killing us, but a certain Hajji Khaled--now an emir in Omdurman--pointed
out that, according to the Moslem law, it was not lawful to kill priests
who had not offered any armed resistance, and who were, moreover,
captives. His view of the case was accepted, and we were handed over to
George Stambuli, who was made responsible for us. We then left
Abdullah's hut, and proceeded to Stambuli's, which was barely large
enough for himself and his family, so we were obliged to take up our
quarters outside in the open, where we remained for fifteen days,
exposed to the continual insults of the Arabs, until we were able to
build a hut for ourselves. We were now able to take a survey of this
gigantic camp. From the sandhill Gianzara almost up to the base of the
Om Herezeh mountain, was one mass of small huts, these were merely
enclosures made of branches of euphorbia and (sorghum) dhurra stalks,
just sufficient to keep off the burning rays of the sun. Here and there
a white tent indicated the headquarters of some important emir. Fiki
Minneh's camp adjoined that of Gianzara, and extended from Fulla (a
small pond which runs dry in the summer months), up to the base of Om
Herezeh. The huts were built so close to each other that constant fires
took place, which spread rapidly, and caused great destruction.

This enormous camp presented a wonderful spectacle, more especially at
night, when almost every one had his own cooking fire, and the whole
plain resembled a sea of fires which were lost in the distant horizon.
The din and noise created by hundreds of thousands of men, women, and
children, can be better imagined than described. Every emir's[D]
dwelling was known by two flags which were always planted near the
entrance, and beside them lay the war-drums, which were beaten day and
night, almost without intermission. Besides all this, the neighing of
thousands of horses rendered the din still more unbearable. The whole
air was infected with the most sickening stench; but to these wretched
people, pure or impure air makes no difference; they do not mind. All
the filth was piled behind the huts, dead donkeys lay about unburied; no
attempt was made to keep the place clean, and all this huge mass of
people lived in the midst of an ever-increasing heap of rotting
impurities. A daily market was held, and the people laid their goods on
the ground, sheltering themselves under a strip of cloth, known as
"Farda," stretched on the points of lances