This was a sad loss. So long as my animals were well I felt
independent, and the death of this camel was equal to minus five cwt. of
luggage. My men were so idle that they paid no attention to the animals,
and the watcher who had been appointed to look after the four camels had
amused himself by going to the Latooka dance. Thus was the loss of my
best animal occasioned.
So well had all my saddles and pads been arranged at Khartoum, that
although we had marched seven days with exceedingly heavy loads, not one
of the animals had a sore back. The donkeys were exceedingly fresh, but
they had acquired a most disgusting habit. The Latookas are remarkably
clean in their towns, and nothing unclean is permitted within the
stockade or fence. Thus the outside, especially the neighbourhood of the
various entrances, was excessively filthy, and my donkeys actually
fattened as scavengers, like pigs. I remembered that my unfortunate
German Johann Schmidt had formerly told me that he was at one time
shooting in the Base country, where the grass had been burnt, and not a
blade of vegetation was procurable. He had abundance of sport, and he
fed his donkey upon the flesh of antelopes, which he ate with avidity,
and throve exceedingly. It is a curious fact that donkeys should under
certain circumstances become omnivorous, while horses remain clean
feeders.
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