The Temperature Was A Little Too Low For
Out-Door Existence, As It Averaged 48 Degrees At 7 A.M.
And 54 degrees
at 3 P.M., which is the hottest hour of the day; but we were all well,
And free from colds; the servants had plenty of warm blankets, and the
false floor that I had arranged added greatly to their comfort when
camping upon the sodden ground.
I had become convinced that "the man of ability" Theodori had deceived
me, and that it would be impossible for the two-wheeled carts, or any
other conveyance, to travel through this country. Our last two marches
had proved that not only would the delay be serious, but the luggage
would be destroyed by the extreme jolting over rocks and ruts, which had
already injured several of our boxes and broken some useful articles.
Every package seemed to assume an individual vitality and to attack its
neighbour; the sharp-cornered metal boxes endeavoured to tunnel through
the cases of wine and liquors, which in retaliation bumped against and
bruised their antagonists, and a few marches had already caused more
mischief than a twelvemonth's journey by camels. The priest assured me
that it would be madness to attempt a march beyond Gallibornu, about
eleven miles in advance, and that he doubted the possibility of the
carts reaching that point, which certainly had never been visited by any
wheeled conveyances. The honest, strong, but unintelligent driver Georgi
was innocent, and he was at the time as ignorant as myself that the true
object of the "man of ability" Theodori was to deal in cattle, which was
his reason for persisting in accompanying me into the Carpas country and
declaring that the route was practicable for carts.
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