A PRESENT EN- NOO^S CHARACTER. 
7 
place, it is no easy matter to catch them from 
amongst the herds ; then it is hard to load them ; 
and then, though not often, they refuse to proceed. 
On this occasion a powerful brute proved absolutely 
unmanageable. En-Noor, seeing its obstinacy, ex- 
claimed that he gave it to me to kill and eat. He 
afterwards, however, modified his gift, and said 
that the bullock was also to be distributed amongst 
the Arabs of the caravans now in Tintalous; and 
that we were to give a turban as a present to the 
herdsman. I was told that, in the meantime, repre- 
sentation had been made to him, to the effect that it 
was unfair to distinguish the Christians in this man- 
ner. Soon after the animal was given it ran away, 
and no one could catch it. 
Well, the bullock caravan went off in good style ; 
and Sultan En-Noor remained taking his tea and 
eating English pickles and marmalade with me. He 
drank the tea and ate the other delicacies with evident 
pleasure, not being afraid, like the greater part of 
his subjects, to eat the food of Christians. Possession 
of power seems to have one good effect — the de- 
struction of prejudice; pity that it sometimes goes 
further and destroys belief. En-Noor told us that the 
Sultan of Asoadee had gone out on a razzia to the 
w 7 est. We are obliged to hope that it will be 
successful, as otherwise our affairs will most materially 
suffer. We talked also of the state of Zinder, 
which is represented to be a walled town, with seven 
gates built amidst and around some huge rocks. The 
