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SKETCHES IN THE SOUDAN 35 



water-bottles, and everything else was taken from the camel- 

 saddle and placed in an empty hut close by. Then, of course, 

 followed the tedious inquiries after each other's health, so per- 

 sistently repeated as greatly to try one's temper. As one after 

 another the chief men of the village arrived this handshaking, 

 &c., had to be gone through before they seated themselves on 

 mats or squatted on their heels at the foot of the angareb. 

 Coffee was now handed round and sipped, and then the company 

 became more confidential. My well-fed friend, the sheikh-in- 

 chief, showed me with great pride a revolver which had been 

 presented to him by some wandering Englishman, and was 

 astonished to see that I did not carry one also. I had to pro- 

 duce my rifles and ammunition, and hand everything round for 

 general inspection, with explanatory pantomimes, feeling greatly 

 relieved when nothing was asked for as a present. Many were 

 the inquiries after the number of our camels, of our followers, 

 guns, &c., and as to the probable length of our stay. The 

 sheikh seemed disappointed with our having so few camels, for 

 some other travellers had once come that way with several times 

 that number, travellers who had given him this, his friends that, 

 and everybody something. It soon began to dawn upon me that 

 this wily sheikh took perhaps more interest in our things than 

 in G. and me, and that probably he also had a very lucid idea of 

 the meaning of the word " backsheesh." Nor was I mistaken, 

 as events proved. These Arabs belonged to the Bakheet tribe, 

 a division of the pastoral Beni Amer, who had pitched their 

 camp here on account of the food found in the vicinity for their 

 numerous flocks. The village itself was divided into several 

 subdivisions, each surrounded by a circular thorny fence, built up 

 with mimosa shrub, to keep out wild beasts, which, especially 

 lions, were said to be very plentiful here, and daring. Placed 

 parallel with the inner edge of the protecting fence were the low 

 mat huts of the villagers, while the centre of the sereeba was 

 taken up by the much larger establishment of the sheikh, con- 

 sisting of several more roomy huts, also constructed of mats laid 

 over a framework of poles and sticks, with two or three horses 

 and camels picketed close by. The space in front of the sheikh's 

 hut was evidently the place of assembly of the people, where all 

 the business of the community was transacted. Here at sunset 

 prayer-mats were laid down, and after every one had complied 



