238 
PLAN OF A RAZZIA. 
thousand cavalry, and a good number of maliarees. 
He is gone southwards. They report that he is 
indeed gone to Daura, but nothing is known posi- 
tively as to whether he will capture the Sheikh's 
subjects or those of the Fellatahs. The Sarkee, 
on a former occasion, captured a great many people 
belonging to Germal, one of the Sheikh's pro- 
vinces, and an order was forthwith sent to him to 
restore them to their homes and lands. He was 
compelled to comply. Besides slaves, the Sarkee 
will bring in bullocks and horses ; but the sheep 
taken are eaten by the troops of the razzia. His 
highness is expected to gather an army of 2000 
horse, and 10,000 on foot, besides camels for j)ro- 
visions and water, when completed. The plan and 
route of the expedition are kept a profound secret, so 
that the army will fall upon the unsuspecting popu- 
lation by surprise. 
After about three or four hours' ride the Sarkee 
usually encamps, and a souk, or market, is opened 
at the camp for provisions. " There are no women 
with the yaki (or army of razzia), the men cook 
and do all the work," says my informant. At night 
the Sultan calls round him his chosen troops, and 
distributes gour-nuts, and makes presents of provi- 
sions. He then sleeps a few hours, and probably 
starts at midnight, or as soon as the moon rises. 
A slave, a soldier of the Sarkee, who has been to 
a hundred razzias, tells me, that three years ago 
this Sarkee went to attack him of Daura in his 
