A MONEY-MAKING WAKEEL,

make up for that by well lining his own pockets at the expense

of the government.

As a rule, Egyptian officials, both high and low, go to the

Soudan only in order to rob for themselves as much as possible

during the time they are there ; and, when they have feathered

their own nests as well as their opportunities allow them, they

give place to others, whose ambition it is to follow them in the

same noble course. These Englishmen were most kind in help-

ing us, and allowed us to leave some things, that we did not

require to take with us, in their care.

We saw very little of the Wakeel Achmed Effendi, and did

not hear at all a good report of him. We were told that he was

doing anything but discouraging the slave-trade ; that, on the

contrary, he took a bribe of two napoleons for every slave that

he permitted to leave the port, and that the chief of police took

one in addition. Some slaves had been lately seized, and a

great to-do made about them

• but this was because the hush- money was not forthcoming.

The entrance to the harbour o_ Souakim is narrow and long,

and steamers can only go in by daylight ; the entrance is well

marked out by beacons, but there are dangerous reefs outside.

Our captain had never been to the port before, and did not

seem at all to relish taking his vessel in. There is not anchor-

age in the harbour for more than four or five steamers at a time.

The town, which is built of coral, is rather picturesque-look-

ing, though of a glaring white ; and it boasts of one or two

minarets. The carving of some of the doors and window-

shutters of the houses is most elaborate, and of a different

pattern from any I have seen in Cairo. I was told that there

was a great deal of the same kind of work at Jeddah.

The town is built on an island, which is united to the main-

land by a causeway which Col. Gordon had made when he was