SHEIKH ABD IL MAJID. 
51 
Majid for protection^ the crocodiles would not seize him. This 
is the legend : 
One of Abd il Majid Wallad Hamed^s servants was sent to the 
river to fetch water : he not returning^ another servant was deputed 
to follow him ; and he^ finding only the empty pitcher_, concluded 
that a crocodile had carried him ofip. When Abd il Majid was in- 
formed of the disappearance of his servant_, he got in a fury_, and 
after sunset went to the river^ drank it dry, and then proceeded to 
rip up every crocodile he fell in with. 
He_, however,, soon discovered the mutilated body of his unfortu- 
nate attendant in the stomach of a large crocodile. The remaining 
crocodiles,, horrified at the rough usage of their kind,, begged pardon, 
and promised that henceforth if any disciple of Sheikh Abd il Majid 
appealed to him upon entering the river, his person should be re- 
spected. 
There was a cataract near this village; we plainly heard the 
rushing water, but had no time to visit it. At ten o^ clock bivou- 
acked on the bank of the river, in a most delightful locality : the 
palm trees in groups formed Nature^s tents, and we all had our 
private apartments. I picked up many large shells, some pretty 
insects, and difierent grasses. It was about two o^clock when 
we continued the journey, and prepared in good spirits to cross 
the Moor of the Donkey — the AkabT il Homar. Some time 
after sunset we reached the middle of the moor, a bleak sterile spot 
— there remained for the night. A camp fire near us made known 
that other travellers were also there encamped ; it was too dark to 
be able to distinguish if it was a caravan of slaves. Petherick, 
being concerned at the increased traffic in slaves, and having met 
three of those wretched caravans in the desert proceeding to Cairo, 
sent a servant to ascertain. The travellers were traders in gum. 
