He was an Arab, and when one greeted him, one would say "Peace be upon you," and there was no special greeting for the Sultan's council. This was said in every council where a claim was made, even in the council of the judge and the sheikhs of the land. A claim could not be made otherwise, even if it meant the speech would be long, or short, due to the repetition of this phrase after every word or two. If someone initiated a claim without this, they would criticize him and consider him incompetent. Indeed, if he were in the presence of a ruler, he would be disciplined with reprimand, unless he was a stranger, in which case he would be excused. It is customary for the kings of Ghor to perform the Khams, a custom not found elsewhere in Darfur. The Khams is the changing of the skins of the drums, known in the region of Egypt as "Thiqafayr." This custom is greatly revered, and they set aside a season for it in the year, lasting seven days. The manner of this is that the Sultan orders all the drum skins to be removed on one day, and they are removed. Then, green hides are brought, slaughtered, and their skins are taken to cover those drums. However, the people of Darfur say things about this that the rational mind cannot accept, which is recorded in books. But they are unanimous in this practice. They claim that these hides are from a type of cow known to them, and that when it is slaughtered, it falls asleep on its own without anyone holding it. They do not mention the name of God when slaughtering it, and they say that it is the jinn that