Chap. XXXVIII. THE FESTIVAL. 
17 
called " komd-komi-sube." The lighter cavalry was 
only dressed in two or three showy tobes and small 
white or coloured caps ; but the officers and more 
favoured attendants wore bernuses of finer or coarser 
quality, and generally of red or yellow colour, slung 
in a picturesque manner round the upper part of their 
body, so that the inner wadding of richly coloured 
silk was most exposed to view.* 
All these dazzling cavalcades, amongst whom some 
very excellent horses were seen prancing along, were 
moving towards the northern gate of the " billa 
gedibe," while the troop of the sheikh himself, who 
had been staying in the western town, was coming 
from SW. The sight of this troop, at least from a 
little distance, as is the case in theatrical scenery, 
was really magnificent. The troop was led by a 
number of horsemen; then followed the livery slaves 
with their matchlocks; and behind them rode the 
sheikh, dressed as usual in a white bernus, as a 
token of his religious character, but wearing round 
his head a red shawl. He was followed by four 
magnificent chargers clothed in libbedi of silk of 
various colours ; that of the first horse being striped 
white and yellow, that of the second white and 
brown, that of the third white and light green, and 
that of the fourth white and cherry red. This was 
certainly the most interesting and conspicuous part 
of the procession. Behind the horses followed the 
* I shall say more on the military department in my narrative 
of the expedition to Musgu. 
VOL. III. C 
