130 Selim Bar/f/nra, etc.

Ibrahim. The inhabitants fled to Jebel Gule and threw themselves under the protection of Sheiith Regab wad Idris, and paid him heavy tribute on the understanding that he would arrange matters between themselves and the Government. Regab wad Idris appears to have accepted the tribute, and then to have sent word to Sennar that the fugitive Dinkas were in his power. Thereupon a force of Egy])tian soldiery was despatched from Sennar, and captured the fugitive Dinkas, whom they led off as slaves. The men were enrolled in the Nubian regiments, and the women and children sold. Orders subsequently came to release them, but a considerable number of the men were, nevertheless, kidnapped, and many remained in the regiments ; of the latter, there are now several still serving in the army as more or less senior officers. On those occasions when the Dinka forces defeated the Government troops, the locality of the battle has generally been called by the Dinkas by the name of the commander of the Government troops, such as the Island of Wad Ab Kona, of which the original Dinka name, also still used, was Gasa-el-Abiad. Other instances are Wad Ab Sheiba and (Jebel) Ahmed Agha.

The result of these depredations was that the Dinkas were practically driven to exist as outlaws, living in the woods or in the inaccessible Nuer country. They never, however, lost their hold over their own country, and whenever the Government forces withdrew, they would return to the vicinity of their villages, ready to fly at a moment's notice.

In later days, in the time of the Dervish regime, those Dinka districts which, on demand, paid up the whole of their cattle, were not further molested ; on the other hand, the people south of Jebel Ahmed Agha declined to fall in with this proposal, and were consequently perpetually harried and raided, and had many of their women and children carried off, the Dinka's first care being always to drive his cattle off to a place of safety. Since the establishment of a settled Government, the Dinkas have been returning in increasing numbers to their country, but the general complaint now is, that at the present time, hundreds, and even thousands of Dinkas are still in the service of those who seized them, or bought them in the old days, and who would, if they had an opportunity, return to their country.

(e) Selim Baggara. The Selim Baggara, though really belonging to the left bank from opposite to Jebelein southwards nearly to Kaka, cross over to the right bank in considerable numbers during the dry season. They prefer to live amongst the Dinkas, as they rely on them principally for their grain supply, not being cultivators to any extent themselves. A good many of them are mounted on Abyssinian ponies (price 30 to 40 sheep, i.e., 3L to U.) on which they hunt elephant, buffalo, and giraffe in the most fearless manner, armed only with their long broad-headed Baggara spears. The skins of these animals are readily accepted by the Dinkas in exchange for dura. The Selim are divided into two sections, Um Tarif and Walad Mahbub ; the Sheikh of the former is Amin Musa,* and of the latter El Hag Suleiman, both live on the left bank opposite Jebelein. The tribe owns a considerable number of sheep, but little or no cattle. They cultivate to a small extent on the borders of the Gimma country, about 20 miles north-west from Jebelein.

The Arab names for places are, as a rule, quite unknown to the Dinkas, and vice versd.

(f) Shilluhs. From Kodok south, on the right bank, to the Sobat the inhabitants are mostly Shilluks (for description of whom vide Chap. VIII), * El Hag Suleiman is now (1904) Head-Sheikli of all Selim.

J