of the women whom he had taken prisoners. The large
number of cattle and sheep captured from the Arabs in this expedition
proved invaluable during the investment of Delen, which followed shortly
afterwards. The little force now returned laden with booty of every
description, and was received by the inhabitants with every
manifestation of joy. This, however, was our last victory.

I must now give a short description of Delen before I proceed to narrate
the events which occurred there later on. Delen, situated five days'
journey to the south of El Obeid, is on one of the smallest of the
mountain ranges. Jebel Delen itself consists of five hill summits,
decreasing in height from south to north, the highest point being
scarcely 1,500 feet above the plain. These five hills form a most
picturesque group; enormous granite blocks lie piled one over the
other, and the spacious cavities thus formed serve as haunts for
panthers and other beasts of prey. The rain, which comes down in
torrents, has washed all the soil away, leaving only the barren rocks
standing in these huge piles; far in the clefts, a sort of wild fig has
taken slender root, and, gradually shooting up, gives a pleasant shade,
and takes off from the barren aspect which these hills would otherwise
present. Of the five hills only two are inhabited, and in all there
cannot be more than 2,000 inhabitants, who are remarkable for their tall
and graceful figures and unusual bravery. At the foot of the
northernmost hill lay our little Mission station, while at the foot of
the south-east hill was situated the palisaded zariba of the soldiers;
to the west and north, and close to the Mission buildings, stretched the
Nuba villages, extending from the base to the summit of the hills.

The second hill from the north, which is about 600 yards from the first
hill, was inhabited by the Nubas and their Khojur Kakum. Kakum was at
that time a man of about fifty years of age, of commanding appearance,
and greatly respected by the blacks. He used to wear wide white trousers
and a gallabieh, and on his head a nicely embroidered cap with a large
tassel which our sisters had made for him. He had passed his youth in
Alexandria as a soldier, and acquitted himself admirably as the Khojur,
not of Delen only, but also of the neighbouring hills. Numbers of people
used to come and seek his blessing and advice, and when our Bishop
Comboni arrived at El Obeid, he was there to beg him to send
miss