KUBBA SALIM Early the next morning we crossed the river again, and the shekhs from the villages round Kubba Salim came to pay their respects to the Inspector. We went to the first shekh's house, and were taken up into a good-sized room with a mud bench running round three of its sides ; all the openings except the door were plastered up to keep out the cold, for the wind was very keen. The birds came in and made themselves at home, and were wonderfully tame. After a few minutes a servant came in and placed upon a small kursi, or table, two or three baskets of very fine Sukkot dates, and he was followed by another with a tray containing a tea-pot of tea and cups and saucers. It will be remembered that most of the men in the district have at one time or other been domestic servants in Egypt, and it is there that they learned of the Englishman's fondness for tea. They buy and take back to their native country trays, spoons, plates, cups and saucers, &c., hence when an Englishman appears in their midst they are prepared to set before him his favourite beverage. The Inspector felt it to be his duty to call on the other shekhs in the neighbourhood, and each of them gave us tea, which we were bound to drink. As we walked from one village to another it was interesting to observe the traces which the British officials of the Government had left behind them in the execution of their duty. Each village is now connected by a good broad road which, though generally ankle-deep in sand and dust, is a great improvement on the sheep and goat tracks which are usually found in and about villages in the Sudan. The borders of the roads are marked out by stones in such a way that no native could plough any part of it up and sow a crop on it, and then plead ignorance that he had encroached on public property. On each man's property is a whitewashed stone whereon is inscribed the number of acres of land he possesses, and in future the collector will have no doubt as to the amount of tax which each man has to pay him, and the native will find it difficult to evade any part of his liability. In the last village of the group which we visited is the well-known shrine of Kubba Salim, or Kubbat Salim. It is a large, dome-shaped building some 30 feet high, it is made of crude mud bricks, and it has a low door on the south side. Salim was a Sudani Muhammadan who is said to have flourished about the middle of 455