SHORT RATIONS. 1 53 The vakeel, who had been having not at all a bad time, but lived in a comfortable tent with rugs and cushions, and contrived to obtain coffee and other agreeable palliatives, was by no means disposed to go further. He sent word that he was tired, that the mudir would expect him to collect taxes at Hamdab, that it would have a much better effect if he and his troops remained where they were and prevented the reoccupation of the country by the Monassir, beside which he did not know the country near Salamat.

His representation that he could not possibly start till the 8th, and that his going would be useless, was again urged at an interview with the general, which he held after crossing the river on purpose ; and at last a compromise was made to the effect that he should immediately bring over his troops and occupy Birti. He took with him Abu-Bekr, Suleiman Wad Gamr's uncle, and Wad-el-Turki, a Shagiyeh partisan of the Mahdi, Omar, the other relation of Suleiman Wad Gamr, having run away. These relatives were believed to have a blood feud with Suleiman; but a letter from the murderer of Colonel Stewart had been found upon Abu-Bekr, urging him to attend a council and speaking of the disposal of the captives from the steamer, a letter which was not allowed to incriminate him, as he had come in on a promise of safety and had certainly not participated in the actual crime.

The whole of the property, houses, palm-trees, and sakyehs, belonging to Suleiman Wad Gamr, his uncle Omar, and other notorious rebels at Birti were destroyed, the Cornwalls completing the work of just vengeance after the Staffords and the Black Watch had gone forward to Camp Castle. About 250 date-palms were either hewn down or burned.

A large quantity of grain and flour had been discovered by the commissariat, so that horses and natives were fully rationed for above a month, and there was also six tons of wheat as a reserve.

This was most fortunate, as both natives and our own soldiers had already consented to very limited rations of what may be called the comparative luxuries, including salt, sugar, and vinegar, and there was some fear lest, the supplies of forage ceasing beyond Birti, the grain for the cattle and the flour for the natives would