evening prayer. The flickering red light of the fires illumined the
bronze faces of the congregation, and as I stood before the front line
of devotees, I tools off my cap in respect for their faith, and at the
close of their prayer made my salaam to their venerable Faky (priest);
he returned the salutation with the cold dignity of an Arab.

On the next day my wife's fever was renewed, but she was placed on a
dromedary and we reached Cassala about sunset. The place is rich in
hyenas, and the night was passed in the discordant howling of these
disgusting but useful animals. They are the scavengers of the country,
devouring every species of filth and clearing all carrion from the
earth. Without the hyenas and vultures the neighborhood of a Nubian
village would be unbearable. It is the idle custom of the people to
leave unburied all animals that die; thus, among the numerous flocks and
herds, the casualties would create a pestilence were it not for the
birds and beasts of prey.

On the following morning the fever had yielded to quinine, and we were
enabled to receive a round of visits --the governor and suite, Elias
Bey, the doctor and a friend, and, lastly, Malem Georgis, an elderly
Greek merchant, who, with great hospitality, insisted upon our quitting
the sultry tent and sharing his own roof. We therefore became his guests
in a most comfortable house for some days. Here we discharged our
camels, as our Turk, Hadji Achmet's, service ended at this point, and
proceeded to start afresh for the Nile tributaries of Abyssinia.



CHAPTER II.