eatly deteriorated in this respect, consequent on his indulging
more than usual his uxorious appetites.

After morning prayers he generally takes a short sleep, and during the
remainder of the day he is busy with the affairs of State. Posts are
continually coming and going; and the telegraph having been destroyed, a
camel postal service has been organised, but is exclusively used for
official letters. Any one who wishes to send private letters must do so
through the intermediary of merchants and travellers.

After the day's work is over, the Khalifa delights in gossiping till
late in the night, surrounded by his emirs and judges. Sometimes just
before midnight he will again enter the mosque, and will summon the
poets to sing his praises. He delights in music, and keeps a number of
Dar Fertit and Niam Niam singers, who accompany themselves on the rubaba
(a sort of native guitar), and their strange and weird melodies delight
the Khalifa's soul. These native musicians have a sort of school of
music, in which they practise all day; but they never seem to learn
anything new.

Abdullah is by no means a ruler in name only. His palace is crowded with
male and female servants, slaves, eunuchs, and young boys, who
continually wait upon him, and carry after him the inevitable "ibrik."
One slave is especially told off to carry the "farwa" or sheepskin to
the mosque. The other servants are called mulazimin, and act rather in
the capacity of spies than personal attendants. A good or bad word from
them has no small weight with the Khalifa. Of course they are all
submission to their master; and if they have been brought up in the
Khalifa's service, when the time comes he permits them to marry, and
gives them a horse as well--the two things they long for most. The
Khalifa has also his special barber, who is a slave; and his master of
the horse, who is an immensely tall Dinka. He has also a sort of giant
slave who lifts him on and off his horse. His life-guards consist of 500
black slaves armed with Remington rifles, who always accompany the
Khalifa whenever he rides out. They wear a very short jibbeh--not unlike
a soldier's tunic--and short knickerbockers. Amongst them are about 100
Taisha and Homr Arabs, whose special duty is to prevent any one
approaching the Khalifa's person. To further add to his prestige, he has
also appointed an honourable council, composed of all the principal
sheikhs of the great Sudan tribes.

His mulazimin