SHILLUK, NUBA, TAKELE, ETC. 171 always took the unsuspecting Turks by surprise, and, after having put them to the rout, fled again into their hills, where the former dare not venture to i)ui-sue them. The commander-in-chief of the Egyptian forces revenged himself by destroying all the crops which happened to be standing at the time, by fire, and thus the war terminated ; for when the Turks saw that nothing was to be gained by plunder they retreated, and no attack has since that period been made upon Takele.

The Djelabi, from Lobeid and Bara, are allowed to carry on their trade with the country without interruption, as are also those of Takele with Kordofan ; for several Dongolavi from Kordofan have settled in this country, as it affords them many advantages. Takele is hilly in its whole extent, and is said to be traversed by a chain of mountains, two full days' journey in length, considered there as one hill. The natives of Takele, in forming an estimate of the magnitude of their dominions, generally reckon by the number of hills which are inhabited ; thus they say that Takele has ninety-nine inhabited hills, and that the Nubas have one hill more, and reckon one hundred ; hence we may conclude that Nuba is larger than Takele. These numerals, however, must not be taken literally, for they denote every large number, if it exceed thirty, by the term ninety-nine ; and say {e.g.\ instead of forty or eighty sheep, ninety-nine heads of cattle. I have myself met with negroes from distant parts, whose whole