court-yard, with the Arabs and negroes, and in a little time I had my supper. It was the first time I tasted millet bread. It was excellent, especially for fever patients, for, being somewhat acid, it excited appetite. After eating a little and getting some wood put on the fire, I attempted to sleep.

CHAPTER XXXII.

MY DEPARTURE ON 1ST DECEMBER FOR HOLLAT ELSHEIK FADL-REJOINING THE CAPTAIN.

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I AROSE in good time, and awoke Cucco for our departure. I told him to call the wife of the sheik, that we might thank her for the kindness with which she had received us. She came immediately. I said I hoped her house might ever be open (a phrase indicating happiness to the family); always abound in bread and salt; that all the guests might thank her and remember her, and wish her greater abundance. She replied " May God prolong your life and restore you safe to your own country, and do not forget the house of the sheik of Omcanatir. It is a duty of the sheik to offer hospitality to all, especially Franks like your excellence." I mounted my dromedary, renewing adieus to her and the Arabs and Moors present. All marvelled at the fine phrases of the Frank. Poor creatures! they were to be excused; they knew not habitus non facit manchum. The wife of the sheik responded to my compliments, adding one more"Iakauagia; you are a great man and very civil, but you deal in magic."

"So you are not yet convinced that I am not a magician? Very well; if ever you should see me back again in your house and say that I am a magician, I will immediately set fire not only to your house but to the whole village." (It was the largest one of the Lobaied.)

"Wallah! you can do it--who can hinder you ?"

"Farewell! take care that I have not left any magic in the house." Then, urging forward my dromedary, I took the road towards Hollat Elsheik Fadl.

As we had an Asuad from Omcanatir to guide us and put us in the right direction, I began to interrogate him about his village, the cultivation and cattle. He told me that almost all the Hollat were alike. They sowed a little dokn and a very little dora; they had also plenty of animals-lambs, goats, oxen, cows, camels, dromedaries, a few horses, also a few donkeys.

"Intul Uhamir calal," said I, "thou a few donkeys?" (Their manner of speaking is to ask each other, "Thou ox, camel drunk?-thou bull grazed?")

I inquired if they used much milk, and he said, "Yes; they always mixed milk with their kesra, for they had nothing else." On my asking if they ate much, he said "No; he did not know why, but who could eat much in this heat? that kesra with rob was sufficient." He then asked me if we ate much kesra in our country. I informed him we had no kesra, but ate meat and onions. He was astonished, and told me they rarely ate meat; they never killed any cattle unless they had

met with an accident and were about to die. They generally sold their animals to the Arabs or to the Walad Alrif (the Egyptians are called sons of Rif: Rif is an elegant Arabic word, meaning fertile ground, pleasing places), who give them some yards of calico when they come, or something else. If a bull is a very good one it costs from fifteen to twenty, or at most twenty-five piastres (five shillings), and a sheep two or three, or at most four piastres (104d.); but if several are bought at the same time they cost less. For instance, if forty, fifty, or sixty sheep or goats are bought, they cost about sixty paras (24d.) a-piece, or a piastre and a half. The oxen also cost less if fifteen or twenty are bought together. He said camels were not dear: a good camel whose mother was Fzeria, and father Cobbasee (see a song on camels of the Cobabishe, at the end), would cost from sixty, seventy, eighty, or at most one hundred piastres (12s., 14s., 16s., or £1), but those of not such famous parentage from forty to fifty piastres. I asked if the water at Omcanatir was good. "No; very bad; but we are accustomed to it and drink it with rob." There was abundance of water, for they always dug new wells every year; because in some years when it was very hot, the wells were dried up, but as they always had dug a great many, if three or four dried up there were others remaining, so that they provided against the necessity before it came.

After being escorted some distance by the Asuad I dismissed him, thanking him, and giving him a piastre,

for which he greatly thanked me, wishing me a good journey, and turned back delighted.

We prosecuted our journey in a northern direction, and, after three hours' travelling, reached Hollat Elsheik Fadl after sunrise. I found the Captain stretched on an ancarib, with grim eyes and a sour countenance. wished him good morning, and he replied, "The camels

are not here."

"Where are they?"

"Gone to Cagimir (a village of Arabs Cobbasee on the road to Dongola,) to meet us there and take us to Dongola."

"The Haggian sent from Lobaied to tell the brother of the sheik to prepare new camels, or to take back those sent from Cagimir, is not arrived here.”

"He gave the letter to some Asuad to bring it to the officer, and it is not arrived here; so I do not know how long we shall have to wait here."

The Captain said he had sent a Haggian at midnight after the Arabs gone to Cagimir, and told him to run with all speed, so we had just to wait and hope he would overtake them and bring them back soon. I told Ismael to carry me an ancarib within the hut, upon which I threw myself. Ibrahim came to ask how I was, how I had passed the night, and what I would have to eat. I thanked him, and asked for some roasted cobab, which he brought in a quarter of an hour. I could eat but little; the heat began to burn; and at noon the fever attacked me with great violence. I had an acute pain

I