THE EGYPTIAN SUDAN the imagination of the natives had turned them into pyramids and statues. He was told that on another mountain, called Sakadi, there was the colossal figure of a man wearing a long cap or helmet on his head, but a view of it obtained at some distance from the mountain itself convinced him that the so-called figure was nothing but a lustis naturae, and a mere figment of the native imagination, like the rest. " An opportunity of visiting the mountain occurring later, Cailliaud embraced it, and there he obtained many specimens of new and rare plants, but saw no reason for altering his opinion. Continuing his travels to the south and east of Sennaar, he visited many remarkable towns and villages, and collected much information about the manners and A VIEW OF SENNAAR IN 182I, TAKEN FROM THE SIDE OF THE MOSQUE.

[From Cailliaud, Voyage, Plate VII, customs of the inhabitants of Karabin, Kilgu, Yara, Fazogli, Kamamil, &c., and he penetrated into the region of Abkulgui, which has from time immemorial been famous for the production of gold. Here the natives were in the habit of turning over with great care the sand in the beds of the mountain torrents after the rains had ceased, and of collecting the gold dust which they found in them in the hollow shafts of the feathers of vultures, which then took the place of money and were given by their owners to the Arabs of Singue in exchange for sheep, cattle, and clothes. The Arabs carried the gold dust to Fadassi, on the borders of Abyssinia, where it was melted and cast into small rings. Cailliaud about this time visited the tribe called " Barta," 44