THE FATHER AND THE FA SHER MELE'. 553 
Royal Council, where the present sultan Mohammed Sherif 
however never appears. This council is held in an open 
place, which is likewise called Fasher, where all public 
business is transacted. The president of the Fasher, and the 
first of the (( Fasher- mele " or members of the Fasher in au- 
thority, is the Sing-melek, or, properly speaking, the master 
of the gate, but whose character and authority evidently 
approach those of a vizier, all business, as far as regards the 
internal operations of government, being principally trans- 
acted by him. The present Sing-melek is said to be a person 
of intelligence, of the name of Ashen, the younger brother 
of the powerful J6rma, Weled el Meram, who surpasses him 
in material power and wealth. But with regard to the com- 
position of the Fasher this Jerma is to be ranked next to 
Sing-melek. Then comes Kamkolak Rakeb, who appears to 
have the authority of a major-domo, then Emm f Abd-Allahi, 
a brother of Sing-melek, who is the inspector of the shirts, 
that is to say, the private treasurer of the monarch ; next in 
order is Kursi A'bu Bakr, son of A'bu Horra, the person 
mentioned above, at present stationed in the territory of the 
Kodoyi ; Kursi f Abd-Allahi, who has the inspection of the 
Welad Rashid ; the Agid el Mahamid : the Agid of the Welad 
Rashid ; the Agid el Jhatena ; Agid e' SaJ.amat ; Agid el 
Khozam; Agid el Birsh ; Agid el E'dderi ; Maigenek, a person 
whose duty it is to proceed with his troop in advance of the 
sultan, in case of an expedition, like the Jerma in the Bornu 
army; Kamkolak Mohammed Wokilik, K. Nehed, K. Tando, 
K. A'bu. Bakr, Agid el f Abidiye, Kursi Runga, Agid e' sybba; 
K. 'Ataman ( f Othman), Agid Ammarga, an officer of the 
household, Agid Salem, inspector of the corn supplied to the 
palace, Agid Yungo, likewise for the interior, Milleng-dime, 
khalifa of the Kamkolak of the southern provinces, Milleng- 
turi, Khalifa of the governor of the eastern districts, Moham- 
med Jegeles, khalifa of the agid of the Mahamid, Mohammed 
Dahaba Bo Ida, substitute of Kamkolak Mohammed, khalifa 
Fod, whose station is towards the S. ; Kubar, an Ajuwadi, 
