courage this man had shown in battle, and his firmness in adversity, had
engaged the respect of the Osmanlis, and he is as graciously received by
the Pasha, who created him a Bimbashi, and received him, his companions,
and followers, into his service. Malek Shouus is a large stout man, of a
pleasing physiognomy though black, of about forty years of age, and was
considered as the greatest warrior among the people of the Upper Nile,
who all stood in awe of him.[45]

The 19th, 20th, and 21st of the moon, were employed in traversing the
naked country before-mentioned, which is barren, rocky, and without
cultivation. We marched for three days, from the middle of the afternoon
till midnight. It was not till the second hour after midnight, however,
of the third day, that we arrived at a country on the border of the
Nile, containing several villages, where we remained till the middle
of the afternoon of the 21st. On our arrival at these villages, the
darkness and severe hunger engaged several of the soldiers to take, by
force, sheep and goats from the inhabitants. The officers of the Pasha
vigorously interposed to prevent this infraction of the orders of his
Excellence, and several of the guilty were severely punished for taking
forbidden means to gratify the demands of nature.

At the hour of afternoon prayer the signal was fired, and the camp
proceeded onwards. We left the villages afore-mentioned, and passed
through a sandy tract covered with bushes and the thorny acacia, which
embarrassed our march, and, by occasioning several detours, caused the
army to lose its way. After wandering about till midnight, the camp at
length arrived on the bank of the Nile.

On the 22d, at the rising of the moon, the camp proceeded, and halted
in the forenoon on the beach of the river, opposite Halfya, a very large