Several of these elephants always remain behind their companions; for they feel a presentiment of their approaching end, and then choose a solitary valley in the neighbourhood of the river, where they patiently await their death, which generally takes place before the large herds return from their migrations. No one ever disturbs them, for death generally overtakes them in a short time, and then they fall a certain prey to the negroes. Hunting expeditions are, indeed, occasionally instituted against these animals, but only whilst they are to be met with singly, and dispersed over the country; for when they have collected together in herd it would be attended with great danger to attack them. Ivory is the only commodity of trade in these regions. Beside ivory, a small quantity of gold-dust is to be met with, among some few of the Shilluks, and yet more among the Jenky; they fetch it from the mountains of the Blue River, but these simple people do not know its real value, and trouble themselves very little about looking after it. The Djelabi transact the most business with them. The present Sultan of the Shilluks is named Denap; his wealth consists in elephants’ tusks. I was told by several Djelabi that there existed an animal in the country of the Shilluks, totally unknown in Kordofan and Sennaar. The natives call it _denk_; it is said to be rather larger than a rat, of an ash-grey colour, and to resemble a monkey in shape; the fore and hind paws, they say, are like the hands and feet of man; the tail is very short. This animal feeds on gum, climbs the trees, but cannot jump from branch to branch like the monkey. There are no camels in the country, on account of that destructive fly called here Yohara.