54 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. LXXI. 
been sent to Taleb Mohammed, who, as I stated 
before, although nothing but a merchant, exercised, a 
great political influence in this anarchical place, I went 
home to refresh myself with a cup of tea, and then 
made preparations for the eventual defence of my 
house, and for hiding the more valuable of my eflPects : 
after which I returned to the residence of El Bakdy, 
about midnight, and found the holy man himself, 
armed with a double-barreled gun, about to enter the 
great segifa, or parlour, which he had allotted to his 
faithful and discreet storekeeper, Taleb el Wdfi. Here 
we sat down; and soon about forty men gathered 
round us, armed partly with spears and partly with 
muskets, when, after a great deal of useless talk as 
to what was to be done, it was agreed upon to send 
one messenger to the Tawdrek chiefs, Rummdn and 
Mushtaba, whose acquaintance I had made on a for- 
mer occasion, and who at present were encamped in 
Musherrek, a locality rich in pasture-grounds and well 
protected by three branches of the river, to the south- 
west of the town, — and another messenger to our 
friends the Kel-ulli, in order to summon these people 
to our assistance. 
Meanwhile the Sheikh, seated on the raised plat- 
form of clay which occupied the left corner of the 
parlour, entertained the sleepy assembly with stories 
of the prophets, especially Miisa and Mohammed, and 
the victories achieved by the latter, in the begin- 
ning of his career, over his numerous adversaries. 
The quiet of the listless assembly was only disturbed 
