46 LIFE WITH THE HAMRAN ARABS. 



promptly replied that the koorbatch (whip) would be 

 more practical, and then changed the subject. These 

 Hadendowa Arabs have the character of being very 

 lazy and great thieves, so it is no use wasting much 

 sympathy upon them. In the evening Munsinger Pasha 

 dined with us, and we gave him all the delicacies avail- 

 able from our home supplies, as well as a tiny antelope 

 (Dik-dik), which was roasted whole and stuffed with rice 

 and raisins, and was as tender as a chicken. Iced 

 champagne was also not forgotten to be ordered, but 

 unfortunately the freezing machine, though it had proved 

 a great success at Cairo in an experimental trial, refused 

 to act in consequence of its rather rough treatment 

 during the journey. However, we consoled ourselves 

 with the thought that champagne, even without ice, was 

 not to be obtained every day in Kassala. 



He gave us much interesting information on various 

 subjects connected with this country. Kassala, he says, 

 has now a population of about 25,000 persons, excluding 

 the villages in its neighbourhood. A large portion of it 

 is very migratory, consisting of various tribes who stay 

 only for a short time for barter. There are a great 

 number of men of bad character here who are sent in 

 banishment from Cairo, and they arc allowed to be at 

 large so long as they behave themselves properly. 

 Crime, excepting theft, is not common here, and theft is 

 scarcely regarded as a crime among them, on the plea 



