178 AFRICAN WANDERINGS.

rest, or peace, as the punishment of his crimes. He was shot in the back, most likely by the soldiers of Achmed Pascha, in a fight between them and the Schaigies of Melek Hammet. Tho latter is well known by all as an exceedingly brave and daring man, and is much beloved by the Schaigies ; he is of an old ruler's family, from Old-Dongola, where his father was murdered by the Mamelukes he had hospitably received. Hammet had, during our residence in Chartum, fled from thence with 400 of his most trusty men, discontented and enraged, like most of the Schaigies, at the present government, who held these freebooters too much in check. Had he succeeded in reaching the Makada frontier, he would have been safe, for he would havo been received with open arms by that people, and especially would old Melek Nimr have welcomed such a fugitive. Ere long assuredly most of the Schaigies would have drawn round such a chief, and also from Dongola a great number of people would have followed him; these numbers possessing fire-arms, knowing so well how to use them and carry on war, added to Melek Nimr's own tribe of the Djalin, and also the probable junction with them of all the races of the southern part of the island, particularly that of the far extended race of Hammesh, and finally that of the tribes dwelling to the east of the Nile in Kataref, Kalabatt, Atisch, &c., would have formed an hostile force the Turks never could have overcome. The trade with Habesch would then have been completely lost to Bellad-Sudan (an inestimable loss), constant plundering expeditions into the lands ruled by the Pascha were to be looked for, and liad he marched against the enemy, they would have had a secure retreat in the high mountains of Makada, where they would have found water and food in abundance.

The Pascha well aware of all this, and fearing a revolt of all the tribes of Bellad-Sudan as the consequence of Hammet's flight (in which Hammet was likely to pass by Halfaia, between Bach'r asrek and the Atbara), had, the moment he got news of it in Berber, assembled the most trusty of the leaders of the Schaigies, and ordered them to pursue Hammet. These, perhaps envious of the latter's future power, perhaps fearing that their own followers would soon fly also, or perhaps from