Chapter I (13)

At last it was resolved to advance against the Haddenda in their Chaàba with the whole army: which caused a precious confusion in the camp. The camels, laden with the ammunition, set out, but ran away, and threw it off when but a short way from the camp: the latter was fired at all corners, that the enemy might not throw themselves into it. The march was continued in a north-westerly direction, on the before-mentioned village of Dabab, till late in the night. Next day, about noon, we found ourselves on the Gohr-el-Gash, and had to undergo an awful scorching. On the following morning the camp was pitched an hour’s journey beyond Dabab, where the deep, grassy soil and heavy dews caused much illness, and many of the sick died. The poor Schaigies had day and night to gallop round the camp, and for three days had not been off horseback. After a rest of two days the march further into the Chaàba was made for some two miles, and, as usual, without any order, as every one had to find his way as he best could over the yet undried morass. The Black Sheiks are in their suits of armour, and have their helmets hanging at the saddle-bow. So also have Mohammed Ehle and Achmed Scheriff, though they are much in terror of being shot by our soldiery (Askari), but must, such being the Pascha’s express orders, accompany us, that so we may have in our power hostages for the Hallenga’s good behaviour. The Pascha had a great square formed, as the Arabs began to show on all sides. The few Hallenga who are with us have stuck pieces of white paper in their hair, not to be taken by our soldiery for the enemy (Haddenda). The Arabs, by fearful howlings, challenged us to commence the battle; these were replied to by a perfectly useless fire from our soldiers, without aim and at too great a distance. The Pascha galloped about like a madman, but would not move his force. The cannons were moved about from side to side and fired off, so as to astound the foe by their thunders and grape-shot, and make them keep a respectable distance from us. At last the cavalry took a breathing and charged; but, from the trees and some huts that had been fired, effected little. One of the Schaigies and four Koschafs (sing. Kaschef) fell, horses and men. After this the enemy became again quiet, and made no more attacks. The Pascha took particular pleasure in riding here and there against a single foe, and in shooting them down, as these, after having thrown all their lances, remained fixed as Achu-el-Bannat, to show their scorn for death. The Schaigies made a fearful howling as they attacked, and as the foe approached them, the blacks of Mohammed Defallah danced about on one leg and beat on their shields with their swords, now crouching low down, now springing up into the air. The village of Dabab was burnt down, although it is in the Hallenga country, and the powder was moved on close by, and passed not ten paces from the burning houses. At midday the triumphant Achmet Pascha, to whom I certainly had ascribed higher leader’s talent, retreated to his camp, which had in the meantime been left in charge of Abdin Bey. Here there was now no end of all kinds of boastings. Each proclaimed his great deeds, and according to all, an immense number of Arabs must have been slain. Friday arrived, and we should have again marched out, but the great Kadi Salani of Chartum, who had been for some time in camp, and to whom the Pascha had presented a beautiful female slave, although he brought two wives with him, advanced out of his tent and spoke with some of the upper officers. This did not continue long, till the Pascha came from his tent, and we soon observed what had been the tenor of the sly priest’s words. All the soldiers rushed one after the other to the Pascha’s feet, praying that this day no blood might be shed, as it was Chumna, a holy day or festival. This great Kadi is a hypocritical but intelligent Mograbin, drinks stoutly his wine in private, especially when he gets it for nothing, and, as I afterwards learnt from my brother, during Ramazan, when even the poor half-starved soldiers fasted, openly set them the fine example of eating and drinking before his tent, nor allowed himself to be annoyed by the displeasure of the other holy Sheiks, who during that period abstained from all food or indulgences. The Sheik of the Bischari, Wod-Naga, who, as well as the other Sheiks, have no wish to see the complete subjection of the Haddenda, has disappeared with his people from the camp to arrange with them a secret treaty, to which the Pascha has in private given his consent. The latter, who did not, nor dared not, trust to this, has during the negotiation caused the great Sheik Mohammed Din, his nephew, and the Sheik of Mitkenab, to be placed on camels, loaded as they were with the chains they all along had worn, and conveyed back to Chartum under a strong escort. In spite of the negotiations going on for a peace, many expeditions were made from the camp, but without any success, as the herds that were here and there seized on, at the fearful howls of the Arabs were scattered in all directions, upsetting infantry and cavalry, and rushing back into the forest to their fellows. The Haddenda declared themselves defeated by a deputation of a Sheik and three of themselves, but they would pay no tulba, unless the Pascha retired to the Kassela. The retreat to Kassela was made in a single day. Thirty men perished from fatigue, and 370 asses, and many horses and camels. Among the wounded was Omar Kaschef, to whom the Pascha paid every attention, and specially recommended him to my brother’s care. His horse had been killed under him by a lance-thrust, and he had received six deep wounds in the neck from the Handschar. The poor man had the night before lost an amulet, and all, even the free-thinking Sali Effendi, are firmly convinced that some evil spirit had during the night stolen it, so to effect his death. My brother who, after the Pascha had marched off with the great part of the troops, had been left behind with the sick, has completely cured the Kaschef. From this and the cure of the three Mograbins, Joseph’s fame rose so high, that men believed he could revive the dead, but would not, as he dared not contend with the will of God.

The camp was now close to the village of Kadmin, behind which in a ravine started up a beautiful rock-spring, the only one of its kind we saw in Africa; and near this we were again fenced and pallisaded. No sooner did the Pascha again find himself in security here, than at the instigation of Mohammed Ehle he openly exposed for sale in the camp the three sons of the Sheik Auet, the true head of the Hallenga, who will not surrender, and this he did on purpose to insult the father. The price asked for these youths was so high that no one would buy them. Mohammed Ehle alone bid for them with looks bent on the ground, as his countrymen round loured with furious eyes on him, it being against all custom, and contrary to the Koran, to buy a true Believer.

From the village being so near us we had much better opportunity of coming into communication with the natives, among whom my brother made various medical observations. The women, especially the female slaves, have beautifully turned strong arms, a full upper body, and this principally from working at the murhaka; the under part of the body and limbs are not so fully developed. All are rather slender than stout; whereas most of the blacks, the Dinka excepted, exhibit a good deal of such beauty as the Cape Venuses boast of. The body is free in all its movements, and the ankles and wrists are fine and the feet small. The hair is thick, bushy, and stiff.

Here the people, on the death of a Faki, or rich man, beat the nagara, and sing to it a monotonous song of a very few words. After burials the howlings are continued in the houses of the dead for from seven to fourteen days, and longer by the women. In the graveyard stands a kind of catafalque, a low scaffold, overhung by coloured mats; at the head is erected a post ornamented with shells and ostrich feathers, round which the women stand, stretching up their arms in the air, singing, and dancing. Here, too, are Faki, to whom on the night of Thursday and Friday the Nebi come. Ere a Faki can become famous he must be very aged, or have distinguished himself by much fasting and self-denial, but chiefly by much dissimulation and hypocrisy.

On the south-east side of the main ridge of the Kassela-el-Lus is to be seen, low down between blocks of rocks, the entrance to an extremely large cavern (Mogara, here Charr), which, according to the tales of the older men, is exceedingly high and roomy, runs under the whole hill, and contains water, which afterwards comes out at the north-west side of the hill in a rock-spring. Accompanied by our friend the Faki Misaur, who had, as before told, entertained us so splendidly with merissa, and, betrayed by it, revealed to us the priests’ gunpowder plot, we made a hunting excursion to that side, thus, unobserved by the inhabitants, to reach the cave; we having always received evasive or negative answers, when we requested to be shown the entrance to this place of retreat in pressing dangers. The entrance is round, and only by bending low under a mass of rock can one get in; inside all was dark. We had no torches. Our timid guide called our attention to the fresh bones and traces of blood, which, though they might not foretell a Polyphemus, still hinted at unpleasant four-footed inmates. We did not push far in, but resolved to purchase wax, make large torches, and with a larger party repeat the visit, as it was said that high pillars, probably stalactites, were to be found in the interior; but of such we saw as little sign at the entrance, as of inhabitants. It is probable that there are here about many such caves, and all connected with each other. In the hill of Abd Chammel, which rises like a sugar loaf at the distance of some miles to the south-south-east of Kassela, and which is to be seen from the Gisser, there are many such caves, which, holding water, are used by men as dwellings. If one considers this, together with the caves of the neighbouring hills, being used as dwellings, while such in other places, _e.g._ in Basa, serve only for places of refuge in times of danger, one might justly hold this land to be that of the Troglodites—the race of Troglodytica of olden geographers. It is worthy of remark, that all these “people of nature” bear no bows or arrows, nor even “poisoned” lances, as those on the hills behind Sennaar, Kordofan, and the White Nile. The distant weapons are held unworthy of a man, but are not on that account the less feared.

The present inhabitants, though otherwise good Mussulmen, as little reject the flesh of the tortoise as of the wild hog, which they look on as a delicacy, and the fat of which they form into sausages and roast on a hot stone. Their other food is milk, lochma, durra bread, which is often as fine and white as the wheaten wafer of the Host; meat, generally stinking or that of sick cattle, always eaten without bread, the more fat and butter the better, as they never look on any dish as good that is not swimming in grease. Like the Schaigies, they leave on the bones not the smallest bit of flesh, sinew, or muscle, and even with their sharp white teeth grind down the smaller bones. Their only relishes are salt and red pepper, which they bear about them in large horns. In general, they are very moderate and easily satisfied; but when they can light on anything gratis, they prove themselves real gluttons, but never seem to suffer from their gorgings. When starting on foraging expeditions, which they carry on far and wide into the Haddenda country, they merely take with them a little durra, a small quantity of flesh dried in the sun, and each a small water-skin; on such expeditions the leader lives no better than his meanest follower. The main object of these forays is cattle. To somewhat relieve the stench of their pomatum, they strew highly-scented powder over the hair, and so give it a golden red tinge. Blood revenge is here, as on the island, imperative; but commonly 1000 piastres will be accepted as blood-money; this is also the usual sum demanded as a prisoner’s ransom. Blood is here not avenged solely on the person guilty of shedding it, but, as in Russia and Greece, on his family and relatives. The women of the better orders work at making fine cotton cloths and handsome mats, but not for sale, merely for the use of their husbands and selves. Such mats are often cheap at ten or twelve reals. These people are in the habit of holding snuff mixed with ashes between their teeth and lower lip, partly as a delicacy, partly as a preventive against scurvy in the wet season. Musk and all such strong scents are highly admired. The large raised angareb or marital couch stands in the background of the tokul, and is shut off by coarse woollen cloths (schamla) and straw mats (birsch); before it stands the usual angareb for the husband. The armlets and foot-rings (anklets) of the women of the Djalin, who fled from the Nile on account of Defterdar Bey’s cruelties, were made most neatly out of dollars slightly alloyed with copper; and it was these fugitives who introduced among these tribes some culture, and civilisation, and also cotton and onions. Besides the Theresa dollars, one also meets here thalers of the Emperor Francis, which from the eagle, or rather from its feathers, are called Abu Risch, but these are not so well liked as the former.

In spite of the Haddenda hovering about the camp, we went to a gisser, an hour’s journey south from here, to look at a Baobab. On a small hill, where a large ravine touches on the Gisser, there is one towards the south-south-east, and some others about the edge of the Gohr at the foot of the hills; but neither here nor in Sabderath nor Gedèhn, do they reach the size we had seen them elsewhere, in higher regions. We had never before heard that these giant-trees were to be found here, although my brother had often sat under the shadow of a fallen one, of which the stem had a circumference of eighteen feet, and was thirty feet to the branches. Its bark is like that of our birch; outside it has a fine white rind peeling off in strips; beneath this, the real nourishing brown bark, and below that the substance of the tree, fine nets of fibres, that lie on one another in lamina the thickness of a finger. The marrow-reed of it is very large, and when fresh and green makes a good salad. The stem suddenly ceases, and finishes off in small horizontal branches; the fingerlike leaves are all small, and the crown poor compared to the stem. The bright green woolly fruit resembles longish gourds, the shell of which is easily broken, and the interior is filled with brownish beans, as hard as stones, which lie imbedded, without any regular order, in a white substance. This white substance melts in the mouth, and has a pleasant sourish taste. The fruit is more than a foot long, and half as thick. The older trees are generally rotten at heart, but, from their cork-like elasticity, not easily felled, and difficult to burn. From the fibres of the wood are made rahat, baskets, and ropes. From the White Nile I brought with me a sample of these fibres prepared for use, which in fineness did not yield to the best flax, and in durability far exceeded it. The gazelles have incredibly increased; on his return to the camp my brother shot three, but the Otru (Antelope saltiana) seems to have completely vanished. Formerly here, in Taka, hyenas were so numerous, that they broke into houses, and attacked full- grown men. Sobi Aga in one night’s ride shot thirteen of these marauders, as his people assured us.

Snakes’ bites and scorpions’ stings grow more common. Although men have repeatedly been brought to us who had been found delirious, and with all their limbs greatly swollen, still until now my brother has succeeded in saving all by administering sal-ammoniac inwardly, and washing the wound with it, without having to apply fire, as is the usual habit here, and which is also the custom in cases of poisoned lance wounds in Kordofan. There are some other good remedies in use among the natives themselves, as _e.g._ fresh pounded ricinus seed mixed in butter quickly cleans the ulcer; and they have also some singular remedies, as, for instance, for colds and sore throats, the cutting of the uvula.

Although we have everywhere inquired after, and looked about on all sides for, old remains, we have not as yet fallen in with even a single stone which is either hewn or marked with figures; however, Achmet Scheriff tells us (and he it was who first gave us tidings of the great Queen Kahua who ruled up in the mountains), of a part of the Beni-Amer country, where the city of Eidip stands at the head of the Gohr of Baraka, called Assaramm Dehera, a day’s journey from the Red Sea, where there are scattered about seven pyramids and many great stones, and that at the foot of the hills of Kostahn, Habab, and Mària are also many remains of ancient buildings of great extent.

A main source of amusement has been, and will be, during all this campaign, hunting, or rather shooting; and, on the whole, we have succeeded well, as not only have gazelles and antelopes, but also hares, bustards, guinea fowls, wild geese, and ducks, kept our kitchen pretty well supplied. The neighbouring forest affords here and there sufficient shade for us to rest under, and in early morning or late of an evening listen to the song of the birds, who by their songs often make us forget we are in the centre of Africa. The first of these is a kind of thrush, with fire-red breast and black wings (Lanius barbatus, _Afr. spec. nov._) which has the song of our blackbird, and first showed itself in numbers in the rainy season. These mostly frequent the higher trees, while other kinds of thrush with black or white heads [Turdus (ixos), leucocephalus (Crateropus), and xanthopygus (Arsinoe)], which crowd in flocks the lower bushes, by their chatterings, curious notes, and mocking songs remind us of the starling. The Marabous (Leptoptilus, here called Abu seïn), has also become plentiful. The Schaigies take great delight in chasing these birds, (that have a difficulty in rising from the ground) on horseback, and even on dromedaries, either overriding them or knocking them down by throwing a stick, and then, without killing them, pull out the feathers under the tail and set them at liberty; these feathers they sell to us for some trifle or other. Our collection increases, and we rejoice in the prospect of at a future time seeing them in the Berlin Museum, for which we intend them. The animals now in that museum sent by us will be found enumerated in the _Appendix_. One bird, most plentiful in Chartum, the small red house-tit (Fring. Senegal _L._), we have never seen here.

Of living animals, we have a young animal of the lynx species, here called fagged; but, although we have had him many months by us, he is as little tamed as any weasel. Against my brother, though he has never beaten him, the beast has a peculiar spite, and he cannot pass near him without being in danger of feeling his sharp claws driven into his feet. Besides, we have a young lion (the male lion here has no mane), and a kind of panther (here sometimes called nimr, tiger, a vague designation of all larger animals of the feline species, and sometimes, fagged), which has all the way along its back a whitish mane, as broad as one’s hand, under which, however, its peculiar spotted skin is observable; especially when, as it grows older, this mane thins off, seeming to be peculiar to the animal in its younger state. Further, we have a kind of squirrel, with a silver grey tail (Sciurus brachyotus _Ehrenb._), which has become perfectly tame, and lives in strange intimacy with the lynx. Of these squirrels there seems to be plenty here, but never have I seen them on the trees, as with us; they dig and grope about the ground, especially where the natives have their corn pits. Of birds, we have only the Secretary, or snake-eater; and a Horn-bird (Buceros nasutus _L._), which was winged by a shot. The first is very handsome, and has the peculiarity that in the upper part of him he resembles an eagle, while his legs are those of a wader. The Arab who sold him to us, asserted he had brought him down from the nest where he bred. The Horn- bird has a very short tongue, in a very crooked bill, and over the latter an evident horn, the point of which seems blunted off. From his short tongue, and projecting horn, he is obliged to seize his pieces of flesh by the tip of his bill, throw them up in the air, and catching them, thus bring them within reach of his tongue, to settle them for swallowing. The Pascha had received two young dwarf antelopes (here, Otru, springing bucks), which he presented to us. We bought a goat in milk, to give suck to these little creatures. One night I heard a peculiar noise, and I foreboded some mischance had happened to one of the little ones. I kindled a light, and saw that another, to me unknown beast, had one of the antelopes in its jaws. Without thinking long over it, I seized the robber in the act, and then discovered that it was a jackal. My brother, from being ill, could not aid me; but our servants had heard my calls, and, to save the skin, a cord was at once procured, and the spoiler strangled with it. Men called it Badschum, but it had a short tail, and the Arabs said it was a Kelb-el-Galla (wild dog). Finally, we have a Civet-cat (here, Kediss-el-Sabat). Numbers of these cats are kept here in cages, to procure from them the much-loved musk or civet, which is contained in glands behind. Of the great brown apes, which are represented among the hieroglyphics with torches in their hands, as executioners (a species of Kynocephalus), we could procure no specimen, and Mohammed Ehle would not sell us his, that was quite tamed, and generally sat on his house’s roof. As these hideous apes fight among each other with sticks and branches, and know how to defend themselves with stones, as we ourselves had experience of, perchance they may be some species of the far-famed Chimpanzee, which in size exceed the Ourang-outang.

The Pascha summoned me, and informed me that Kataref and Kalabat had declared against all tribute; that a revolt against the Egyptian rule was to be dreaded in Sennaar; and that England threatened Egypt; then, that fortunately, six cannon, with munitions, had arrived at Berber, and seventeen at Korusko. But, in spite of this, he would abstain from chastising the rebels, as the army was much melted away, and many were sick. He held that the Sheiks under him must have business elsewhere, and would there make much spoil; he would, therefore, wait till spring, and then push up, on and by the Blue Nile, to Atisch, from there fall on Habesch, and quickly conquer it, ere the English, who had taken it and its bad people under their protection, could have tidings of it, and so by force open up this old road of trade. His plans of conquest extended from thence all over the gold lands of Faszogl, out over the Beni-Amer, and to Darfur; as if all this was a mere trifle. On a sign given, his attendants quitted the recuba, and he entrusted to me that the Viceroy had invited him to pay him a visit at Cairo; that he certainly would not go, but had no wish to quarrel with him, as he still possessed his confidence, as his sending the twenty-three great guns showed; although he had before had his doubts about it. (This reserve that he obstinately persisted in, after a second and even third invitation, afterwards cost him his life; and it was fortunate for me I made my escape in time, as he must have divulged to some treacherous Sheiks the plans of independence he fostered, as I afterwards, on my journey to Mandera, had completely proved to me by Abu Sin.) He then made a gloomy face, and related that his father-in-law, even at this busy and unpleasant time, urged him to equip a second expedition to the White Nile, and that he must, for the moment, comply with his wishes.

No one was better pleased than I by this last intelligence, and I was hard put to to conceal it. His promise to promote me to Bey on his conquest of Abyssinia, or rather of its nearest provinces, and to give me sixteen purses monthly, was, compared with this, a mere nothing; as, in this country, there is a mighty difference between promising and performing, as I, unfortunately, in the sequel had bitter experience of. Soliman Kaschef, of Karreri, a brave Circassian, and a “fellow of infinite humour,” who already had commanded the first expedition to the Bachr-el-Abiat, and who had now been some time with the camp, and employed on many plundering expeditions, made a long face when the Pascha announced to him that he should lead this expedition. However, on our quitting the Pascha’s presence, he came with us to partake of a bottle of wine, and I revealed to him that it would be the greatest pleasure to me to accompany him on this journey of discovery, that we were sure to find much gold (as I knew from my books), and requested him that he would beg of the Pascha that we two brothers might accompany him, even though it should be at our own expense; he undertook the task with great willingness, and also saw that it was all proper that we, whom the Pascha called his two eyes, should not make such request ourselves, as it would look as if we were no longer desirous of being near him. Next morning we got the great man’s decision. I might go; select a boat for myself, but nothing more; my brother, on the contrary, must remain with him. My request to him, that my brother might also go was refused; as he pointed out the great mortality in the camp, and also the care of his own person, which he would not confide to the Italian Hakim, Dr. Bellotti.

This determination of the Pascha placed us two brothers, who desired to live, fight, and die together, in the most painful dilemma. The thoughts of a separation, when dangers were each day increasing, in the centre of Africa, where we had already mutually nursed each other during repeated attacks of fever, and each found, during such, the other so necessary, was insufferable; nor was this bettered by the short time allowed us to come to any resolution, as the departure of Soliman Kaschef was fixed for the next day but one. Only late on the last evening did I acquaint the Pascha with our determination, and that I would avail myself of his permission to join the expedition as a traveller. For long he gazed in silence at me, as if he feared that I, who bore his dangerous secret about me, might purpose to journey, instead of up, down the Nile, to receive the reward for betraying him. However, when I recommended my brother to him, and begged him not to let him from under his eye, this hostage seemed to him sufficient bail for my honesty; for he broke his gloomy silence, and recovered his usual friendly manner, though sadder than common, and sent for Soliman Kaschef. He specially requested me to keep a careful journal, which he would have translated into Turkish; and recommended me to cling firmly to Soliman Kaschef, to whom he was immediately about to commend me. “Oefta ainak” (open your eyes), he said to me at the conclusion, with meaning emphasis; as if he hoped, hereafter, pursuing his conquests in this direction, to be able to carry out his favourite plan of forming all his regiments from the blacks alone.

As the Pascha could not spare troops to afford us a sufficient escort to Gos Rajab, our journey had to be kept the greater secret, as during the night the challenging cries and howlings of the Haddenda had been heard on the other side of the highly swollen Gohr-el-Gash. At break of day an alarm was beaten, and, as usual, all, without the smallest order, rushed out of the camp, as the foe was believed to be already at our gates. In the utmost haste our camels were laden, and I took our collection and the greater part of our things with me to place them in safety in Chartum, as a surprise and plundering of the camp was likely sooner or later to occur. The Pascha accompanied us with the greater part of his forces to the village of Hauathi on the banks of the Gash, by this demonstration, and also by the fire of grape-shot across the Gohr, to frighten the Haddenda back into the Chaaba. This manœuvre succeeded completely, for Mohammed Ehle by his spies found out, that the Arabs had directed their steps to the north, nor was there any trace of themselves now to be seen; and this, ere long, the bold Melek Mahmud confirmed, who had taken with his Schaigies possession of the opposite bank of the Gohr to secure the passage across it. He now received orders from the Pascha to cover our flank on the side of the Chaaba, to draw off the enemy’s attention and mask our march, and, if necessary, escort us with his horsemen as far as the Atbara river. Now commenced leave-takings as if we were never again to meet each other, save in Paradise; even the Pascha looked sorrowful; his unsuccessful campaign, his fame; and again gazing questioningly at me, embraced me for the first and last time, on which, as became their slavish souls, his train and followers took leave of me with much respect and reverence. It was curious that my brother and I, dear as we were to each other, parted, as if we were merely separating for a morning’s ride. We both regarded this as a good omen; it seemed as if a greater certainty was given to our again meeting by this cheerful feeling, and by this more happy mood succeeding to our forebodings of evil.

In long winding line we rode in single files up the sandy banks after our leader, and reached, without any mischance in crossing the some 4000 feet wide Gohr, the still most swampy Chaaba, where I all the more feared our baggage animals would never get through, from the difficulty I found in making my own way on my dromedary. The Schaigies rode right and left through the bushes, and so closely crouched down on their animals under the branches, that often neither man nor horse was to be seen. The escort (Schaigies not included) of our caravan was only some sixty men strong, and part of these were camel-drivers and servants armed only with lances. Nor were we without female, and most assuredly unveiled, society; many pretty young slave-girls, from the mountains of Basa, were with us, who understood not a word of Arabic. They belonged partly to Soliman Kaschef and his Askari, partly to Ladjam and other lovers, who did not seem to hold the camp as the safest abode for their loves, as many slaves, both male and female, had already escaped from it. These poor creatures were much to be pitied and much moved my compassion, especially when I beheld how longingly they looked towards the hills, as if they would fix in their minds the direction, in case any chance of escape offered. No sooner had their conductors observed these glances, though some of these were themselves slaves of the negro race, than with the utmost brutality they lashed the poor girls, crouching on the camels, over the loins and naked back with the kurbash till the weals rose on them. But to behold this, and dash on the scoundrels with long whip and lay stoutly about me, and to bestow on one slave of our friend Mohammed Ladjam’s (who offered to resist me, and was about to use his weapon, calling me a Kaffre), a horizontal cut with the lash that circled his neck and dashed him to the ground, where my servants instantly disarmed him, was the work of a few instants. Soliman Kaschef and his people had ridden on far in advance without knowing anything of these doings, and I had nothing therefore for it, but to remain in the neighbourhood of the slave-women and my baggage, and putting new caps on my rifle and pistols, threaten to instantly shoot down any one who did not conduct himself as he ought, or who should dare, as my servants feared they would, attempt to injure my baggage camels. On the Kaschef halting and our reaching him, I related the matter to him, and he repeated my threats as to any one attempting to injure me or my baggage animals, and turning to me, told me, he would give me other slaves to indemnify the owners, in case I found it necessary to shoot any for misconduct; on my particular interference to obtain good treatment for the slave-women, he at once declared the punishment of any ill-usage shown them to be irrevocably fixed at fifty blows of the nabut (bastinado). The poor girls now cast grateful looks at their deliverer, and I laughed at the jealous but powerless fury of their conductors, and at an after-time had the satisfaction to be recognised by some of these unfortunate women, and welcomed by them in the most kindly manner. We now, without any further strange adventure, passed over Gos Rajeb, through the meadow-lands of Butana, to which I intend again to revert in my “Journey to Mandera;” and by Halfaia to Chartum.

The Pascha also afterwards arrived at the same place, his long- determined-on retreat having been carried out, as there were no laurels to be gained by keeping the field, and his presence was indeed much required in Sennaar.