Six days before the army reached Sennaar, the Pasha was met by an ambassador from the Sultan; he had an audience of his Excellence, and returned the next day to Sennaar.  He was a handsome young man, accompanied by a numerous suite mounted on dromedaries.  The army pursued its route, steadily marching in order of battle, the infantry in the centre, the cavalry on the wings; the artillery in advance of the centre and the baggage in the rear, with Shouus’ cavalry and the dromedary corps of Abbadies scouring our front and flanks to a great distance.  Two days after it was reported in the camp that the Sultan of Sennaar was on his way to meet us with a strong force, preceded by numerous elephants and great herds of cattle, collected in order to receive and exhaust the fire of our troops.  The Pasha proceeded however steadily on with the army in order of battle, and equally prepared for peace or war.  Two days before the arrival of the army in Sennaar, as I was riding near the Topgi Bashi, who was in front of the army with the artillery, I saw a great number of armed men approaching, mounted on horses and dromedaries.  Presently the Malek of Shendi (who had accompanied the Pasha)[51], rode up to the Pasha and informed him that the strangers approaching were the principal officers of the Sultan of Sennaar, and their suite, who had come to demand terms of peace.

I saw these personages when they arrived.  They were two, one a tall thin elderly man of a mulatto complexion, dressed in green and yellow silks of costly fabric, with a cap of a singular form, something resembling a crown, made of the same materials, upon his head.  The other was the same young man who had come a few days past to the Pasha.  He was dressed to-day in silks like the other, except that his head was bare of ornament.  They were accompanied by a fine lad about sixteen, who was, it is said, the son of the predecessor of the present Sultan.  All three were mounted on tall and beautiful horses, and accompanied by about two hundred soldiers of the Sultan, mounted on dromedaries, and armed with broadswords, lances and shields.

When the Pasha was informed of their approach by the Malek of Shendi, he ordered a halt.  The tent of the Pasha was pitched, and the ambassadors were introduced.  They were treated with great attention and liberality by the Pasha, who, during the day and the course of the evening following, gave them opportunities enough to be convinced of the immense superiority of our arms to theirs.  During the evening, some star rockets and bombs were thrown for their amusement and edification.  No language can do justice to their astonishment at the spectacle, which undoubtedly produced the effect intended by the Pasha—­humility and a sense of inferiority.  The next morning at an early hour the army pursued its march, accompanied by the ambassadors from Sennaar.