410 
mr browne's journey. 
of the body. The troops of Darfur, not actually 
engaged in war, are reviewed at an annual military 
festival, termed, The leathering of the kettle-drum, 
when presents are presented to the sovereign by all 
the principal people of the country, and various 
superstitious ceremonies are performed, among 
which are the sacrifice of a young boy and a girl. 
Various superstitious opinions are blended with the 
Mahometanism of the Furian tribes. The moun- 
taineers sacrifice to the deity of the mountains in 
order to procure rain. Mahometanism began to 
prevail in Darfur in the reign of Solyman, of the 
Dageou race, who is supposed by Browne to have 
lived at some period between 130 and 150 years 
ago. The Dageou race are reported to have been 
originally expelled from the vicinity of Tunis, and 
to have resigned the sceptre to the race of Fur, 
after being exhausted by intestine dissensions. At 
the inauguration of every king, they are said to 
have kindled a fire, which was preserved burning 
till his death. At the accession of a sultan, the 
present Furians spread before him various carpets, 
on which their deceased monarchs used to sit, and 
from that which obtains the preference, deduce an 
omen of his future character, which they suppose 
will resemble its former possessor. The present 
monarch of Darfur, ambitious, fond of martial re- 
putation, and eager to possess the gold mines of 
Sennaar, applied to the Mameluk Beys of Egypt 
