudblastsuponthenewhorn，andagooddealofpantomimeandgesticulationonthepartofoldLokko，atlengthhadthedesiredeffect；thecloudwentoffaboutitsbusiness，andLokko，havinggivenhisfaceanextraruboffreshwood-ashesbeforestarting，lookeduglyenoughtofrightenanyrain-deviloutofhiswits。
Mypeoplewereheavilyladen。Atthecommencementofthejourney，anoxthatMonsoorhadbeentraining，kickedoffitsload，andwentoffatfullgalloplikeawildanimal，andweneversawitagain。PoorMonsoornowshoulderedtheloadthattheoxhadlefthelpless，andmarchedthusheavilyladenupthehill。
Mywiferode”GreedyGrey，”whichcarriedasmuchascouldbehunguponthesaddle。Irodethepowerfulchestnut”Jamoos。”LieutenantBakermountedaveryhandsomelightchestnut”Gazelle，”andColonelAbd-el-KaderrodetheZafteer。ThelatterwasafineoldArabthatIhadpurchasedofazafteermountedpoliceinCairo。Ihadtendonkeyswhichcarriedofficers’effects，spareammunition，flour，&c。Thetwenty-twoboatmencarriedboxes。
MywifeandI，withLieutenantBakerandanadvancedguardoffiveof”TheForty，”followedoldLokko，wholedtheway；andColonelAbd-el-KaderandCaptainMohammedDeiiwerewiththerear-guard，whichdrove1，000cowsand500sheep。ThecattlewereinthechargeoftheBariinterpreter，Morgian。
Ourboysandgirlsallcarriedloads。AmarnlookedlikeasmallRobinsonCrusoe，withatannedsheepskinbagofclothesuponhisback，uponwhichwasslungthecoffee-pot，anumbrella，andvarioussmallerarticles，whileheassistedhimselfwithalongstaffinhishand。LittleCuckoo，who，althoughhardlysevenyearsold，wasasstrongasalittlepony，strodealongbehindmyhorse，carryinguponhisheadmysmalltravellingbag。
Everybodywasinthebestspirits，asthereactionfromdespairtosuccesswasdelightful。Wewerereallyoffatlast，andwereactuallyonthemarchtotheinterior。
Thateveningwehaltedatavillageontheheights，onlythreemilesfromthevessels。Thenativeshaddesertedtheirhabitationsonourapproach，andwouldnotcomenearus。Iorderedthetroopstosavetheirflour，andtoeatfromthatdiscoveredinthevillage，forwhichonthefollowingmorningIlefttwocowsasapresent。Theyweretiedupinthenativezareeba。Thecowswereworthatleastfiftytimestheflourwehadconsumed；butIwishedtoadoptthisplanthroughoutthejourneytoLobore，inordertoestablishconfidence，andtoopenuptheroadforthefuture。
On9thFebruarywestartedat5。35a。m。，andmarchedtwohoursandahalfthroughaverybeautifulundulatingcountry，diversifiedwithrocks，streams，andhandsomepark-liketimber。
WehaltedatavillagecalledKoojok，beneathalargefig-treeFicusIndica。OuroldfriendLokkoappearedtobeperfectlywellknown，andheatonceintroducedustothenatives，whoreceiveduswithoutfearorsuspicion。AtthisvillageIwasabletohirefivenativesforasmanycows，toeasemypeopleespeciallyMonsooroftheirloads。
Thusrelieved，westartedat2p。m。，andhaltedforthenightatavillagenamedGobbohr。Theday’smarchwastwelvemiles。Northlatitude，byobservation，4degrees28minutes。
Atthisspotthenativesbroughtusagreatcuriosity，whichtheyhadpurchasedfromtheBarisofBelinian。Thiswasnolessthanashellof8
1/4lbs。thathadbeenfiredattheBarisbyourcannon，butthefuzehadnotignited。IthadbeensoldtothenativesofGobbohrasapieceofiron。
Iinquiredtheuseofsuchalumpofmetaltothem。”Oh！”theyreplied，”wearegoingtohammeritintomoloteshoes。”
Iexplainedtothemthatitwasaloadedshell，thatwouldexplodeandblowtheblacksmithandhispeopletopieces，ifheweretoplaceitonthefire。Theywentawaywiththeirshell，evidentlydoubtingmyexplanation。
Onthe10thFebruary，havingasusualpresentedthenativeswithtwocows，westartedat6a。m。，andmarchedtenmiles。Thecountrywasevenmorelovelythanbefore，comprisingfinerockysceneryandbeautifulpark-likeviews。Theundulationsterminatedinstonybottomsorwater-courses；therockswereallsyenite，gneiss，andlargemassesofsnow-whitequartz。
Althoughatthisseasonthegroundwasparched，thetreeswereallvividlygreen：thecontrastofthisbrightgreenwiththeyellowturfwasveryremarkable。
At2。50p。m。weagainstarted，andmarchedthreemiles，arrivingatavillageonhighgroundcalledMarengo，inN。lat。4degrees18minutes。
HereImetanoldacquaintance，who，ofcourse，askedmeforacow。Thiswasaveryrespectableman，namedNersho，whohad，whenaboy，beenbroughtupbytheAustrianmissionariesatGondokoro。IhadmethimduringmyformerjourneywhenincompanywithKoorshood’svakeel，Ibrahim。WesleptatMarengo。Thesoldiersborrowedthenatives’mats，cookingpots，&c。，butscrupulouslyreturnedeverythingaccordingtoorders。
February11——Nershoreceivedhiscow；andIlefttwoinadditionfortheheadmanofthevillage。
Westartedat5。35a。m。，andmarchedtenmiles，andhaltedatasmallravineofrunningwateramongwoodedhills。
Ouroldguide，Lokko，wasatfault。Aftermuchtroublewesucceededinobtainingtwonatives，whotoldus，thatinthisspottheyhadkilledalargenumberoftheslave-hunters’people。
Othernativessoonjoinedus，andwewereledbyadifficultrockypaththroughthickforestamongthehillsforfivemiles，totheprettyopencountryofMooge。
ThroughoutthejourneyfromtheNile，thecountryhadbeenthicklypopulated。AtMoogewecampedinalargevillageonthehill。
February12——Westartedat5。25，andmarchedstraighttoLobore，adistanceoffourteenmiles。Theroadwasthroughforest，intersectedatright-angleswithdeepwatercoursesfromthemountain，calledForke，aboutamiledistantuponourleft。Thisfine，rocky，andalmostperpendicularhillis2，000feethigh。
OnarrivalatLoborewehaltedbeneathalargetree，andwaitedforthecattle，whichweresomedistanceintherear，owingtothedifficultyincrossingthenumeroussteepravines。Someworkwouldbenecessaryonthisroadtorenderitpossibleforcarts。
Wehadthusmarchedfifty-sevenmilesfromourvesselswithoutthenecessityoffiringashot，althoughwewereaccompaniedbysotemptingaprizeasalargeherdofcattleandsheep。
ThenativesofLoboresoonbegantocollect，andthedragoman，Wani，shortlyappeared，whoprovedtobeanoldacquaintanceinmyformerjourney。Thisman，whohadbeenaninterpreterwhenaboyamongthetraders，spokegoodArabic，andwesoonfeltquiteathome。Abbio，theoldsheikofLoboreappeared。Thisoldfellowwashalf-blind；butheseemedverywillingtoassist，and，afterIhadexplainedtheobjectofmyvisit，heassuredmethathispeoplewouldgotothevesselsifaccompaniedbymysoldiers，andthatIneednotbeuneasyaboutmybaggage。
TheLoborearenotBari。IwasdelightedtohavepassedthesouthernfrontieratMooge，andtohavequittedthatincomprehensibletribe。ThelanguageoftheLoboreisadialectoftheMadi。
Intheevening，thecattlearrivedwiththerear-guard。Ihadrequestedtheoldsheiktohaveazareebaprepare，forthem；thiswasquicklyaccomplished，thereforeanoxwasslaughteredasarewardforallthosewhohadworkedattheinclosure。
On13thFebruary”weheldaregularmarketforthepurchaseofflourinexchangeforsheepandgoats。Manyoftheseusefullittleanimalsweresickly，owingtothemarchesinthehotsun，whichhadcreatedintensethirst。Uponarrivalatstreamsupontheroute，theyhaddrunktoogreedily，andsomehaddiedofinflammation。”Thenativespurchasedlivegoatsattherateofabout30lbs。offlour。
Thiswasanequalexchangeinliveweightoftheanimal；apoundofflourforapoundofgoat。”February14——Thewholecountryturnedouttohunt，andthenativesreturnedintheevening，havingonlykilledtwobuffaloesandafewsmallantelopes。Eventhesmallboysarearmedinthiscountrywithbowsandbarbedarrows，withwhichtheyshootremarkablywell。”February15——Theoldsheik，Abbio，accompaniedbyWani，appearedearly，togetherwithaconsiderablenumberofnatives。Theyselected396
cowsfrommyzareeba，andasimilarnumberofmenpromisedtostartto-morrowwithfiftysoldierstoconvoythematerialfromthevessels。”February16——Aftersomedelaythenativesassembled，andwithhornsblowingandmuchshoutingandwhistling，theyatlengthstarted，togetherwithourreturnsailors，andanescortoffiftysoldiers。”Ishallthus，aftermuchcareandanxiety，beabletopushonwithaquantityofgoodssufficienttoopenthepathandtoestablishrelationswiththeequatorialcountries。Ishallhave212troopsandagoodsupplyofammunition，goods，andcattle：thusthereshouldbenoinsurmountabledifficulty。”IwrotetoMr。Higginbotham，alsotoMr。Marcopolo，andsentthelettersinclosedinabottle。”February17。Aslightshowerfellthismorning。ThesheikofMoogearrivedtoseemelastevening，andpresentedafatgoat。”IamtryingtopersuadehimandoldAbbiotojoinincuttingthecart-roadthroughtheforestfromMooge。IgaveAbbioamixtureofsulphateofzincforhiseyes，andputamustardplasteronWanitheinterpreter’sstomach。Atfirsthesaiditwasofnouse，asitonlyfeltlikecoldwater，butwhenitbegantoburn，hewasgreatlyamazed，andsaidthecoldwaterhadturnedtofire。”IthenphysickedColonelAbd-el-KaderandMonsoor，bothofwhomwereoverheated。”Ajudiciouspresentofafewblueshirtstocertainheadmenputeveryoneingoodhumour。”February18——ItookastrollforsomemilesintheforestaccompaniedbyLieutenantBaker。Gamewasveryscarce，butweatlengthcameuponafineherdoftetelAntelopeBabalis。Thesehavingbeendisturbedbythenoisewehadmadeinwalkingoverloosestonyground，dashedthroughtheopenforest，about120pacesinmyfront。Ishotonethroughtheshoulder，anduponrunningupIfounditintheactoffalling。”IthenheardashotfromLieutenantBakeronmyleft，towhommyshothadturnedtheantelopes。Hehadkilledaverylargebullbyagoodshotintheneck。”ThisluckwasawindfallfortheLoborenativeswhohadaccompaniedus；
andamanimmediatelystartedoffforassistance，asmanymenwererequiredtotransportthefleshandhidesofsuchlargeanimals。”February19-Thenativesbeggedthatwewouldaccompanythemtohunt，andtheystartedwithaconsiderableparty。”Havingformedalonglinelikeskirmishers，withintervalsofabouttenyardsbetweeneach，theyadvancedwiththeirbowsprepared，andthearrowsonthestring，readyforashotontheinstantshouldgamestartonfoot。Thereweremanyboysofabouttwelveyearsold，allofwhomwerearmedwithbowsandarrows，andtheyadvancedinthesamelinewiththemen。Thereweretoomanypeople，andthegamebecamescared；sothatafteralongwalk，wereturnedtocampwithouthavingfiredashot。”Ifoundsomeverycuriousflowers，whichissuedfromthegroundinpods，withoutleaves；theseburstandthrewoutbeautifulcompactsilkballsingreatnumbers，nothalfofwhichcouldbereturnedtothepodthathadscatteredthem。”On22ndFebruarywehadpurchasedandstored，inexpectationofthearrivalofthetroops，3，740lbs。offlour。”Iwasdeterminedtocarryalargesupplytothesouth，asthecountryhadinsomeplacesbeendepopulatedbytheslave-hunters。