The Dinkas were seen at a distance, jumping in the air whilst they raised one arm, and struck their shields with their spears. This appeared to me rather a challenge than an expression of joy, as I concluded from the war-dances, the representation of which I had before witnessed. Their city is said to stretch far beyond this ridge, which the trees prevented us from remarking. Long swampy islands, with reeds and other plants, entwined one with the other, extend from their country to the middle of the stream. This is the case also, though on a reduced scale, on the left side. The distance of the shores from one to another is more than an hour. The reeds form in this manner a protection, which even when the water is at the highest is not to be overcome; just as at low water the Machadas form such a defensive barrier. In the same manner the Shilluks on the left shore have a marsh of reeds, under water, for protection. The Turks have managed, however, to come at these two nations by land. Suliman Kashef himself has twice defeated the Shilluks on the boundary of his district. These sudden and crafty attacks of a Chasua cannot, however, be called wars or battles. The animosity of these people to the Arabian hordes and marauding system goes so far, for example, that when they take a Bakhàra prisoner, they beat him to death with cudgels, death by the Harba (spear) being considered too honourable. On the contrary, they do not kill the Dinkas whom they may take captive, because they consider them as aborigines and old neighbours. The Arabs, however, do not slay the Shilluks taken prisoners by them, not so much out of respect to the Koràn, as from their inherent selfishness. When the Bakhàras come to the river to graze the cattle in the grass, which, after the reeds have been burnt away, contains nourishing fodder, there are continual petty wars between the Shilluks and Bakhàras, in which the latter display considerable bravery, as Suliman Kashef himself admits.