BASE VILLAGES. 213 lady ; and that he had been sent by the Egyptian Government to endeavour to extort taxes from Sogada, Lacatecourah, and two other villages. What they could possibly pay, I cannot imagine, as poorer people could not easily be found. If his story were true, which I doubt, he would probably endeavour to cajole the people into paying something, by promising them various advantages if they complied with his demands, and threatening them with what would happen if they did not. He said he had sent to Dabergoum, to tell them that, if they would send to Sogada for them, the women would be restored to their rightful lords.

We were shown a man, said to be a sheik of Dabergoum, on his way to Sogada to fetch the ladies, and who, hearing of the presents that other Base had received from us, came to make our acquaintance, and offered, if we would turn back, to take us to that mystic region, the "Base Settite." He described the shooting there as good, and said that there were ten villages between the Hamran country and Abyssinia, all of which paid taxes to King John. Some of these villages, he told us, were on the river, others some distance off in the mountains, but all situated on the right bank. Toansar and Beergayla were absolutely on tle river. Dabergoum was four days' journey from Meheteb, but there were Abyssinians dwelling half-way between.

He gave me the following names of ten villages, which I give, as nearly as I could catch the names, and the order in which they come, beginning from Meheteb. The first two are off the river in the mountains. Dabergoum, Tola, Takerlumba, Beergayla, Ownseba, Usaba, Fora, Toansar, Kundigayla, Anala. I think this information is very likely pretty correct, and it impressed me at the time as having the air of truth about it.

Only two days before our arrival at Abou Sellal, some ele-