"All my people are more or less ill; I am not very well myself;
but I have staved off an attack of fever by preventive measures.
"August 25.--Such a magnificent sunset I have never seen! From
all quarters were gathering storms of the blackest description,
each cloud emitting lightning without intermission, and as the
sun touched the horizon upon the only clear point, it illumined
like a fire the pitch-black clouds, producing the most
extraordinary effect of vivid colouring, combined with lightning,
and a rainbow.
"Rain in torrents throughout the night. It is now impossible to
walk on the flat table land, as the soil is so saturated that it
clings to the feet like birdlime, in masses that will pull the
shoes off unless they fit tight. All this immense tract of rich
land would grow any amount of cotton, or wheat, as in this
country the rain falls with great regularity--this might be sent
to Berber by boats during the season of flood.
"August 27.--My antelope skins are just completed and are
thoroughly tanned. Each skin required a double handful of the
'garra,' or fruit of the Acacia Arabica. The process is simple:
the skin being thoroughly wetted, the garra is pounded into a
paste; this is rubbed into the hide with a rough piece of
sandstone, until it becomes perfectly clean, and free from
impurities; it is then wrapped up with a quantity of the paste,
and is deposited in a trough and kept in the shade for
twenty-four hours.
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