at an end.

[17] It is astonishing how few of the Kailouees speak Arabic. The
few terms and expressions they are acquainted with are only
those of commerce.

The valleys and rocks of Aheer abound with several kinds of wild
animals, both the inoffensive and the ferocious; viz. the gazelle, the
wadan, the wild ox, the ostrich, the wild boar, the jackal, the wolf,
the hyaena, and the lion. Numerous birds haunt the trees. Amongst others
we noticed a very beautiful species of dove, with a very distinct black
ring round its neck; the hippoo; the wood-pecker; linnets; and over us
flew the little black-and-white bird with the long feathers in its tail.

_15th._--We had a fine morning; the wind has quite dried our encampment.
There will be little more wet weather, they tell us; and the rain has
some time quite ceased in Soudan. This is fortunate, as already several
of our things have been spoiled. The Kailouees are taking advantage of
the dry weather, and may be seen riding about in all directions. The
members of the great families, like our European aristocrats, seem to
have no other occupation. God has created the earth for this class to
gallop about over. It was very warm and fine all day; thermometer at
noon, in tent, 95 deg. Fahr.: there was little wind.

The secret of En-Noor's authority is this: in all his great gains, and
lucky enterprises, and pieces of good fortune--as our arrival here has
proved--he gives his principal people and courtiers a share of the
profit or the spoil; and when nothing particular is going on, he feeds
them from the granary of his house, or clothes them from his heaped-up
merchandise. All this, however does not save the prince from being
occasionally robbed--if we are to believe report, which says that the
other evening some black cotton turbans were taken from his house. The
news from the town is, that En-Noor and his courtiers have received the
amount of their extortion in goods. We have now given at Tintalous to
the value of nearly a thousand dollars, and yet we have not received the
smallest present in return--not a supper the day of our arrival, not a
little butter or fruit; nothing, absolutely nothing!

Our servants have nearly procured all the ghaseb which they require for
the journey from this to Zinder, viz. one hundred sahs. This they have
purchased with various little wares, principally knives and
looking-glasses. The ghaseb is always mixed with ghafouley, a species o