ave dispensed with this good fortune. When I was summoned
the next day I sent word that I was very ill, and by this means secured
some rest.

Whilst at Rahad, the Mahdi's eyes were continually directed on Jebel
Dair, and when Abu Anga and the emirs who were sent to subjugate these
districts, returned, defeated in their attempts to scale the mountain,
the Mahdi then despatched every man fit for war to reinforce him. He
excused himself for this unusual measure by saying that all persons
should be exercised in war, and that, moreover, this was penance to
those who had only recently joined him, to purify them from the sin of
not having joined him earlier. As a matter of fact, these Arabs were a
source of great trouble and annoyance to the Mahdi, for they did nothing
but wander about the market-place begging, and it was no small
difficulty to keep such vast crowds in order.

The war against the Nubas was waged in the most cruel manner; the proud
Dervishes were incensed at the stubborn resistance of these poor black
slaves, as they used to call the Nubas. On one occasion, when the
Dervishes, led by Abu Anga and followed by the Gellabas, attempted to
ascend the mountain, the Nubas allowed them to advance some way and then
pounced down upon the Gellabas in the narrowest pass; these men were
badly armed, and four hundred of them were killed. Abu Anga seeing this
beat a rapid retreat, and on coming into the pass was implored by the
wretched wounded Gellabas to carry them away, but Abu Anga's men
jeeringly replied that they must die "in God's cause," and left them to
the tender mercies of the Nuba lances.

I may here remark that there was great ill-feeling between the blacks
and the Dervishes, for the black soldiers complained that they were
always placed in the forefront of the battle. In another attack the
Dervishes succeeded in reaching the Nuba village, burning the huts,
killing a large number of them and carrying off their wives and children
as captives to Rahad, where they were sold as slaves. On this occasion
Nur Angar cut off the heads of three Nubas who had already submitted,
while Abu Anga's men seized the little children by the feet and dashed
their brains to pieces on the rocks. At Rahad a special zariba was built
for the Nuba captives, who were driven like cattle into a pen to be
sold. These poor creatures, without covering from the sun or rain,
suffered terribly from hunger and thirst; each evening they were given