II For the veracity of some of the tales that follow I do not vouch, and it must be born in mind that, historically considered, the motives assigned by Zubeir for various events are to be received with considerable suspicion. At the same time the facts of his life as he recounted them may be taken to be substantially correct, for his story as he told it to me later, leaning back on his Divan, while his trembling fingers feebly engaged in a futile endeavour to extract some evil smelling snuff from his multi-coloured snuff-box, differred but little from that which he had recounted to Naoum Bey Shoucair some twelve years before.

But this story, be it remembered, was the one that he wished to be put on everlasting record of his life and actions. In it he made no mention of the slave-raiding that formed the basis of his power, and the steppingstone to his later greatness. With this question of slavery I hope to deal in a later publication. For the present it may be sufficient to remark that it has been the custom to lay undue stress on this side of his character. The public estimate of Zubeir has been far too much coloured by the fulminations of the Anti-Slavery Society, which chose to regard him as the personification of the vices of all the slave-drivers.

Nor have I done more than touch upon the much debated point of the advisability, or otherwise, of sending Zubeir, at General Gordon's request, to rule over the Sudan. It would be mere presump-