138 THE KUBBABEESH.

of the Sultan Mohammed Fadel, he seized nearly all their camels, with the excejtion only of some few beasts, laden with bread and water, and had the emigrants hunted over the borders, thus they were forced to deliver themselves again into the hands of their former tormentors in Kordofan. When Mehemed Ali, on his last journey, heard this, he summoned, on his arrival at Khartoom, Sale, the great sheikh of the Kubbabeesh, into his presence, and flattered him in every possible manner, in order to win him over ; he even did him the extraordinary honour of allowing him to sit on his right hand, and after having convinced himself of the injustice under which his people groaned, promised to take the measures necessary for their relief. The Viceroy immediately raised the rate of freightage of a camel-load from forty-five to eighty piasters, and thus Sheikh Sale was conciliated. On the same occasion, Mehemed Ali asked the chief the reason why he, so young a man, had already a grey beard ? This question he impressively answered by saying,—" Your Turks are the cause of my beard turning grey ; for they oppress and torment me in every possible way, and make me grow old before my time !" Mehemed Ali consoled him, and took leave of him with that flattering language so peculiar to him on these occasions. The government, in fact, well understands the necessity of keeping on good terms with these good people ; for the services they perform are invaluable, and nothing is, more-