New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-05-26
from NETWORK TO NINEvEH.

xxx.
90 .rryNPr AT BURNING OUT LIONs-THE
scrrERY OF THE WHITE NrLE-AN ARAB
WELCOME.
....,,.y csfres,sndescs 81 the y. Y. Tribvns.
On THE WHITE NnX CENTRAL AFRICA,
Monday. January 26, 1852.
The night after leaving the leland Of The
shaIooks the wind blew violently and the riverwas
,ousb and agitated. We all went to sleep there
f,re. feeling certain that no predatory canoes
vmld venture to follow ms. Yesterday evening at
sanret we passed the Island Of Hassaniyeh, and
a, now be- ond the frontier of the negro kingdom.
rSe wind has fallen and the sailors are rowing
IA. down stream, singing the while barbaric
v,icb they learned from the slaves brought
from rszogl
Yesterday morning there was q strong head
- .ca the Temperature was 20 cold that was
,Al;red to wear my thick capote Of camel's hair
,.b;Ie sat on deck, looking regretfully at the
,..ut;fuI islands was leaving behind me. Ach-
- heated and strained the honey given mo by
~. sh;IIooks. which yielded between three and
su, ousrts of rich liquid. While the men made
k.t TO the bank for breakfast, went on shore 10
81 glimpse of the country behind the forests.
Paths trodden by wild beasts led through the
walls Of tangled vines that elsewhere were impsn-
etrable, and crept along them, under the boughs
AZ strange trees and through thickets Of luxurant
shubs. At length l reached an open patch Of
mss four or five feet in hight and 30 dry and yell
low that il snapped like glass under my feet. II
vss dotted with clumps Of high shrubs, knotted
N over with wild, Towering vines, which formed
admirable lairs for the lions and leopards. There
va. strong smell of lions about the place, and
I deemed it prudent not to venture far, since the
rank animal odor peculiar to that beast grew more
marked the further went. The jungle in which
I stood covered tongue Of land incloscd between
two coves Of the river, and through the openings
in the thickets saw that it led to others further
inland. The wind was blowing toward the river,
and as stood in the midst, contemplating the
Wild, lawless grouping of the different trees and
shrubs, some imp of darkness whispered in my
ear: "What a magnificent confagration this
would make and then, perhaps, you might have
the satisfaction Of burning out brace of lions
Without more ado, whipped out box of match
60. and struck fire in one of the thickest tufts.
repentance. There was crack and crash, like
the explosion Of powder, and a sheet of red fame
leaned into the air. In few seconds it had spread
to broad swathe of FIRE, rolling rapidly before the
wind, and leaving the earth behind it as bare as
the palm ofmy hand. The rank grass roared and
snapped as the terrible power had so thought
Iessly awakened, licked il away and not the
II x.p hos han,
down, swung itselfby them into the boughs ofthe
trees, and found richer alment in their gums and
Juices. II spread on both sides and against the
wind, and soon the long spires of scarlet flame,
twisting in the air, rose high and hot above the
domc-ike tops of the amback forests. Before We
lei the place. the volumes of smoke reached near
y to the other side of the Nile. As heard its
relentless feet trampling down the thckcts, tor
nented myselfwith pictures Of the evil which
had perhaps originated. l fancied it spreading
rom day to day. tapping the woods in coils of
lame and !inging their burning boughs from island
10 island till of all the glory of vegetation which
had filed me with such rapture, there was nothing
,ut few chaned trunks standing in beds of
lshes. saw the natives with their focks and
lords flying before it, the wild beasts leaping into
he food for refuge from its red fangs and all this
glorious region given up to terror and desolation.
Az We moved slowly away, against the wind, l
watched its progress with troubled conscience
md an anxious heart. Now it paused and nat-
tered myself that there was the end, but the next
the black clouds rolled up denser than
ever. Thus it wavered for some time, but at last,
thank God! it seemed to fade gradually away,
and gave myself the hope that it had not extend
ed beyond the jut ofland whercon it was kindled.
At noon we passed the locality marked on
D'Amaud's map as El-Ais, but there was nosigu Of
Aabtstion. The rais said there was town sorae
distance inland, but it is now deserted The river
here makes curve to the west, and our small
aern-sail was bound to the foremost, in order 20
sss the side-wind. My sailors were unremitting
n their lxbors, and rowed poled and tracked the
whole day. sat in the sun all the while, looking
N the Incompatible shores. We saw mulsitudes
u gazclles along the waters edge, on both sides.
They were in companies of forty and fifty, and so
little shy, that they often allowed US to approach
within fifty yards. Wild fowl ara as abundant a.
'ver and l continually regret having brought no
ias and fowling-piece. When We reached the
'orthern extremity Of Hassaniyeh, at smses, l
vent ashore on the eastern bank, hoping to find
|azeiIe. The thickets were almost impenetrable,
md made my way with difficulty into moro
'pen space, where the trees grew in cluinps aud
ne hoa-paths had broken way between them
Zach Of these clumps was woven into single
mass with vines, forming coverts ofdeepest shade
saersin beast might crouch unoisered, eren at
ud-day. The ground was covered with dry bur-
snss, whose heads pierced through my clothes
oas Of the sailors accompanied me with a club
'us was In such deadly fear Of lions that he obliged
- TO return to the shore. Certainly, this is the
lsndise Of wild boasts. Such convenient lairs
'asy can End in no other part of the world, aud
- thousands Of gazclles and antelopes that range
'..oash the wilderness furnish them with choice
- y ARE. The trees and vines were nearly all
W TO nae. noticed in particular, succulent