GORDON AND THE MAHDI. 116 ENTRANCE TO THE MUDIRIEH OF EONGOLA.

ing day he repaired to the Mudirieh,accompaniedby his staff and a mounted escort. The square courtyard was lined with the native troops, behind whom a crowd of inquisitiveDongoleseArabs had assembled. The Mudir himself awaited Lord Wolseley with becoming courtesy on the verandah. Despite his exaltedrank he wasin a flutter of hope and expectation,as he had already got scent of the fact that theBritishCommander intendedto confer a very distinguishedhonour uponhim.

days of the Prophet. He is now alout sixtyyears of age, nearly six feet high,and of dignifiedpresence. His colour is dark chocolate. He has excellent features, large black eyes, a curved aquiline nose,thin lips, and a fine beard. He is extremely wealthyin silver and gold, jewels and precious arms, camels, horses, and slaves. In ordinary times he is held responsible for the security of trade and travel through the eastern deserts, and receives a large royalty upon the moneys paid to his people as guides, carriers, and cameldrivers;for it is one of theprivileges claimed by them that no one— not even Government expeditions— shall pass through their country without hiring them and their camels. Mohammed Hassein reminded me «f Abraham, only he is a much more powerful sheikh thanAbraham ever was."* On the morrow the Mudir was present with Lord Wolseley at a review of the Royal Sussex regiment, and a detachment of the Camel Corps, and at a sham fight which ensued,in order to test the steadinessof thecamels in square. The general ideaof this mimic engagement was as follows:— A detachment composed of 120 of the corps wasmarching alonga desertroute, whenits scouts discovered the presence of a hostilemounted force numbering over 1000 men. The two forces opposed each other, and manSuvred in order to turn one another's flank. After manSuvring for some time ineffectually the officer commandingthe CamelCorps, feeling that the necessity he was under of obtaining waterpreventedhim frommakinga definite retreat,resolved on a determined standagainst the attack of the enemy. About the same time the latterfound that his ammunitionwasexpended On Lord Wolseley's arrival at the Mudirieh the customary salutations were exchanged, and then the Mudir called upon the Iman to offer up prayers, to which the assembled crowd made responses in loud tones. As soon as the prayers were over the British Commander approached the Mudir, who stood in an attitudeof real or assumed humility,and invested him with the insigniaof a Knight Commanderof the order of St. Michael and St. George;theproclamation, which was necessarily in Arabic,being read by the Iman to the crowd. It was then the Mudir's turn to speak, and while modestly expressing the opinion that the honour conferred upon him was altogether too exalted and unmerited, he promisedthat he wouldrenderall possible assistance to theBritish expedition.

Such frequent mentionhasbeenmade of theMudir of Dongola, and he hasplayed so conspicuous a part in the Soudan war, that some description of his person and character will not be out of place here. " Mohammed Hassein Khalifa, the great chief of the Ababdeh and Bishareen Arabs," remarks the American GeneralColston, whoknew the Mudir well, "is the patriarchal yet almost absolute ruler of over seventy thousand people. His ancestors wereprinces for generations,perhaps before the * "The Land of the False Prophet," by General Colston, in the Century magazine.