— 55 — reached down to the ground had they not tied them up in a pecuh'ar manner. Our force consisted of about seventj' five men, and we took no provisions or food, but obtained them in exchange for beads. We first came across this dwarfish people at a place called Abu Dinga, where there was a great river (i), but we could not make them understand what we wanted. We used, however, to barter beads for ivory, although the savages did not realise for what purpose the beads were intended, and planted them in the ground, as if they had been seeds. This much we did eventually manage to understand from them, that Mohammedan traders had been there some time before ; at any rate they were presumable followers of Mohammed in as much as they were circumcised and "smelt the ground" as the pygmies put it. (2) CONQUEST OF DAR FUR 1873 1874. War with the Rizighat and Conquest of the Shakka country 1873.

While I was fighting with the Nyam-Nyams, the Rizighat broke faith with me, and there descended on the road interceptors of the way, who killed the merchants and destroyed their caravans. When the war was over I sent messengers to demand an explanation from them, but their answer consisted of nothing but abuse, and they swore that they (i). The Welle. (2). i. e. prayed.