IV. D 3. OF THE SUDAN 267
prayed for him that he should [always] hit the mark when shooting; and indeed it was only by rifle-fire that the Fung were defeated, for
of a truth they [sc. rifles] do not miss^ their mark. Now when
'Othman had defeated the foe he came out of his retreat [khalwa] wearing a shirt of rough wool. [And] the armies parted and each
went their way [lit. 'the horses parted, tail from tail'], and Sheikh 'All walad 'Othman sent to King Badi walad Rubat and informed him of the defeat and demanded of him his kingdom. Then King Badi
told his troops the following: 'At midday, after the doors had been closed^ and he that was inside was cut off [from the outer world] there came in to me a left-handed [d'sir] man wearing rough woollen clothes and like a eunuch^ in appearance, and said to me
" [If] you send forth an army to Kagabi I will do so and so to you." ' And the Shaikia horse-traders said to him ' That was the feki Sheikh, and indeed 'Othman was putting his faith in him.'"
237. *" Sheraf el Din ibn 'Abdulla el 'Araki ibn el Sheikh 'Ali ■' ibn Barri."
His mother was 'Agabat bint el Hag Ibrahim ibn Barri.... He was born at Nasri Island and taught by his mother's brother Muhammad Kakumr^.. . .He performed the pilgrimage, and instructed many people of the Hegaz.. . .He died at el Higayr.. . .He was a contemporary of the
author's father: "My brother in God, el Hag 'Abd el Kadir walad
Sa'i'd, told me that in his pilgrimage in the year '64'^ he met a great sheikh who said to him ' I became a follower of the Way in the footsteps of Sheikh Sheraf el Din when he came on the pilgrimage.' My father^ also told me saying ' In the year that the small-pox raged I and the feki 'Abd el Dafa'i^ and the feki Idris walad Nusar were sitting in front of the mosque, when there came up to us Sheikh
Sheraf el Din riding a mare.. . . ' "
238. " Sheraf el Din Abu Gemal el Din," The holy-man \rdgil\ of Ankawi.. . .He was the son of Muhammad
ibn Fakrun, whose tomb is at el Hilali'a.. . .He was born at Muays and
then moved to Ankawi.. . .He was taught by Sheikh 'Abdulla el 'Araki^** and himself taught Sheikh Basbar^^.. . .He was buried east of Ankawi.
239. ^^" Sheraf el Din ibn el feki 'Ali walad Kuta." He died at Koz walad Di'ab.
240. "Shukrulla ibn 'Othman ibn Bedowi el 'tJdi." He was born at Shanbat; was taught by Hammad^^ ibn Hamaydan,
^ reading ^JajiJJ for jy«aa^3. - reading j*jju-dl for jujuJt.
3 reading '^^a^\^ for j^^-aaJl^. * Tree 3. ^ ^o. 58. ^ No. 148, reading ^.^515 for ^515. ' 1751 a.d. 8 No. 89. » No. 4. 10 No. 34. 11 No. 73. 12 Tree i. i^ No. 120.