252 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
Chap. XLV. 
had been intended originally as granaries, seemed 
very desirable to the vizier in the cold weather, as he 
was able to lodge there, very comfortably, himself and 
his female slaves; for the cold in this open spot, 
which was not protected either by vegetation or by 
any rising of the ground, was so severe that not only 
the whole black world, but the two whites also, that 
is to say Mr. Overweg and myself, natives of the 
north of Europe, suffered severely from its intensity. 
Indeed it was most distressing during the night to 
hear the shrieks of the poor naked Miisgu slaves, who 
had been torn from their warm huts ; and *it was not 
till about noon that they seemed to revive a little. 
Nevertheless the thermometer, at six o'clock in the 
morning of the 15th, indicated as much as 51°, which 
was the greatest amount of cold we had during this 
expedition, and at noon it even rose to 87°. 
We were obliged to remain in this uncomfort- 
able place several days, owing to the circumstance 
that the whole of the spoil was to be divided here 
before we left the hostile territory ; for an undisci- 
plined host like this, of course, cannot be controlled 
except by fear, and if the people were allowed to 
regain their own territory with what they had taken 
in slaves and cattle, they would go to their own 
homes without contributing anything to the com- 
mon share of the army. This is also the custom in 
Waday as well as in Dar Fur, the spoil being divided 
before the expedition re-enters the friendly territory. 
