272 SERVICE AND SPORT IN THE SUDAN 



Egyptian, and had long black hair. He described, in 

 the north-west, an interview of the Governor-General 

 with the Sultan as follows : ** I and the Sultan were 

 drinking coffee when the Sirdar, dressed in a red coat, 

 came in, his forehead touching the floor. At my 

 advice the Sultan did not slay him, but allowed him 

 to approach. After pouring out the praises of the 

 Sultan, the Sirdar asked my help to obtain from the 

 Sultan permission for the British to remain in the 

 Sudan. As they do no great harm, I signified my 

 assent, and the Sultan allowed them to do so till 

 the day, which is close, should come." He had in 

 his possession a seal with the name of Hassan Pasha 

 on it. We thought it wise to deport him to Suakim. 

 His journey back would take some time. 



Time and again my hopes of doing a patrol had 

 been dashed to the ground. At last the news of a 

 great battle near the Pongo River sent me out with 

 an escort of 20 Jehadia and 10 of the 12th Sudanese. 

 The latter did not like being hurried. When we 

 reached our midday halt they were under the mis- 

 taken idea that we would not leave till next morning. 

 Nevertheless they soon conformed to the Jehadia 

 pace, but, as I was doing some work en route, we 

 did not go more than twenty to twenty-four miles a 

 day. 



The country we passed through was unknown to 

 us, though not its people. Sultan Morgan Kali used 

 regularly to be " told off " for laziness. Old Sultan 

 Kiango would get an occasional bottle of whisky to 

 cheer him up. At his village was a Catholic mission. 



