Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-06-24

On June 23d, we were nearly sutfocated
| with whirlwind that buried everything
| within the tents several inches in the dust;
| the heat was intense; as usual the sky was
| spotless, but the simeon was more over
powering than [ had yet experienced. [
| accordingly took my rifle and went down
| to the pool, as any movement, even IN the
| burning sun, was preferable TO inaction in
that sultry heat and dust. The crocodileS
had dragged the skeletons of the hippopot-
ami into the water; several huge heads
appeared and then vanished from the sur
face, and the ribs of the carcass that pro-
jected, trembled and jerked as the jaws of
the crocodiles were at work beneath. L
shot one of very large size through the
head, but it sank to the bottom; expect
ed to find it on the following morning,
floating upon the surface, when the gas
should have distended the body.
[ also shot large single bull hippopota-
mus late in the evening, which was alone
at the extremity of the pool; he sank at
the forehead, and as he never rose again, |
concluded that he was dead, and that |
should find him on the morrow with the
crocodile Tired with the heat | trudged
/
of the rivers bed.
The cool night arrived, and at about
half-past eight was lying half asleep upon
my bed by the margin of the river, when |
fancied that heard rumbling like distant
thunder; | had not heard such sound
for months, but a low, uninterrupted roll
appeared to increase in volume, although
far distant Hardly had [ raised my head
to listen more attentively, when confu-
sion of voices arose from the Arabs camp,
with sound of many feet, and in few
minutes they rushed into my camp, shout
ing to my men in darkness, % FL Bahr
Ell Bahr, :" (the river the river y
We were up in an instant, and my utter
prefer, Mahomet, in state of intense con-
fusion, explained that the river was coming
down, and that the supposed distant thun-
der was the roar of approaching water.
Many of the people were asleep on the
clean sand of the rivers bed; these were
Iquickly awakened by the Arabs, who rush
ed down the steep bank to save the skulls
of my two hippopotami that were exposed
to dry. Hardly had they descended, when
meath, told us that the water had arrived,
and the men, dripped with wet, had just
| sufficient time to drag their heavy burdens
up the bank.
All was darkness and confusion: every
body was talking and no one listening, but
the great event had occurred, the river had
arrived like thief in the night" On
the morning of the oath June, / stood on
| the banks of the noble Atbara river, at the
break of day. The wonder of the desert
yesterday there was barren sheet of glar-
ing sand, with fringe of withered bush
and trees upon its borders that cut the yell
low expanse of desert. For days we had
journeyed along the exhausted bed; all
Nature, even in Natures poverty, was
most poor; no bush could boast leaf;
no tree could throw shade; crisp gums
cracked upon the stems of the mimosas,
the sap dried upon the burst bark, sprung
with the whitening heat of the simeon
In one night there was mysterious change
wonders of the mighty Nile AN army
of water was Fastening to the wasted river
there was not drop of rain, no thunder
cloud on the horizon to give hope, all had
| been dry and sultry; dust and desolation
yesterday,-to-day magnificent stream,
some 500 yards in width, and from fifteen
to twenty feet in depth, flowed through
the dreary desert. Bamboos and reeds,
with trash of all kinds, were hurried along
the muddy waters Where were all the
crowded inhabitants of the poolf The
prison doors were broken. the prisoners
were released, and rejoiced in the mighty
streams of the Atbara.
The rains were pouringfin Ably ssinia /.
these uere sources of the Nae. l-ra