54 Seven Years in the Soudan.

that we are tlie only people who do such things r Just see what happens Avherever there are seribe. Have not quite lately some Vekil of the Bahr-el- Jeraf taken 2000 oxen from the natives, bv order of Yussuf Bey, the Governor of Fashoda V And how many thousand oxen Avere not required by the Governor of Khartoum, on account of the JMiri r You see, the Miri also does as we do.'

T did not know what to reply to such arguments, and asked them if they could furnish me with sixty natives to transport the baggage, not without adding that it Avas my intention to pay them. They replied that I must giA'e nothing to - the porters, because they Avere their s]aA''es, and it Avas Avith them that I must make the bargain for the pay.

" ' But hoAv much do you want for cA'ery man, that is, for every burden of thirty oca ? ' -" They had the impudence to ask me tweh-e dollars per man, and I could not help telling them I thought they Avere jesting with me, and dismissed them abruptly, making them observe that the price they asked Avas three times the A'alue of my things, and I preferred, in that case, to burn all the baggage.

"At this point a man arriA'ed Avith a letter, addressed to Mahomed Hassan. From his long face I augured nothing good. In fact, when I had finished reading, hetold me that he had receiA-ed bad ncAvs from Shakka. Zibehr Bey Avas blockaded by the Sultan of Darfour ; his position was well-nigh desi)erate, although cAery seriba had sent him a hundred men, making 1200 in all. This small force was insufficient, and the help sent bj" the goAernor not arriA'ing in time, he saw himself obliged to capitulate.

" And then arose a chorus of imprecations against Zibehr Be3as a turbulent spirit, the first cause of the attack from Darfour. Xeither was the Government ' Miri, Viceroy of Egypt. * The oca is equivalcufc to about three pounds and a half.