io6 Seven Years in the Soudan.

which is brother to Wadelai. The village is situated on a bank to the left of the river. More than four hundred natives came to meet us, and gave us their hands with evident signs of pleasure. The fact that they were all unarmed conquered any distrust on our part. When I had left Dufile I learnt that the Mudir there had forgotten to give our soldiers sufficient doora for a month, and the soldiers had left me without saying anything. The friendly reception of these natives made me hope that I could obtain provisions from them. I received, in fact, flour in abundance, with sweet potatoes and a quantity of chickens. I then had my tent pitched to enjoy a real night's repose. On the morning of the 14th came other natives with fresh provisions ; having chosen what seemed necessary, I was giving the orders for departure, when they informed me that the interpreters furnished by the Sheikh Behit had disappeared. By dint of promises and presents, and after a thousand hesitations, I succeeded in enlisting an old man of the place, who was to conduct me to AVadelai.

"We set out at eight in the morning. At Adilai the river has high banks, and is very deep, the velocity of the water is equal to two miles an hour ; the left bank is covered with vegetation. Both the banks are about a hundred feet high ; the country is wooded, and well-populated. The villages are fewer, but are the largest I have seen in Central Africa.

At four o'clock in the afternoon we arrived at length at the dwelling of the Sheikh Wadelai. The purpose of m}'' visit was to obtain an interpreter. At six in the evening the Sheikh sent to tell me that he would come the next day, provided I sent him two soldiers, as he feared I would 00 awav before he arrived ; I replied therefore that I would wait for him. Wishing to profit by the time lost in waiting for this chief, so much desired and so diffi-