from the
camp, about 1,000 strong, and set off to join Rabeh Zubeir.

This Rabeh had been originally brought up in Zubeir Pasha's family, had
shown military ability, and at the time of the suppression of the
revolt in Bahr el Ghazal by Gessi Pasha commanded with Suleiman
(Zubeir's son) the supposed rebel army. On Suleiman's capture and death,
Rabeh fled with the remnants of the force towards Bornu, and after a
host of strange adventures and constant fights with the kingdoms of
Borgo, Wadai, &c., he succeeded in establishing himself in an
independent position on the banks of the Share river which empties into
Lake Chad. Here he has collected a considerable force, and appears to
have at last established friendly relations with his neighbours. The
Khalifa has frequently sent messages to him to return to Omdurman, where
he would be most honourably received, but Rabeh has persistently
refused.

Osman, when at El Fasher, also communicated with him in the same sense;
but Rabeh, who had a shrewd idea of the Khalifa's intentions, summoned
to his aid a Fiki who had been in Omdurman, and who quite understood
Abdullah's character. On Rabeh telling the Fiki of his message from
Osman, the Fiki asked that a cock should be given him, and he proceeded
deliberately to pull out the feathers of its wings. He then bound its
legs together, and plucked it completely; and last of all cut its head
off. The Fiki said not a word, but Rabeh thoroughly understood the moral
of the proceeding, and came to the wise conclusion to stay where he was.
The last news is that a portion of his force has re-entered Dar Fertit,
the country to the north-west of Bahr el Ghazal.

As for Mahmud, after the disturbance at Nahut, he retired on El Obeid in
1890, and left Darfur to its fate. All that portion of it bordering on
Kordofan is entirely depopulated. Herds of elephants roam the plains as
far as El Fasher. There is continual internecine warfare, which is still
further reducing the population, and creating a wilderness of this once
populous district.

Let us now revert to the operations against Abyssinia. In consequence of
Abu Anga's victory over Ras Adal, the tribes on the north-western
borders of Abyssinia, and who are known as Makada, embraced Mahdiism;
and it was at this time that Todros Kasa, the son of the Todros Kasa
(King Theodore), who had been vanquished by the British at Magdala,
suddenly appeared at Galabat, and offered his services to the Dervis