194 Seven Veats in the Soudan.

There were about one hundred and seventy soldiers, officers and subalterns, but they seemed to be nearly all invalids. The greater part Avere afflicted Avith syphilitic diseases, festering Avounds, and the itch. T could only choose a hundred infantry' and sixteen artillery soldiers. Their officer was a certain Said Aga, Avhofor two years had received no pay. He had robbed the military till, and to pay his debt must still serve fiAe more years. It was impossible for the poor Avretch to folloAv me in such a condition, and I immediately ordered that he should have a month's pay so that he could provide himself with Avhat was most necessary, I had also asked from Taib Bey fifty cases of ammunition, but he could not furnish me with them, and Avith difficulty I obtained twenty-fiA'e thousand cartridges. As I had only got one hundred and seventeen men instead of tAvo companies, Yussuf BcAadvised me to take sixty Arabs of the irregulars under the orders of Sanjiak-el-Fadel, assuring me that they were Avorth more than a company of regular troops. I accepted this proposal and the sixty men were enrolled. I had not been at Fashoda for two years and a half, but the toAvn was unchanged. It is the capital of the Shilluk country. Forty years ago it was annexed to the Government of Khartoum, and noAv ser\'-es as a place of transportation of political prisoners and galley-slaAes. At present there are no political prisoners, but there are about two hundred at the galleys, Avorking out their terms of punishment. The market, Avhich formerly Avas full of slight huts, in Avhich the Jelabba kept the slaves, is noAv abolished. SlaAery was publicly prohibited, and the authorities Avatched that the monopoly should remain exclusiAely in their hands. The only persons AAdio could giA'e precise information were the Greeks, whom nothing escapes, for they haA-e liA'ed for many years in the countrA".

But they would say nothing, fearing to damage