286 UGANDA AND THE EGYPTIAN SOUDAN.

cellent. Through this place two posts pass weekly to Europe, one starting from Fascher, and one from Dara. As Omchanga is situated at the junction of the two roads, it is a town of great importance, and about twenty merchants have their stores here; it is the starting-point for caravans for long distances, and thousands of camels were grazing near it.

Although Slatin Bey had sent on an express before us to order camels to be prepared, none were ready. Mahomet Effendi, the vakil, having heard of Gordon Pasha's probable resignation, considered that it would be safe to disregard the order. Excepting about the camels, he treated us very well ; we took most of our meals in his house ; they were provided by him, and were good and plentiful. We remained here for one day, and had a ride round the town, calling on a Jew merchant, the only one I met in the Soudan, and then on the great merchant Hagi Lemen ; he is a Chereef, or direct descendant from the Prophet, and a highly cultivated man. He had just arrived from Khartoum with two hundred camel-loads of merchandise. After our long absence from civilisation, it was a strange but pleasant sight to see bales of Manchester goods, and the clerks busily at work with the invoices. Hagi Lemen returned with us to dine at the vakil's, but he did not eat at the same time ; he said he himself had no objection, but the vakil would not allow him to eat with Christians.