SHEIK OF THE HALLENGA. 47 we had bought at Cairo a small travelling medicine chest ; this had already done us good service in Chartum, and we had brought it with us : the Pascha also had a similar one with him for his own use, and lucky it was so, as all the medicines furnished by government were bad, and the quinine, here so necessary, fearfully adulterated. Although a breeze does occasionally blow here, and one may as much as he can shelter himself by branches, mats, cloaks, &c., from the sun's rays, still the glowing heat will not long delay to make its unhealthy effects fearfully felt. The black soldiers have taken the wiser course, as many have been daily deserting, and the day before yesterday fifteen of them left us.

To-day the Sheik of the Hallenga, Mohammed Eli, has arrived to meet the Pascha. He looks a man of some forty years, is of stately, warrior-like bearing, with a noble expression of countenance; his hair, greyish about the temples, is there cut short, but long at the sides, and behind hangs down at its full length ; he had by his side a small Turkish sabre, probably some present of honour, but most wisely had slung on his saddle behind him his more ti'usty longsword. But Mohammed Din, the most dreaded of all, alone came not in ; indeed, he has had the Pascha informed, that he will give such grain and beasts as are required, but he will not visit him. He had already, as I mentioned, sent his only son as an hostage to meet the Pascha at Soggilab, but the latter, either from generous pride or some other motive, in my own presence again dismissed him. As his not coming to meet the Pascha is not the most peacelike sign, Achmet has repeatedly warned us not to go far from the camp. Doubtless these Arabs, in larger numbers, lie hidden in the impenetrable bush, and that they know right well how to throw their javelins they have more than once shown. In the meantime the all und«n -taking and the all attacking Schaigies have to-dayslain some of then), though in the skirmish many of themselves have been wounded.

On a large scale the Pascha cannot act against these people.

Roads and ways there are none; rapidly do they pack up their all on camels, and with their herds, fly into the Chaaba, where to follow them with an army is impossible, 'llere will the Pascha procure the heavy expenses of liis expedition, where will he pass the rainy season ? Tliesc and others are questions, the answers to which even he himself has not yet arrived at His plans he holds most