AKASHA AND FERKET tion of the spring of Okmah. Burckhardt mentions that he slept near the tomb of Shekh Okasha, which is close to these springs, but he makes no mention of them. This shekh was. he says, much revered by the Nubians, and he saw offerings of earthen vessels, mats, and pieces of linen spread within the enclosure of his tomb, and all around it.' The inhabitants of Dar Sukkot make frequent pilgrimages to this tomb.

A little before midnight Akasha was passed, and we saw the remains of the heaps of stores and material which had been piled up here by the Sirdar when preparing to make his famous onslaught on the Dervishes, who were collected at Farka, or Ferket, about fifteen miles further south. The first fight of the Dongola Expedition took place near Akasha on May ist, i8g6. Major Burn Murdoch, with about two hundred and forty of the Egyptian cavalry, encountered unexpectedly a Dervish force consisting of three hundred mounted Bakkara, and one thousand men on foot. The Egyptian cavalry was ordered to retire, but the order was barely carried out before the Dervish horsemen were upon them, with the result that several of the Egyptians were speared in the back before their companions could turn and defend them. A halt was called, and when the Egyptians wheeled round they charged the Dervish horsemen with such vigour that, after a fierce hand-to-hand fight, the enemy turned and fled. Meanwhile the Dervish men on foot were advancing to help their comrades, but when the Egyptians dismounted, and began to fire volleys into thera, they turned round and retreated to Ferket. This fight lasted from noon till 3 p.m. The Egyptian loss was two killed and ten wounded, and the enemy's eighteen killed and eighty wounded.

A further run of fifteen miles brought us to the miserable village of Ferket, which, however, looked picturesque enough in the moonlight. This place is memorable as the scene of the battle fought there on June 7th, 1896, but the importance which it possesses in the eyes of the natives is due to the fact that it is situated at the end of the open stretch of river which lies between the foot of the Third Cataract, and the head of the Second. After the fight at Akasha mentioned above, the Sirdar decided that it "Travels in Nubia," p. 50.

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