_Friday, Dec. 30._--There is a high wind that rolls up the whitecaps on the river like a sea. The Berberinos are a fine, muscular, well-built set of people, and, apparently, a happy race. We have heard the first hearty laughter here since we came to the country. Their voices, too, are very sweet and musical. After we have made an attempt at washing off the dust and dirt of travel, we go to see the Governor, Ibrahim Bey. He talks Turkish and we get on well together. The government dahabeah is the only one here. There are a few merchant boats, but they are all full or engaged. So we have the boldness, as ours is pressing business, to ask the Governor for his dahabeah. No! we can’t have it. He is going out to collect taxes and needs it himself. We can go by camel or by merchant boat, as we please. Then we haul out our orders from Cairo and give him another opportunity to let us have the dahabeah. Finally he says that if we can get an order from Raouf Pasha, the Governor General of the Soudan, he will let us have it. We take a walk through the city, and then returning to our tents send a telegram to Khartoum to His Excellency, the Governor, asking for an order for the dahabeah. [Illustration: ABYSSINIANS.] _Saturday, Dec. 31._--The order from Raouf Pasha has arrived; the dahabeah is ours! and besides the order came a separate telegram of welcome to the Soudan. Surely we could not ask to have things in better shape. In a few moments the dahabeah is moored in front of our tents, and the Reis reports to us for orders. We have had some business with the Sheik to-day. Our boxes were badly broken up on the desert through carelessness, and after repeated warnings, and before we pay the remainder of the camel money we propose to have the drivers mend those boxes in a proper manner. They refuse; and there are high words and loud talking. The Sheik comes. We explain to him the position of affairs, and tell him that as we expect to travel through this country more than once, we want it fully understood _how_ we intend to travel. He says it shall be done as we say, and orders the carpenter to be called. He comes, and the drivers dismiss him and clamor for their money. Not a _para_ until those boxes are mended! After a time another carpenter is brought who patches up the boxes, but we refuse to accept the work, and insist on having it done over, and done properly. At last, after considerable growling, it is done, and we offer them the remainder of the amount agreed upon at Korosko. They refuse to take it, demanding nearly twice as much. We go to Sheik Hassan Halifa with it, state the case, and offer the money. He obliges the men to take it, and we come off with the respect of the whole crowd! It is the only way to do in a country like this! We have visited the bazaar, which is quite extensive. We have paid our respects to the Governor, who, now that we have carried our point, is more polite than ever. We have also had a number of calls. We have posted off