of Edinburgh, Session 1884 - 85 . 
219 
used now by many of the people for God, but they have a very 
confused idea as to the difference between God (Allah) and the 
Shereef at Mecca. Some few of them go on pilgrimages to Mecca, 
and they say that this Allah is a very fat man, who lies on a white 
mat and never does anything, but receives those who come to him, 
and lets them kiss his hand. When a man starts on this pilgrimage 
he takes with him a small drum called Beedi, which he beats in all 
the villages he passes through. It has a very low, solemn sound, 
and is a signal to the villagers that he is going to see Allah, and that 
they may join him if they like. Perhaps a party of five or six is 
made up altogether, and the rest of the people are satisfied with 
crying out, “ Aga be nasaba bani, zidzi domabani ye ka duo deba, 
dinzidisi dongab ani dinesidingtong suma karaky,” the meaning of 
which is somewhat as follows : — “ You are going to our master’s 
house, give him my hand, and tell him that I am so weak and that 
his house is so far that I cannot go.” The district of Khartoum, 
through which they must pass to get to Arabia, is called Urebiah, 
and Arabia itself Baribaru, or “ the country beyond the water.” 
When the pilgrims come back they are called Arch-barr, and are 
considered very holy ; they never have their heads shaved, and are 
supposed never to do wrong. Their title must not be confused 
with Arch-barch, a term of honour sometimes bestowed on people 
in acknowledgment of bravery. 
The dead are supposed only to stay in Accra about a day, when, 
if they have been good, they go to Molu, who lives in Jouel, “ the 
sky,” and are very happy there. If they have been wicked, they go 
to Uddu, the place of punishment, where they meet with all sorts 
of disagreeable things, and are finally burnt up. The people are 
very fond of singing a song which speaks of the fire in Uddu, 
rejoicing greatly because it has plenty of work to do in burning up 
wicked people. The oldest tradition, and one which is still firmly 
believed in the extreme west of Darfur, is that after death a man 
remains in the grave for two or three days ; he then passes in a 
mysterious manner to a new country, where he becomes young again 
and marries. Women, however, are supposed to have no life beyond 
this one. 
The ghosts of departed spirits are called “ Malal”; they are said to 
appear to their friends most frequently during the first few nights 
VOL. XIII. 
Q 
