8 
TEAVELS m CENTEAL AFEICA. 
adult slaves and tliree Inindred and eighty ounces of gold per 
annnm^ from Melik^ Nassur of Tekkela^ and the defeat and subse- 
quent retreat of the former in endeavouring to enforce the same^ 
Moosa Pasha^ the late Governor- General of the Soudan^ in his 
then capacity of Sub -Governor- General^ was sent to retrieve the 
fortunes of the day. By reason of a disagreement with the un- 
successful Governor^ Moosa Pasha turned his attention not so much 
against Tekkela^ as to other smaller negro communities and nomad 
Arabs^ who also had been guilty of withholding their tribute. For 
the purpose of better locomotion^ he discarded the use of regular 
infantry^ and chose in preference one thousand two hundred irre- 
gular Arab cavalry^ under their several Melik chieftains^ and three 
hundred mounted nomad Arab allies. When in the vicinity of that 
portion of the revolted Arabs who were under the command of 
Hamsa and Sheik Hassab Allah_, surnamed II Tor the bulP^)^ 
Moosa Pasha^ in the act of reconnoitering_, was hotly pursued_, and 
all but taken prisoner. From the execrations that were launched 
against him_, he concluded that^ if captured^ certain death would be 
his fate^ and no sooner was he within the precincts of his own 
camp and in safety^ than he vowed he would inflict a dire revenge^ 
and make his name in future a dread and horror in the land. 
In his turn^ with the whole of his force^ he so persistently 
followed upon the track of the Arabs^ that coming up to them^ 
hampered as they were with their numerous herds and flocks, he 
killed a large number, took fifty females and a host of children 
into slavery, besides capturing thousands of cattle, A brother of 
Sheik Hamsa was killed whilst defending the chiefs family from 
ignominy and slavery ; and amongst eighteen notable prisoners 
were sons of the latter and the veteran sheik, Hassab Allah (II Tor). 
By a drum-head court-martial, held on the spot, a sentence of death 
