pascIia's bukeau. 197 on their trade at every stteet corner. There or any other place where they may be called on to write, they instantly squat down on the ground, and if they are placed on a chair or sofsi to write, you see them gradually sliding off it down on to the floor; to them that is the best and most comfortable place to exercise their calling. In all Egypt they are the sole clerks and secretaries ; they seem to be particularly skilled in arithmetic and keeping accounts, and as far as my brother, in his small way, could judge, he always found tliem most rapid and faithful accountants.

In one small room many Coptish clerks are easily lodged, and seldom less than five arc reckoning up large sums or drawing up most important reports in a space where no European clerk wDuld find room to peri'orm the most trifling duty. Besides, wlien one sees how few of these Coptish writers must arrange everything and conduct all state aff"airs, whicli are here pretty extensive and tolerably closely looked after, one must smile at the army of great and small scribes in our state arrangements. As an instance, the Pascha has with liim on the present expedition some 10,00() soldiers, not reckoning servants, cam]) and baggage attendants and Arab auxiliary troops, in all not less than 20,000 men. He is not only military but also civil Governor of all Bellad-Sudan ; all business and other state matters, without exception, nuist fall on hiin, must be cared for by him, and letters and orders sent regarding them. Daily there arrives a dromedary courier (hagahn) with the post (posta), and liis jarre (leather sack), is full of letters for the Pascha wlio reads all of them, and generally answers most ; among them are those t'rom the different ministers in Cairo and Alexandria, which usually recpiire direct answers, or contain certain orders, whicli again must be promulgated in all the provinces. Then come reports from the extensi\"e province of Kordofan, from the districts of Dongola, Berber, Chartuin, Sennaar, Faszogl ; from the Kaschefs of Kataref, Sauacliinn, Atisch, Karreri, Wollet Medine, Sdiendy, Cios liajeb, Kosseres : then there is the correspondence witli the Sheiks of the difterent Arab tril)es who are tributaries, as the Kababish Arabs on the left bank of the Wliite Nile, up to Dongoln, Kordofan. and llassanie, Dongola, Agricultural-Schaigies in Dongola, the War-Scha-1' 4