128 THE BAKKARA.

sheikh to lay himself on the ground. Entreaties, prayers, and promises, were all in vain. Two corporals seized the condemned man, threw him forcibly to the ground, and stood in readiness to inflict the punishment the major might think fit to order, with the whips of hippopotamus' hide they held in their hands. The delinquent again endeavoured to conciliate the major with entreaties, and, begging for mercy, assured him that he would not only give him very good cattle this time, but, moreover, make him a present, as a compensation for the loss he had sustained the preceding year. This was what the extortioner wanted ; but to intimidate the sheikh the more, and to force him to increase his liberality, he pretended to be infle:xible ; at last, however, he allowed the supplicant to rise, and go home to fetch the promised presents. The sheikh hastened immediately to fulfil his promise, and brought the major four large nose-rings of massive gold, and two slaves for each officer. Thus harmony was once more restored; the number of oxen required, and, indeed, from the best herd, were selected, and the march was ordered back to Lobeid.

On every occasion of levying tribute, the commanding officer, after having collected the government dues, allows himself all kinds of cruelties and oppressive means to extort a present for himself and his men. A sheikh of the Bakkara told me, and the soldiers subsequently corroborated his statement,—that two years ago a major, who had already