278 TRAVELS IN AFRICA, 
obtained the government. He is faid to have ruled thirty-two 
lunar years, one of the longed reigns remembered in the hiftory 
of the country. The fons he left at his death being all young, 
the fecond brother, under pretence that none of them was old 
enough to reign, which was far from being the faft, and in fome 
degree favoured by the troops for the generofity by which he 
was eminently diflinguifhed, under the title of Chalife^ vicege- 
rent of the realm, aflumed the reins of government. His reign 
was of fhort duration, and chara£terifed by nothing but vio- 
lence and rapine. He had been only a fhort time feated on the 
throne, when a difcontented party joining with the people of 
Kordofan, in a war with whom his brother Teraub had perifhed, 
found employment for him in that quarter. Abd-el-rachman, 
who, during the life of his brother, had affumed the title of 
Faquir f^ z.x\d>. apparently devoted himfelf to religion, was then 
in Kordofan. He took advantage of the fituation of the Cha- 
life, and the increafing difcontent of the foldiery, to get himfelf 
appointed their leader. Returning towards Fur, he met his 
brother in the field, and they came to an engagement, which, 
whether by the prowefs of Abd-el-rachman, or the perfidy of 
the other's adherents, is unknown, was decided in favour of the 
former. The Chalife was wounded ; and while one of his 
fons parried the blows that were aimed at his life, they periflied 
together covered with wounds. The children of Teraub, the 
rightful heirs, were in the mean time forgotten, and are now 
wandering about, fcraping a miferable fubfiflence from the par- 
fimonious alms of their ufurping uncle. Abd-el-rachman 
thought fit to facrifice but one of them, who being of mature 
age, 
