52 SERVICE AND SPORT IN THE SUDAN 



We entered J. Deigo over a low col. Opposite to 

 us was a high, steep, rocky ridge, with a valley between 

 us, and at the head of the valley was the Sultan's 

 village. The building of the huts, &c., was princely 

 compared to that of the Arabs. When we reached 

 the wells we had a rather amusing experience. Every 

 one had fled at our approach ; or rather all but two 

 stark naked men, separated from us by a deep khor 

 with steep sides, who were engaged in rebaiting the 

 hooks on the lines they had laid out to catch guinea- 

 fowl. An old lady, hiding in the rocks on the side of 

 the hill near the well, addressed us as follows : " Are 

 your excellencies brigands ?" " No," was the answer ; 

 " don't you see that there is a ' hat officer ' with 

 us." " Oh ! any one can wear a hat. Are you der- 

 vishes ? " I took off my hat and rode towards her. 

 Loud screams greeted my movement, and she dis- 

 appeared. From another crag another beldame, after 



bidding us to water and go to , hastily vanished. 



At last an old man came and scrutinised us, and shortly 

 afterwards I got a message from the Sultan to say that 

 I was permitted to go and pay my respects to him. 



After a couple of embassies, in which it was ex- 

 plained that I was no ordinary (native) officer, but 

 the first (white) representative of the Government to 

 pay him a visit, the Sultan sent to apologise for his 

 disrespectful behaviour, and presently I saw approaching 

 me the rest of my patrol and a long file of men, some 

 fifty, mostly unarmed, with the Sultan in their midst. 

 He was a small, oldish man, clad in a parti-coloured 

 jibba with long sleeves. It had seen better days. 



