The Small- Pox.

In fact Suleiman had sent off two columns of about five hundred men each towards the north-west. But this direction clearly showed that the expedition was not sent against the troops I expected. Three days later I learned that these two columns had been sent to the village of the Sheikh Goli, and killed a great part of the natives, carrying off the rest into slavery, and destroying the cornfields.

The Jelabba Arabs did not cease to bring food and ammunition to the rebels from Shakka and Kalaka, taking in exchange the poor negroes, who were sent by thousands in chains to the copper mines, and thence, profiting by the thick forests, to the interior of Darfour and Kordofan. A large number of Jelabbas had been established for years in the Bahr-el-Ghazal, occupying an extreme territory from the frontier of Shakka to the mines of Hofiat-el-Nahas (oasis of copper). Under the pretence of agriculture, these villages were nothing but slave depots, from whence the Jelabba and their commercial travellers carried the slaves by hidden ways to Kordofan. Two of these villages, Dem Bekir and Dem Gugio, were very active in helping the rebels, either with ammunition or soldiers.

These two villages contained about four hundred and sixty houses, and every Jelabba possessed from twenty to fifty slaves, used to carrying arms. I secretly sent an Arab to the chiefs, promising to pardon what had passed if they would cease to help Suleiman. They arrested my messenger, and would certainly have put him to death, had he not had several friends among the Jelabba who found means of letting him escape.

Fehriuiri/ I7t]i. — A regular soldier deserted, but was discovered by the natives and brought back to camp ; he was tried by court-martial, and shot.

The rebels, who meantime had fallen short of doora.

Dem is a Bongo word, whicli corresponds to the Arab seriba.

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