THE EGYPTIAN SUDAN Fitz-Clarence, who was killed, with Major Sidney, at the taking of Abu Hamed ; it was unoccupied and empty. A very good view of the river at the foot of the Fourth Cataract can be obtained from Kassingar Hill, and, looking towards Merawi, Mount Barkal forms a striking feature of the landscape. . An afternoon may profitably be spent in visiting the little village of Duwem, which is about three miles from Merawi. It is famous throughout the Sudan as the dwelling-place of one Abd ar-Rakhman, in whose honour a large kubba known as the " White Kubba " has been built. It is said to be the only white kubba in the Sudan. It contains a mosque and school which is famous for teaching the Kur'an. Other places well worthy of note are the small islands in the river, which in the summer time are full of birds of many colours. Many hours may be spent in watching their flight, and to see them passing from tree to tree, with their brightly coloured feathers flashing in the sunlight, is a very pretty sight. One species with bright green wings splashed with scarlet was greatly admired, and the tameness of all the birds in the neighbourhood was remarkable. They would come close to the visitor, and pick up crumbs, and perch on the edge of a tray of water and drink without any shyness. It is said that most of them come in from the Bayuda Desert in the summer and return there in the winter. As the native is not cruel to the birds, and the sporting tourist does not readily find his way to Merawi, we may hope that they will not be exterminated for some years.

Other places of antiquarian interest are the Pyramids of Nfiri, which have been described elsewhere (see pp. 1 15-122), and the ruins of the Christian monastery in the Wadi Ghazal. Between the villages of Belal and Nuri is the " station " of the religious man, Ghiizer All, whereto large numbers of the inhabitants resort in order to obtain a blessing. These villages are on the west bank of the Nile, as was Napata, and there is little room for doubt that if the site occupied by the Sirdar's camp in 1897 were carefully excavated, a number of important facts bearing on the extent of the ancient city of Napata would be ascertained. It is unlikely that antiquities of any great importance would be discovered, or that any great light would be thrown on Nubian 234 I