274 CAPITAL OF KORDOFAN ; LOBEID.

children who have lost their way, and are in search of their parents ; the alertness of the men, who like all the rest dread the rain more than blows, and endeavour to escape as quickly as they can, all tend to render the scene of confusion so ludicrous, that the most stern spectator would be involuntarily disposed to laugh. It is not the fear of ruining their garments that induces them to scamper away so fast from the rain, for the most of them have no clothes to spoil, and the Djelabi merely wear a shirt, which the contact of a little pure water, moreover, could not harm ; and the Turks and foreigners who are entirely dressed wear linen clothing, which water cannot injure ; and yet they stand in as much awe of every drop of rain as if burning sparks were falling among them. They are impressed with the absurd idea that to get once a little wet is sufficient to produce a fever. Their apprehension is, strictly speaking, not so very erroneous, for the slightest cold during the rainy season is sufficient to stretch the most healthy man on a bed of sickness, from which it will be very doubtful whether he recover.

High feasts and festivals create no variation in the ordinary scene, as a general rule, and none of those fantasias* so common in Egypt are seen on Sundays and holidays at Lobeid ; the only amuse-* An expression in use among the natives of Egypt, Syria, and Arabia, to denote an amusement and every description of ornament or pomp; thus the women are said to have 2 fantasia on their heads or dress, as they go out to witness z,fantasia.