THE SULTAN MAHAREES. 
329 
the Tuaricks, over and under the eyes. His shoes 
were the common Soudan sandals ; and thus, with a 
long wand, or a white stick, he proceeded with a 
slow-measured pace through the streets of the town. 
A dependant followed the Sultan at a short distance, 
but the absence of an escort proclaimed how deep- 
rooted was his authority. 
To-day, for the first time, En-Noor sent to buy 
something of us, viz. a loaf of white sugar. As 
Overweg is going to Asoudee under the protection of 
En-Noor, I gave him the loaf of sugar, and told 
him to send it, on his part, as a present to the 
Sheikh, and at the same time to ask him to get his 
escort ready. 
The Fezzanees call the Milky Way, which ap- 
pears at this season nearly overhead early in the 
evening, " the road of the dates," it being now the 
time in which the dates ripen. 
Late in the evening a troop of twenty maharees 
came riding straight up to our tents. Although 
none of our people were gone to bed, although all 
were up and about talking, not a single person saw 
them coming but myself; and I only saw — none 
of us heard, so noiselessly did they steal over the 
sand. This troop merely came in to bait for the 
night. They, however, brought some person with 
them who is about to be married to a woman of 
Tintalous. 
21th. — I rose early, having slept little on ac- 
count of noises of various sorts, which continued 
