Every place has certain things especially in demand.  Here nothing goes down but white calico and very small looking-glasses, which shut up in boxes.  With these we purchase the greater part of our provisions.  There is a little cotton-money about.  Our encampment sometimes resembles a market.  The people are curious to observe every action which differs from theirs.  When I promenade a little for exercise, they immediately turn their eyes upon me with astonishment, and some come to ask what I do that for.  I reply by signs,[17] feeling my legs and stretching them.  This proves satisfactory, for the Kailouees are apparently an active people, at least in this season; but they moved about little while the rain lasted, and in the middle of the day they rarely visit us—­always in the morning and in the afternoon.  Dr. Overweg has got some patients; but people generally seem to enjoy very good health in this place.  We have now a great deal of wind instead of rain:  it always blows hard in the latter part of the day.  I find this weather very bracing, though the thermometer at nine P.M. sometimes stands at 83 deg..  The rainy season may be considered nearly 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!