112 SHEIK KUDUL.

of the Egyptian Government, and lives near Amedeb), in order to take possession of the country. Had that been our intention, he frankly informed us he had made up his mind to obtain the assistance of some Abyssinians, with whom he said he was on friendly terms, in order to repel us. It was not until he had almost arrived in our camp,— at least, so he. said, that he had learned who we really were, and our object in visit ing that part of the country. Previously to our presenting him with these things, he had gone through the regular amdn ceremony, to which we had become so accustomed of late.

The only sign of his exalted rank, that he displayed on first coming amongst us, consisted of a singularly dirty and vqry gaudy red-cotton handkerchief, that he wore twisted round his head, and a kind of dressing-gown of the same material. We questioned him about the Base dwelling on the Settite ; and he declared that he had nothing to do with them, but that we 'acould go among them if we wished to do so. He did not, howtever, appear to know any thing of that part of the country, and ?jaiade us no offer of guides ; nor did he make any suggestions ss to how we were to get there.

The day after the "investiture," Sheik Kudul took his departure, comforting us at the same time with the promise of the pleasure of his company again in two days' time. As far as his appearance went, I never saw any one with a more villanous cast of countenance, nor one I should be more loath to trust.

On the 8th, we moved to Khor Ma Ambasah, close to where Aylmer and I had shot the buffaloes ; and a prettier camp we never selected. Our tents were pitched some three or four miles from its junction with the Mareb, and above its sandy bed, in a place where numbers of lofty trees afforded us plenty of shelter from the sun, and where a kind of natural arbours