64 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. LXXTI. 
ligious principles, but his younger brother, who cer- 
tainly possessed a considerable degree of knowledge 
in religious matters, stated, in opposition to my argu- 
ment, that the Caliphs, El Hariin and Mamun, who 
had the books of Plato and Aristotle translated into 
Arabic, were Metazila, that is to say, heretics, and not 
true Moslemin ; but this assertion of course I did not 
admit, although much might be said in favour of my 
opponent. At all events, I had obtained some re- 
spite from the attacks of my friends ; and having thus 
the support of them all, in the afternoon of the follow- 
ing day, the 10th of March, we went quietly to the 
tents in order to celebrate the " Sebuwa " (corre- 
sponding to the baptism of the Christians) of the new- 
born child. On this occasion I noticed that the water 
in the outlying creeks which we passed had only 
fallen about three feet since the 17 th of February, 
which is less than two inches per day ; but it is pro- 
bable that the water of the principal branch decreases 
more rapidly than that of these winding backwaters. 
The camp was full of animation, the Gwanin el 
Kohol, a section of the Berabish, having taken re- 
fuge in the encampment of the Sheikh from fear of 
the Kel-hekikan, with whom they were on hostile 
terms. It was highly interesting for me to be thus 
brought into close contact with these people, who owe 
allegiance to the chief that had murdered Major 
Laino^ : and well aware that I could not fail to en- 
tertain a strong prejudice against them, they all 
thronged round me on my arrival, and hastened to 
