_Borgoo to_ Bahr el Ghazal 5 days, south. Kanem 12 south-west. Waday 14 south-south-east. From the well of El Wiakh, which is two days to the southward of Tegerry, is another road to Tibesty, shorter, yet at the same time more difficult than the other, being seven long days from thence to Braï, at which place rain water is found. These seven days are over a black range of mountains, which are destitute of water, grass, shrubs, or living animals; and in many places so very difficult of ascent, that camels and horses often meet their death by falls in passing them. The plain round the well of El Wiakh is said to be quite covered with human and other bones. In the Kafflés coming from Waday, many of the slaves and animals are often so exhausted by fatigue in passing this dreary road, that on being allowed a day’s rest, they become too stiff and sore to be able to proceed, and are thus left to perish. Many poor sinking wretches are deserted by their masters while yet alive, and it not unfrequently happens, that in order to get the healthy slaves to a resting-place, the sick ones are left to their fate. Arna and Braï are three days apart. Berdai (which I take to be the Berdoa of the maps) is two days east of Tibesty. From Braï to Marmar is nine days south-east. A tribe of Tibboo, called by some Febaboo, is not known. I suspect Aboo, in Tibesty, is the name from which it has been taken by mistake. It is a small town, and not, as has been supposed, a tribe. January 24th.—This morning I sat in the Mezlis, and saw the Arabs and Sultan’s people buying and selling the recently captured slaves. The manner of conducting the sale was quite new to me, and let me into the secret of the method taken by the great man to ascertain how much was due to him out of every private capture. Bookhalloom, old Sheikh Barood, and some more of the Sultan’s people, amongst whom are one or two of his scribes, summon the slaves of every person concerned in the Ghrazzie before them, the masters attending also. Each slave is then put up to auction at a certain price; the Sultan’s brokers only bidding high for the finest, the other people, who sit round in crowds, also bidding vociferously. The owner bids against them until he has what he considers the value of the slave offered him, when, if he chooses to sell, he has three fourths of the money paid to him, while one-fourth is paid by the purchaser to the Sultan. Should he not wish to part with his slaves, he buys them in, and the sum which he last names is considered as the price, from which he has to pay the Sultan’s share. The scribes write down each slave-owner’s name, and the sum due from him to the Sultan, and thus the account is easily kept between them.