MESSAGE FROM THE SULTAN. 
261 
hundred and fifty in number, situated in the middle 
of the valley, with trees here and there interspersed. 
It was nothing hut a large village. Still, as the 
termination of our journey for the present, and as 
bearing a name which has been hitherto thrown down 
at haphazard anywhere towards the centre of the 
southern Sahara, we hailed it with delight. Both 
huts and houses wore a truly Soudan character, 
and I felt that to a certain extent the object of the 
Mission was already accomplished. 
Mohammed En-Noor chose us out a good place 
for an encampment, upon some sand-hills over- 
looking the entire country. Wlien we had pitched 
tent, Mr. Yusuf Moknee was despatched to carry 
our compliments to the great man of the town. 
Sultan En-Noor. This distinguished personage he 
found laid up with rheumatism, and unable to receive 
us as we desired. However, he expressed a wish to 
see Dr. Overweg in his character of medical man, 
and made a long harangue to Yusuf, the substance 
of which was, that inasmuch as w^e had come from 
Constantinople,'^' from Tripoli, from Fezzan, from 
Ghat, in peace and safety, why should he think of 
eating us up and destroying us, like the people of 
Taghajeet and others? — " No; let the Christians 
rest in peace. I will now protect them — let them 
not fear. If I had not been ill, I would have come 
myself, and fetched them from Taghajeet, and no 
one should have touched them. Now, I will take 
* Where he got this news I cannot tell. 
