, 1885-02-08
WITH W0LsELEY.
A GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION or LIFE IN
THE FAR-oFF EAST.
rhs Scene ON the outsldrt. OF the Eneamp-
ment-The Native Men and Women
and Paiaes-sol-
dler and Sailors


We # n Oh - AIIA4 All ia INV
encnmf cd near the mudirs palace and facing
the river. Great sleepy buffaloos wander
about tho outskirts Of the encnm pmont
Hooded crows aro Ia close attendance on
them. Vulturas and kites hover near our
place OF rest. Ugly yellow parish dogs are
everywhere. StAgnnnt pools Of water
covered with green slime, dot tho surround
ing country. Rotting 9th is plentiful Gar
bage covers the streets, but Is now being
cleared away by fellahssn- Birds Of many
kinds are abundant Sedge warblers chirrup
from the dike4 Wator wagtails come con-
ddently close to our tents. Great focks of
blue pigeons are flying about At New
Dongola, like other places towers ave been
built for their accommodation. As l look
around me / SEQ the fantastic shapes In
which some Of the pigeon towers have
beon modelsd. Harpiss, with their gay
plumags. graceful strutting. and pretty
crosb, hop around the tentz. Larks can
almost be knocked down with a stick- The
Long-legged and hook beaked iamingos are
not more than thirty yards from who're l
write. l can SOC p~elioans by looking either
up or down the river. M~ulfitudes OF buzxing
flies are in the air. Fleaa swarm IN the
ground. They arc Of enormous growth.
Officers and mon are using hy-ioppsrz or
late insect powder has been found useful as
a protection against the pests.
It Is market day. The place OF render
vous IA at tho other end Of the village. Hers
the needy @eifendi' or squiroen has sent his
lean goats, little sheep, fowl and dates in
great varieties. He hopes to get a good
price from the Hinfidels" who aru now follow
ing the tortuous channels Of the Nile. Bed
ouins. Nubians. negroes, Arabs and a few
Copts are chattering with English quarter
masters about the price OF supplies Womsn
with blue tattoo marks on sheir temples,
chins, noses or ~cheekbones go about carry
ing earthen pitchers full OF water on their
hcnds Their compilations are yellow. The
brown complications OF the men are we'll sol
of by the snowy white tarbooahes which
cover their heads Some Of them
come from afar. They live In cnmers
hair tents or hastily constructed dwellings OF
withes and grass In some oasfs In the desert
Now their female camsls with their young
are atroling, pecking at the scanty heritage
around the village. A @sabailH or drinking
fountain stands at ono end OF the market
place. The weak, dolorous grating Of the
saklvah, or tho water wheel a harsh to the
ear. Scarlet-coated soldiers mingle In the
throng. Many OF them are struggling with
sheep and goats, which they are leading 10
10 slaughtered. Others hold groups of fowl
by tho legs, and are marching gayly back to
I AA.n 0At| Oh In-A WY IlUy IAM AI0
whitewashod barracks, which has all the ap-
rearance OF falling to decay. 1t Is built Of
stone, and is dingy looking. Grass Is grow
ing through the c~revices I'm the steps which
lead to the gateway. The hinges are rusty,
anil the underworld Is warped.
The sentry Is dressed in Egyptian uniform,
and he moves indolently. He Is muscular
and naughty looking. His arms are In good
order, and his clothes nre not much solled.
The mudir's palace is close at hand. 1t is
one OF the principal buildings in tho tow
The Coptic church, the chief mosque, anil
the Hbosta," or postofice are the others
The mosque Is going to decay. Tho wooden
lathwork can DO seen through the structure
Of the dome. Ths ceiling, rich In carving,
has In many places fallen down The min
nrets Of the Coptic church are lettering and
unsafe. In the abostaD there are many sine
cures for the mudiris favorites- The palace
itself Is a low, rambling structure OF bastard
construction. The original beauties Of Its
Saracsnic architecture have been impaired
by tawdry attempts at European orna-
mentation- In company with three
other officers ! was invited inside. l
saw relics Of glided chairs, glaring car
pets, and articles de Paris. Instead of a
Saracenic apartment, with all its rich mo
saics, l saw painted Cupids, cheap looking
glasses, imitation marble slabs, ormolu
clocks, and gaudy curtains of exceptional
uglinest The divani were OF the grandio .
design. The beauties Of Saracenic art had
been put away for the gaudy make belle vel
81 Parisian manufacture
"A NO leave the mudir's palace ground we
see whaler gigs moving up the river. They
ars approaching the place OF our encamp-
ment. There are twelve men-ten soldiers
and two sailors-in each boat The sailors
80 rauuInn muA n amf1rr l. "a th. h.lu. -
another at the bow. The boats have two
lug sails each, and these can be worked
roofed- This allows an awning to be
stretched over each boat. They are built OF
white pines and without gear weigh go
pounds each. One Of these boat VIII carry
four tons OF provisions. ammunition, and
appliances. Tho food each boat carrier is
sufficient for twelve men for many days.
The complexion OF the mon Is bronzed
almost TO copper color. Their coat are
of and they have learned to feather"
their oars and and row together. Thers
arc movable gunwaiea which can be raised
for their protection against rife shots
from the shore The arms and ac-
coutrements of tho men are close at hand.
They look the picture Of health. As they
come closer ] SEQ that they belong to the
Staffordshiro regiment, and l learn that
they arc ordered up to join their command.
which Is now beyond KortL Their clothes
are torn with the work Of travel Willing
hands help them on shore Tho Whalor gigs
arr beached and the mon aro paraded.
There are only eighty-tso OF them all told.
The sailors remain in charge OF the boat
and the stores, the soldiers taking their arms,
ammunition and accoutrements and @fall inn
for inspection
The men are young looking and the picture
OF health. ! cannot say that thoy are mus
cular. In some cases patches OF blue cloth
have been sewn on their scarlet blousos. But
the stitches aro close and the patches ht we'll.
Their boots are strong and seryiceablo,
while their helmets are a little soiled and
dinged- They have discarded their specta-
cles for the present When hoy
reach Korti and cross the desert,
they will put thom on again As
they stand In line they look a Ia
guerrp. At the word Attention thsy
spring up as II touched by an electric wire.
Their patchwork uniforms then become them
all the more. Their bronzed compilations,
stainless arms, and prompt obedience make
the wondering cfowd OF pestsring fallahacn
The half Bedouins and sleepy Arabs, who
loltar about the encampment. are not over
civil They are wandering along with pro-
vision for sale. Their palms itch for our
backshsssh, while they dislike our ways
They predict failure II We attempt TO cross
the desert They REMIND as Of the mirage
seas. which may dolude Us 10 our ruin, They
remind US that even the Egyptian troops OF
Said Pasba were deceived by thoss stmos-
pheric phcnomena They tell Us that when
overcome with thirst We will see beautiful
lakes ovsnhadowed with trees and bordered
with verdure and shrubbery. but some Of
Us have seen these things already.
E---t.f s&r t-~nIna :. Io,~ -