UP THE NILE TO UGANDA.
JOURNAL OF MR. R. W. FELKIN.
(Continued.)

UNE 28.-The first part of the ride to-day was pretty easy, four and a half hours only to Disalle (?). We started at five o'clock, but the sun became hot. We marched through mountain passes still, and if I had not been so tired from the ride the night before I might have enjoyed it. We met two very long caravans of ivory. We crossed the dry bed of a river, which we found out afterwards to be the Ariab. It must be a large and very swift river in the rainy season, and prevents this route from being used all the year. We passed over it subsequently some eight or ten times, sometimes travelling up its course for many miles.

Disalle is a hut of the same course as before, situated in a little valley about 2,000 feet above the level of the sea. It was intensely hot, being for four hours 110° to 111° in the shade. The heat prevents sleeping, or, in fact, doing anything save lying on your rugs, restless, and trying to get a cool draught with your fan. We left at four o'clock, and the

mountain scenery we passed through was truly splendid. The road was easy, and a cool breeze springing up made riding almost pleasant. I got a shot at an eagle with my revolver, but missed him. The echo was very fine, resounding for several minutes after I had fired. The sunset, too, was most magnificent, the sun going down like a great ball of fire, and then the play of colours was marvellously beautiful. -As another long ride was before us, we stopped for half-an-hour after sunset at the foot of Mount Jedrus, which is about 5,000 feet high. We had coffee and a rest, and I noticed such curious faces made by the outline of the rocksone just like Punch from one side, and like Louis Philippe on the other. We got to Edrus after nine hours' riding, thankful that another hard day's work was done. It is wonderful how well Arabs see-they lead the camels safely even in the most difficult mountain passes. I dropped my tobacco - pouch

one

night, and though it took some time to make them understand what I had lost, after a little time they found it again.

June 29.-We left Edrus at six o'clock, and had an easy ride of four and a half hours to Haritree, and found there two soldiers stationed. They were very pleased to have visitors, and gave us, on dismount

ing, a glass of cold good water. Such a treat! I have never had colder water out here, though the porous leather bottles we hang on our saddle pommels cool the water nicely. By-the-bye, water is carried in sheepskins slung on to the camels, and the water is generally warm and tastes of leather. The camels, too, when thirsty, have an awkward way of biting the bottles, and so, if you do not look out, you lose your water, which, as one drinks a great quantity, is not pleasant and might be dangerous. The tanks are really the best for safety, but they are expensive; and when the water gets low in them, it shakes about and becomes very hot. Haritree was almost unbearable. I wonder what you would think of this heat at home. It is like the heat before a furnace when they are casting. We left Haritree at four, and gradually ascended still higher: the mountains, too, were very high. The way was steep and difficult, but the camels are very sure-footed. At eight we had coffee at a place called "Water-canal." There is no hut or water there; but, two miles off the road, water and a hut are to be found. The rocks here are very granda great deal of granite and some splendid pieces of white marble. The ride from here to Fohr, where we camped in a large valley, is down hill and most difficult, and how the men find the way, which turns and twists,

I cannot imagine. The valley is surrounded by high mountains, and the camp fires looked very nice. Of course we slept in the open, and the Arabs told us we should always sleep with our heads to the wind. The advice is good: and also we ought always to have a light covering on, as, however hot it may be, a cold wind often, as on this occasion, springs up in the night. I was quite surprised on waking at about three o'clock to find a strong and really cold wind sweeping over us. I find sleeping in the open air very enjoyable, the air is so pure, so free and rare, as indeed it always is here. You have to sleep with your gun beside you and revolver under your pillow, as it does not do to let these things be ever out of your own possession. If the people see you are careful they are much less likely to seek a nearer acquaintance with your weapons; and prevention is better than cure in this as in most cases. It had been a most curious day a dull yellow haze seemed over everything, almost like a London fog.

June 30.-We had intended to rest all to-day, but as there was no hut or shelter of any kind, and, above all, no water, we decided to continue the journey, which we did at half-past five o'clock in the morning. The first part of the way was very nice, over a plain and good road, and a refreshing breeze. I got down and had a four mile walk, which rested me much, as my back ached badly; by nine o'clock the heat of the sun was unbearable, and the wind was so strong that umbrellas could not be used; but there was no help for it, so on we went. My lips were all cracked by the heat, and I felt dried up, which feeling lasted several days.

We entered the mountains again at ten, and passed Mount Beddab (?), a very high and noble-looking mountain. Through deep mountain passes, beside small precipices, the way wound up and down, until twelve o'clock, when we arrived, completely done up, at Kokrib, telling our men we would not budge an inch further that day. There were cows, sheep, goats, and camels at the well, and we got some splendid new milkthe first new milk I had tasted since leaving England, and I can assure you it was a treat. We had a nice dinner of hare

IN THE NUBIAN DESERT.

A BISHAREEN SHEEP.

and then had the Morning Service, which we all much enjoyed. We saw here a small Arab encampment, and our men soon made friends. The Arabs do not take money, but sell their goods for bread. We gave our men a sheep to keep them quiet, and they soon killed it, cutting its head almost off at one stroke of a sharp knife. This is the law of the Koran, and when an Arab kills a beast he must cut the windpipe and carotids, saying the name of God. The women mostly offer up a short prayer: "O God, give this animal patience to endure the suffering Thou hast ordained for it!"

A fire was made and covered over with stones, the meat was cut from the bones and placed on the hot stones to fry, the entrails and titbits from the bone eaten raw. The evening was most beau

tiful, and repaid us for the hot day; the stars magnificent, and the background of dark mountains very grand. Truly one must wonder at the vastness of creation in this desert. I sent letters home by an Arab caravan, and hope they will get there safely.

To-day I saw the women grinding grain for the first time. They rub it between two stones, and keep on for hours together, singing a low chant-not very musical, but still not unpleasant -all the time. I did wish that some one could come and educate these people, they are so nice and sharp. Surely some good could be done with them. An old man came and paid us a visit. He was the picture of old Time, and said he was 110 years old. He was a nice old fellow, and seemed greatly amused at us and our ways.

soup, rice, and strawberry jam, (The breed found between Suakim and Berber. From Schweinfurth's Heart of Africa.)

July 1.-We started from Kokrib at six A.M., and had a pretty easy ride to Mattah, which place we reached about eleven. The sun was very hot, but a nice cool breeze made things pleasant. I did not feel the riding so much to-day, and my back-ache was better. I am getting used to packing my saddle myself and making it rather more comfortable. We saw a caravan of a merchant this morning. They were just upon starting. He is a jollylooking man with four wives. I saw one or two of them before they pulled their veils over, and they were very good-looking-one was white enough to be English. They seem to get on well together.

We left Mattah at 3.30, and had a splendid ride across the plain of Kokrib, about fifteen miles broad. After sundown we walked and had a race over the plain. Litchfield shot a vulture-an immense bird-the wings about five and a half feet from tip to tip. He also shot some more doves for dove soup. We joke him about his dove soup; he manages to get us some nearly every day. The doves are very small, and one could eat twenty of them easily. There is a tradition that over the plain of Kokrib a girl danced without stopping the night before her marriage. Rather a long dance, was it not? Our cavass assures us the tale is true. We saw the mirage for the first time this afternoon: it looked like a river with trees along its banks, and I had great difficulty in bringing myself to believe my sense before my eyes, it looked so real; but when we got nearer it vanished away. After leaving the plain we entered a dark mountain gorge, and it was just like going into a fiery furnace, the wind was so hot it dried one up completely. At 10.30 reached Yungub. Half our journey is over, but the worst half has to come; scarcely any water; long and very hot stages being promised us.

MR. SATTIANADHAN IN ITALY.

[We are sure that our readers will be glad to have this interesting narrative continued, though we have not space for Mr. Sattianadhan's descriptions of the various sights he saw.]

CHINTADREPETTAH, MADRAS, 13th December, 1878.

S has already been mentioned, we left Paris on the 23rd of October. Having passed, under cover of night, through the uninteresting portion of our journey, we found ourselves the next day in a part of South France full of mountain scenery and romantic interest. As we proceeded southwards, the aspect of things became more and more Oriental. The French plough, for example, greatly resembled the Indian, drawn, not by horses, as in England, but by bullocks. Even the climate was very much like our own, warm and bright. The landscape in the neighbourhood of Mont Cenis was magnificent. The tunnel, a wonder in itself, cut through solid rock in the Alps, about five miles in extent, the largest tunnel in the world, was passed by us in about twenty-five minutes. We had hardly done this when sublime scenery burst into view. The noble Alps, covered with snow, and reflecting beauty and brightness under the golden rays of the setting sun, and streams of water running in all directions, spreading fertility and fragrance, could not but fill the mind with awe and admiration. What are works of human art and skill compared with the magnificence of those of the great Creator?

After a railway journey of twenty-two hours from Paris, we reached Turin, in full view of the Alps, and passed the night in the Grand Hotel d'Angleterre. Next morning we left Turin for Florence, and passed through some beautiful scenery near Asti and Alessandria. In the carriage in which we travelled there were passengers representing several nationalities, viz., the English, the French, the Russians, the Italians, and the Hindus. We found them all exceedingly civil and agreeable, particularly two English ladies, sisters, from Northumberland, bound for Australia, with whom we had very pleasant conversation for a few hours. They got out at Bologna, as they were going direct to Brindisi to catch the P. and O. steamer. Bologna is an important railway junction, where the French and German lines meet. I believe this town has given six popes to Rome.

After a journey of twelve hours, we arrived at Florence, at about 10 P.M., and were kindly met at the station by the Rev. James Long, for thirty years missionary of the C.M.S. at Calcutta. He visited Florence for the purpose of attending the Oriental Congress held here some days ago. We stayed at the Hotel de l'Europe, but did not find it so comfortable as we expected.

The next day (Friday) we had some sight-seeing in this "city of flowers and the flower of cities," beautifully situated in the valley of the Arno. In company with Mr. Long, we drove to the house which witnessed the birth of Michael Angelo, a name which shines with unrivalled lustre in the history of art. This building is now used as a museum, especially for the pictures, sculptures, and autographs of the celebrated artist. Then we visited the church of Santa Cruce, one of the principal churches here, and the marble statue of Dante, author of the immortal Divina Comedia. This figure was a marvellous expression of silent beauty and intelligence. We next saw the baptistry near the cathedral, with its bronze gates full of Scripture scenes. . .

We then took a long drive out of the city, and found it encircled by sloping hills, and studded with picturesque villas and fruitful vineyards and gardens. On a lovely spot, resembling the delta of the Arno, we noticed the bust of an Indian prince, and were attracted at once by the strange sight. On approaching it we found it was the tomb of Rajah Ram Chuttrapatti, Maharajah of Kolapoor. It was a fine tomb, with a bust in exact likeness, colour, and costume of the prince, railed all round. There was an inscription put on it in Italian, English, and Hindu, which

was as follows:-" This monument is for the memory of an Indian prince, Rajah Ram Chuttrapatti, Maharajah of Kolapoor, who died in his 21st year, in Florence, 30th November, 1870, when he was on his return from England to his country of India." Thus died an Indian prince in a strange country, far away from his own, in the prime of life and zenith of glory, and his remains were burnt on this very spot, and the ashes carried to India, and were probably thrown into the sacred waters of the Ganges, from a superstitious notion that the spirit inhabiting the earthly tenement of which the ashes formed a part would be admitted into the bliss of Kylasa, the heaven of the Hindu god Siva. How true are the sentiments of a Hindu poet: "Youth is like a bubble on the water, wealth is like a wave of the sea, and the human body is like writing on the water!"

After dinner Mr. Long called, and we both strolled a little in the streets, and went to a coffee-house, where we saw a great many Florentines taking coffee or light Italian wines. Among the gentlemen present there was a Roman Catholic priest from Ireland, with whom I had a conversation on missionary subjects. He asserted that with comparatively small means the Propaganda of Rome had obtained large results in the missionary field, while England, with £5,000,000 devoted to missionary enterprise, could not point to fruit half so large. I replied that if the result was measured simply by quantity, his Church might take credit to itself; but if it were measured by quality, which was the best test of all, England had every reason to thank God and take courage. With this answer he did not seem satisfied. He could not, as the principle of his Church was to call that success which secured the greatest number of nominal professors without the least regard to moral worth and excellence. W. T. SATTHIANADHAN.

OUR HOME IN THE WILDERNESS.
Recollections of North Tinnevelly.
BY THE REV. R. R. MEADOWS.
CHAPTER III.

WILL now give some account of the moral condition
of this physically uninviting locality.

A class of people, called Maravars, live in many of the villages of our neighbourhood. Under the strong hand of the English government they have been, as a body, compelled to give up their proper trade of robbery and plunder; and many of them have learned to be as peaceable as the rest of the inhabitants. But still their love of plunder remains. He would have been a bold man who would have ventured, before we came, to cross our plain after dark. The clump of tamarind trees was their place of meeting. From thence they would go to the house or village they intended to rob, by the light of torches; and " torch-light" robbers is the name they are known by. The head of this gang, a tall, fine-looking man, lives about a mile from our house. He has been more than once tried for murder, and the tradition of the At neighbourhood makes him the murderer of thirteen persons. his last trial he barely escaped with his life. He was, indeed, condemned to death; but he made an appeal to the High Court at Madras, and got off. I have seen him many times, and have preached the Gospel often and often to him. He has a suspicious, restless look about his eyes, which seems to show how much he dreads the approach of strangers.

Some of the villages are inhabited by a caste called Pallars. They are generally the cultivators, for the Brahmins, of their rice fields. They were formerly their slaves. From time immemorial their women, in token of slavery, had not been allowed to cover the upper part of their person; and even now, from habit, they go about in the same way. My wife and I rode one day to one of their villages. They have often seen me, but they had never seen a lady. They came together in a great crowd. They really did not know whether my wife was a man or a woman. They thought that her hat was hair, and would not be persuaded till she took it off. Then she had to take off her glove to show her hand. They seemed too degraded to take in any idea beyond what was connected with their daily labour.

On our way back we were met by some of our school-girls,

who observed our horses coming up. The contrast between the uncombed, stolid women we had just left and the clean, bright, intelligent faces of these happy Christian children was quite a sermon. They would have been in no better condition of mind or body if they had not had the advantages of Christian training. The worst of it is, that this very neatness and intelligence is sometimes mistaken. Mrs. Satthianadhan had, when her husband was stationed at Srivilliputtur, a few girls in her house. On Sundays they had to walk through the streets to the church, which was about half a mile off. Mr. Satthianadhan told me that the heathen thought they were being trained to become dancinggirls! Even now, in many villages, not a single person is able to read. The women purposely keep themselves uncombed lest they should be taken for the disreputable dancing women!

The children in the heathen schools cannot be said to be taught to tell lies: some few of the moral sentences in their books are in favour of truth. For instance

"Do not speak deceitfully."

"Although you die, do not tell a lie."

"What will not stand of itself, need not be bolstered up by a lie." But practically they are being taught every day by the example of their schoolmasters, their neighbours, and their parents, to tell lies. No one believes that truth and honesty will answer better than lies and deceit. The labouring man's maxim is, "Thirty-two lies or an empty stomach." The merchant deceives by his false balance, false measure, false weights, false statement of prices. A parent thinks his son clever if he can tell lies well.

I

The marriage tie seems as easily broken as is the string which is put round the neck of the bride, as an emblem of it. One of our servants had put away two wives and was married to a third. The relatives are called together, the purchase-money (for the wife is literally bought of her parents) is given back, a writing of divorcement is drawn up, and the marriage is dissolved. remember a painful example of this. A woman suffering from rheumatism came to me for medicine. She was between twentyfive and thirty. She had been sent back to her parents "because she was an invalid." I said, "This is the very reason why her husband should love and cherish her." I received for my answer the following: "What does he want this donkey for? Another donkey can easily be got."

Compulsory widowhood is another evil we often witnessed. Once I was urging the relatives to give a widow a few of her jewels. They said, "It is against our custom. Besides, what is the use? What is she now? A log of wood-a lump of earth."

The people are a prey to all kinds of foolish superstitions and fears. They have good and bad days for commencing a journey, and that which is a good day for travelling north is a bad day for going south, and so on. This superstition is not confined to the lower classes. All, high and low, religiously act it out. The Mohammedans are not better than the Hindus. The principal Mohammedan of the town, once hearing that I was going to start on a long journey, came to take leave of me. Before saying "salaam," he took me aside, and tried to persuade me to start at twelve o'clock instead of three, for he feared the consequences of the unlucky hour.

They fear the evil eye exceedingly. A good crop of corn will perish if the eye of envy falls upon it; and consequently something must be put up in the field to arrest the attention. It usually is a red earthen pot, dotted with white, and put on a pole. I asked a man once why a crop, which promised so well, was beginning to fall off. He said, "Don't you see how near it is to the road? The passers-by have looked on it and coveted it, and it has began to perish." Two English ladies were once comparing their babies, and laughingly measured them round the waist, to the horror of the nurse of that child which happened to be the stoutest. She expected from that day forth to see the bonny child waste away.

LETTERS TO MY PARISH FROM SANTALIA. BY THE REV. W. T. STORRS.

III.-Three Santâl Divinity Students.

[These three students are the men ordained by the Bishop of Calcutta on November 30th, as mentioned in our last.] TALJHARI, June 2nd, 1878.

脂

HAVE thought of you so very much to-day, that, though I am very tired, I am going to try and write a short letter. I had the Holy Communion with the Hindi-speaking Christians at seven o'clock this morning, and gave them a long address; but I do not think they thought it was too long. At half-past nine I had Santâli service, and again at three; and then at half-past four I mounted my horse and galloped into Rajmahal (eight miles) and had English service with the few English people who reside there; and I reached home about eight o'clock. It has been a very hot day, and the four services (I took them nearly altogether myself) and the long ride have left me as tired as every servant of God should be glad to feel himself on Sunday night. It is not often that any one will preach in three different languages in one day as I have done to-day; and it certainly is a little confusing, and not a little difficult, to keep the Santâli from coming into the Hindi, and the Hindi into the Santâli, and them both into the English.

My daily work now is with my little ordination class. Four were to have read with me for Orders, but one, owing to the illness of his wife, has been unable to come, so I have only three; but two of the younger catechists join my class every morning, and this gives me five students. One of the three is the first Santâl ever baptized in this districtBhim; just fourteen years ago I received him into the Church. He was then about nineteen, so that now he must be thirty-three; but he looks still not more than twenty-five. He is a good type of a Santâl, with broad features, but a very pleasant, cheerful face; not handsome, and yet no one would call him ugly, because of his agreeable smile. He has suffered very much in health the last few years, and I sometimes feel doubtful whether he will live long. He is a thoroughly earnest Christian, but sometimes a little timid in speaking; though when he does speak it is with a reality and outspokenness that carries all before him. He is very tender-hearted, and a cross word to him cuts him like a sword, so I have to be very gentle in the reproofs that I give. I do not think that he will ever be able to stand alone, but he will make a very wise and willing curate for any one who will lead him with a firm but gentle hand. He has made the mistake of marrying a Hindu Christian, instead of one of his own race, and I think this takes away a little from his influence among the heathen, as they are greatly against such inter-marriages. His youngest little girl is named Sarah, after some one in Horton; a dear little lively brown girl, and she is so fond of me that sometimes I can scarcely get rid of her.

Then comes William Sido, named after another Horton person; I baptized him too nearly fourteen years ago. He is a very fine character; so thoroughly straightforward, so decided, so uncompromising as regards everything that he thinks evil. He is slow in utterance, but most quick in thought, catching up a new idea at once, and making it his own directly. He has naturally an irritable temper, and once, under great provocation, did what few Santâls would have dared to do-struck a European; but now he has his temper wonderfully in check, though at once, if he thinks he sees anything unfair or unreasonable, a dark cloud passes over his face. If God spares him he will make a most valuable minister. His wife was one of Mrs. Storrs' first school-girls, and is a pattern wife and mother; so modest, so industrious, so clean, and yet never absent from a service, though she has a baby at the breast.

Then comes Sham, naturally rather rough and uncouth, and not very clever but he is a diamond in the rough. He too was one of my first pupils, and I was his pupil too, for he helped me very much in learning Santali. He is a powerful preacher, has such command of language, I like to hear his way of putting things is so forcible and trenchant. him preach; he spares no one, and I am sure if he thought I was doing wrong he would not hesitate to give me a rap in his sermons. He does not learn so quickly as the other two, but what he does learn he digests and turns it all to use; he has a capital voice, and an authoritative manner, and these are qualifications not to be despised. His wife used to be a very ignorant and awkward girl, and his eldest daughter, who rejoices in the name of Manki (pronounced very nearly like monkey, but meaning attractive), was really scarcely human in her ugliness and impish mischievousness. But they have both so wonderfully improved; the wife now has become a very pleasant, quiet, and self-possessed matron, and the girl promises to make a good wife for some young Santal teacher.

With these three I spend a great deal of my time, and I hope they will do a work in the Santâl Church which may last when I have ceased to work, and know some of the secrets and the glories of that heavenly home, to which may the Lord bring both you and me!