THE SULTAN'S BLACK WIFE. 341 him away. The shekh and all the warriors had come down to the shore, but without their spears, and were seated on the ground, holding a consultation. By this time, however, the rai's was at the helm, and the sailors had begun to shove the bow of my boat into the stream. I called out : " 0 Shekh Abd-en-noor ! " in a familiar way, and waved my hand as a token of parting. He rose, returned the salute, made a ges ture to his men, and they all went slowly back to the village.

As we were leaving, the sailors informed me that one of the Shillooks, who had come down to the boat while I was seated with the shekh on shore, took a fancy to the fat black slave who cooks for them, and expressed his determination to take her. They told him she was one of the Sultan's wives, and that as His Majesty was now the shekh's friend, he dare not touch her. " Oh," said the Shillook, " if she is the Sultan's wife, that is enough;" and he immediately returned to the shore. I forgave the impertinence of the sailors in passing off such a hideous creature as one of my wives, in consideration of the adroitness with which they avoided what might have been a serious difficulty.

The Shillooks have not the appearance of men who are naturally malicious. The selfish impudence with wnich they demand presents, is common to all savage tribes. But the Turks and even the European merchants who take part in the annual trading expeditions up the river, have dealt with them in such a shameful manner that they are now mistrustful of all strangers, and hence it is unsafe to venture among them. I attribute the friendly character of my interview with them as much to good luck as to good management. The rai's afterwards informed me that if the shekh had not been satisfied