第43章

Thetamarindswereoftwovarieties，andwereproducedinextraordinaryquantities。Abouttwomilesfromhead-quarters，therewasanextensiveportionoftheforestcomposedalmostexclusivelyofthesemagnificenttrees。

TheforestwasalsorichinthetreeknownbytheArabsas”heglik”Thisbearsafruitaboutthesizeofadate(lalobe)，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。

On1stDecember，LieutenantBakershotafinebullelephant，withverylargetusks；thiswaswithinfourmilesofhead-quarters。AtthisseasontheywereverynumerousintheneighbourhoodofGondokoro。DuringmyabsencetothesouthofRegiaf，therehadbeenacuriousnocturnalalarminthestation。

Uponafinemoonlightnightthesentrieswereastonishedbytheappearanceoftwoimmensebullelephants，that，havingmarchedalongthecliff，tookthefortintherearontheriverside。

Thefortwasaredan，openattheriverbase；thus，unheedingthesentry，theelephantscoollywalkedintothecentre。Thesentry’smusketwasimmediatelyrespondedtobytheguard；thebuglers，startledbyasharpfireofmusketry，blewthealarm。

Theelephants，nowalarmedintheirturn，rushedonwards，butuponascendingtheearthwork，theyweremetbyadeepyawningditch，whichtheycouldnotcross。Thewholeforceturnedout，andtheattackonthethick-skinnedintrudersbecamegeneral。Thebulletsflewsowildlythatitwasmoredangerousforbystandersthanfortheelephants。

Inthemeanwhile，thepanic-strickenanimalschargedwildlyinalldirections，butwereinvariablystoppedbytheditchandrampart，untilatlasttheyhappenedtofindtherightdirection，andretreatedbytheiroriginalentrance，mostprobablynotmuchtheworsefortheadventure。

Mr。Higginbotham，whogavemethisaccount，describedtheexcitementofthetroopsassointense，thattheylettheirmusketsoffcompletelyatrandom：andsothickwerethebulletsinhisdirection，thathewasobligedtotakeshelterbehindawhite-anthill。

Ihadnotimetodevotetoelephant-shooting，otherwiseImighthavekilledaconsiderablenumberintheneighbourhoodofGondokoro。TheBarisarenotgoodhunters，andtheymerelycatchtheelephantsinpitfalls；therefore，beingfreefromattack，theseanimalsareexceedinglydaring，andeasytoapproach。

Theyaregenerallyattractedbytheripelalobes，thefruitalreadydescribedoftheheglik(BalanitesEgyptiaca)。Thetrees，ifofmediumsize，arefrequentlytorndownforthesakeofthissmallproduction，thatwouldappeartooinsignificantforthenoticeofsohugeananimal。

Ioncehadanopportunityofwitnessinganelephant’sstrengthexertedinhissearchforthissmallfruit。IwasintheShircountry，andonee

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