They were known at some
distance by the jingling of the bells, which are always worn on their
camels on such occasions. The drumming was kept up again the greater
part of the night, the screech-owl and crickets joining the discord as
before.
_29th._--Several of our people have recently been unwell, Yusuf amongst
the rest. They take little care of themselves, and attribute their
illness to the ghaseb. I expect we shall have them all ill in Soudan.
Early this morning I found Ibrahim, servant of the Germans, holding in
his hand and playing with a huge scorpion, which he had caught near the
tents. He seemed to have fatigued it so much that it could not sting. It
kept, indeed, always striking with its tail, but very feebly. Its head
was not at all prominently brought forward out of its body, and it
looked as if it had no head at all. It had ten legs. I told Ibrahim that
he was a marabout, at which he was greatly flattered.
The twenty maharees have joined the nuptial festivities this morning. A
number of women are squatting in a group on the ground, and the men
mounted on their camels are riding round and round them, sometimes in
single file, and at other times in two's and two's. Whilst this is going
on, another mounted party gallops up one by one to the group from a
short distance. All this is done to the sound of rude noisy drums. I
have not heard any songs, or seen any other species of music but this
drum.
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