egro boy carried his
shield, a jacket of mail, and his steel skull-cap, and his arms;
another, mounted on a swift _mahary_, and fantastically dressed with a
straw hat and ostrich feathers, carried his timbrel, or drum, which it
is the greatest misfortune to lose in action. In the rear followed the
harem; but on such occasions the sheikh takes but three wives, who are
mounted astride on trained horses, each led by a slave boy, their heads
and figures completely enveloped in brown silk bournouses, with an
attendant on either side. The sultan has five times as many attendants
as his general, and his harem is three times as numerous.

On reaching Kabshary, the sheikh reviewed his favourite forces, the
Kanemboo spearmen, nine thousand strong. With the exception of a goat
or sheep's skin, with the hair outwards, round their middles, and a few
strips of cloth on their heads, they were nearly naked. Their arms were
spear and shield, with a dagger on the left arm, reversed. The shield
is made of a peculiarly light wood, weighing only a few pounds. Their
leaders were mounted and distinguished merely by a _tobe_ of dark blue,
and a turban of the same colour.

The sheikh's attendants were magnificently dressed, but his own costume
was neat and simple, consisting only of two white figured muslin
_tobes_, with a bournous, and a Cashmere shawl for a turban: over all
hung the English sword which had been sent him. On the signal being
made for his troops to advance, they uttered a fearful shriek, or yell,
and advanced by troops of eight hundred to a thousand each. After
striking their spears against their shields for some seconds, which had
an extremely grand effect, they filed off on either side, again forming
and awaiting their companions, who succeeded them in the same way.

There appeared to be a great deal of affection between these troops and
the sheikh. He spurred his horse onwards into the midst of some of the
troops as they came up, and spoke to them, while the men crowded round
him, kissing his feet and stirrups. It was a most pleasing sight, and
he seemed to feel how much his present elevation was owing to their
exertions; while they displayed a devotion and attachment denoting the
greatest confidence. The major assured him that, with these troops, he
need fear but little the attempts of the Fezzaners on his territories.

The next day a number of captives--women and children--were brought in:
one poor woman acco