There exists, perhaps, no country in which the inhabitants are so various, and diametrically opposed to each other in character as in Kordofan; for, after half a day’s journey from one district to the other, the traveller is almost tempted to believe that he has arrived in a different country, subject to quite a different government, and professing a different religion. A shade of variation in the race of the people quite alters their characters. There are, properly speaking, three distinct races of men abruptly differing from each other in the province: namely the negroes, properly so called, or Aborigines; then the Arabs or free people, to which class the Bakkara belong; and, lastly, those who have emigrated from Dongola. The negroes who, with the exception of many slaves, profess the faith of Islam, are to be met with distributed over all the five districts, and occupy themselves chiefly with agriculture. Their wants are, therefore, fewer than those of the trading population, who on their travels have become acquainted with many comforts, which have become additional necessaries imperative to them. These negroes, the greater part of which are Noubas, are of very amiable disposition, extremely hospitable, exceedingly fond of their children, and possess the most honourable feelings. In their dealings they are particularly upright, and there is no fear of being overreached in transacting business with them; I will even go so far as to say there is less to be feared in their dwellings than in many European towns which appear far more safe. They are sincere friends, and assist each other in all difficulties; are endowed with a strong attachment to their native country; and only the most tyrannical oppression, such as existed under the government of the Defturdar, could force a few villages to leave their native land. When they are, however, enraged, they utterly disregard life for the opportunity of revenging themselves. Anger, however, is of exceedingly rare occurrence with their good tempers; and when a negro is observed to be carried away by passion, a few kind words are only required to pacify him; but harshness must by no means be resorted to. It is, in fact, necessary to treat them like children; for their mental faculties are very limited, and they may, indeed, be said to be on the lowest scale. There is, moreover, not the slightest probability of their ever making any progress in the cultivation of their minds, for they manage everything at the present day as it was done a hundred years ago. Their dwellings and domestic utensils, in short everything is the same as it was in the time of their forefathers. By the manner in which they perform their work, it is easy to perceive that they follow the plan adopted in former centuries, and the idea never enters their heads of improving upon any object, or of making a new invention. This apathy to all progressive improvement is the more astonishing, as these negroes