— 58 — the Mohammedan religious law. So it happened that when I directed the death of Abdullahi they told me that the law would not permit of my slaying a captive taken in war ; moreover, it was not good policy to put to death a man who was believed by the people to be so good and pious ; were I to kill him the tribes would undoubtedly consider me to be a cruel and ferocious tyrant. For these reasons I refrained from putting the man to death, and I wish to God I had not done so, for he only lived to be one of the scourges of the Sudan as will appear later.

(Here followed a history of Abdullahi who asked Zubeir if he was the Mahdi, the expected prophet of God. "Please let me know", he said "in order that I may follow you." Zubeir replied, "Behave properly as I have directed you to do ; I am nothing but the soldier of the soldiers of God, who would battle with despots and those who are disobedient to the will of God".)

After I had invaded the country of the Rizighat two of their Sheikhs, by name Munzal and Ulayyan, took shelter with Sultan Ibrahim in El Fasher. Now this man Ulayyan had formerly been my slave, and had gained great riches through trading with me. When he tried to induce the Rizighat to revolt I sent a letter dated September 8th, 1873, asking the Sultan to surrender them to me. But Ibrahim was