Sudan Archive

20 AFllICAN WANDERINGS.

Ibeen looked to, nothing more had to be done than prepare for the

morrow's medical inspection, when the really sick and unserviceable were to be sent back to Chartum.

We had mutually to confess, although now again well, that both

looked as if we had undergone severe illness. We sought rest and

shade, went up into the village, lay down under a tree, and he there

told me how he had fared on his journey. From Karreri he had

crossed over with the Pascha to Halfaia, where the latter had

assembled the chiefs of the Schaigies, and reminded them to be

•with their men punctually at their posts. From there the untiring dromedary rider (the Pascha) would have ridden on to Schendy,

but gave up the idea on my brother's remonstrances, as he feared

both for the great man and himself; so they again embarked in the

small quick kandschia, arrived at Schendy, and there disembarked

the Pascha wishing to see with his own eyes how far his arrange- ments there were completed. Mussa Effendi, who also had been

ordered from the neighbourhood of Sennaar to take part in tlie

chasua— a fidend and countryman of the Pascha— was there,

but ill. Soliman Effendi, the renegade doctor, had, too, arrived

there, to take his leave of the great man (el kebir) ; but who, being

in monstrous bad humour, demanded why he had quitted Chartum

without permission, — how he had contracted so many debts there, and which, did he not at once pay, he would have him bastina-

doed. Mussa Effendi had continued long iU in the Loam palace

of the Pascha, and my brother had only saved him by placing

a sentry at his door, to prevent his madly eating and drinking

all he could get, as had been his practice till now ; but this was

for the future in so far put a stop to, as the sentry was ordered,

under pain of five hundred blows of the stick, to cut off these sup-

plies. The Pascha would most gladly have had Mussa with him,

as he had been in Taka with Churschid Pascha ; though he, for

this very reason, prophesied no good would come of the present

expedition. In the end, my brother had got matters settled. Mussa Effendi, and the renegade Soliman, whom the Pascha

had not hesitated to recommend, on his head (the Turkish style,

biRasak), to his friend, were to return to Chartum, and there have

an eye to the Pascha's interests. Soliman Effendi had passed us on

our voyage, and we could not then understand why he so cursed

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