travels

72 TRAVELS IN EGYPT, NUBIA,his hand.I presented him with a telescope and smallpocket-knife: these he was at first inclined to refuse, sayingI was welcome without an offering.A pipe, dates, andcoffee, were brought me; and a wooden bowl filled withcurds rendered sour, and sweetened with a sort of sweetmeatmade of dates.His attendants sat down by us in acircle, and many trifling questions were asked of me by all.My wearing apparel was examined.I was questioned aboutmy rank, what number of soldiers my king commanded, howmany wives he had, in what garrison I was, and how far off;what number of guns it contained, and whether my Pasha,meaning my commanding officer, had power of life anddeath.On my telling the Cashief that he ought to send his sonto see England, he pointed to the presents I made him, andasked if it was necessary to send presents to my king; uponmy answering in the negative, he replied, " Then why do youEnglish bring me presents ?* The Cashief, whose name isHassan, is one of three brothers, hereditary chiefs of thecountry between Philae and Dongola.He was a young manof about twenty^five years of age, and his territory extendsfrom Philae to Deir.He has a nominal absolute power,which, however, he does not exercise oppressively, nor doeshe interfere with the quarrels of the natives.He gave me a letter to his son, a boy of ten years old.ΚΥΠΡΙΑΚΗ ΒΙΒΛΙΟΘΗΚΗ