A calm set in; but towing on ground of such a nature was not to be

thought of. Besides, we had no wood, so we landed in the country

of the Shilluks, near large sunt-trees; amongst them one was

distinguished by a circumference of fifteen feet. Some houses lay

there upon a low island, still surrounded with water, from which the

people had fled; we found in one of them a dog, which I protected

from the wanton cruelty of the crew, by laying claim to him as my

property. This faithful beast was of the shepherd-dog breed, similar

to those seen in Turkey. The tokuls have the already-mentioned arched

roofs of meadow-grass (called Halfa), and their walls are of reeds

and poles, as thick as a man’s arm, and plastered inside and out

with a clay-like under layer of the Nile slime. It appears that

they try to harden this circular wall before placing on the roof,

by a large fire lighted in the interior, as is the custom also in

the mountains near Fàzogl, for the walls displayed an extraordinary

solidity, considering they were of burnt clay. The door is an oval

hole, through which we stooped to enter, and it is also of good

service when poking such a fire. We found here several household

utensils, none of which I ventured to lay claim to, although they

could have no other value for the people than that of momentary

use. My three servants no sooner remarked that I was pleased with

these things, than, laughing at my scrupulous conscience towards

these “Abit,” they stole some of the utensils behind my back,

whilst we were sitting and eating together, and carried them to the

ships. They said afterwards that the Shilluks must have left these

things lying in their houses for us to take them. On this excuse,

I remembered what the Bedouins (Beduàn, _sing._ Bedaùi) did,

when Mohammed Ali forbade them to take tribute from the pilgrims

travelling to Jerusalem and Mecca; they forced the pilgrims to drop

upon the ground as much money as they thought sufficient, and then,

pretending to find it after the caravan had passed, took possession

of it.

Besides some pretty platted mats, we found here larger and

more beautiful clay vessels, in the form of the Burma, than in

Sennaar. They were extraordinarily light, and of a black colour,

for the slimy clay there, piled up in strata, and kneaded together

into balls, as thick as the fist, displayed a dark colour, and must

undergo an excessive cleansing before being used for that purpose. As

there are no stones here, between which meal can be ground, they

make use of a murhàka of clay, a plate three or four fingers thick,

blunted at the four corners, having a rough, solid crust, and on

which they grind their corn off hand with an artificial stone. In

the land of Sudan they use for a murhàka a block of granite,

presenting above a flat surface, so that the corn poured on it, by

handfuls, rolls off neither to the right nor to the left. A female

slave kneeling triturates the corn to a meal, with an oval stone,

which she holds in both hands. From the sloping position of the

granite block, this meal runs off, and is received in a piece of

leather or cloth, laid under this simple mill. I saw a Murhàka of

this form in the Museum at Berlin. These last-mentioned stones are

found on the Island of Rügen, and have a hole in the middle, owing

to the continual rubbing, exactly as we see in Inner Africa. This

grinding is a very troublesome process, and the arms of the poor

creatures condemned to it acquire an unusual form.

As bread is the mainstay in these lands, in the form of flat cakes,

often as fine and thin as wafers, a slave can only make meal for eight

persons, if she works from morning to evening; and this is even taken

as a standard. Besides that murhàka of clay, which is mixed with

slime and roots, although the pure blue clay lies at a small depth,

I saw also large broken mortars in the earth, made of the very same

materials. In order to repair these, they make a hole in the ground,

smearing the inside with clayey thick slime, and light a fire in it,

when the mortars become as smooth and dark as if they were made of

cast iron. A pestle of hard wood is used to prepare an oil from the

simsin and garrua (_ricinus_).

We also found a large net used for the chase, with bells, made

of the fruit of the doum-palm, which is similar to that of the

cocoa-tree. They spread this net around the gazelles and antelopes,

who, on touching the meshes (made of the inner bark of trees) are

frightened at the clattering of the bells, and rush along it to the

hostile ambush, where they are killed with javelins. They have also

another method of seizing the gazelles and taking them alive. They

know the foot-prints of these animals, and what food, in the way of

shrubs, is most pleasing to them. Here the huntsmen lay under the

dense foliage of brushwood, large traps, which are covered round

about to their centre with small lanceolate flat bamboo plants,

in such a manner that an opening remains in the middle, where the

points concentrate, and this gives way on anything stepping on it,

so that the animal is caught by his leg in this prickly plate,

and thereby being hindered from escaping, is easily taken.

We found also some well-baked and polished pots, filled with tobacco,

the before-named rice of the Shilluks, and other seeds of grasses. The

strip of shore whereon we found ourselves was narrow, and a few days

previously had been deserted by the water; the lower part of the

tokuls not having suffered from it, because, even at high water,

there is but little current.

All up the country are grass swamps, with sunt-trees, and between

them some huts, which could not have been then inhabited. Boats, with

people in them, rowed here and there in the grass, to watch us. On

the right shore we remark five villages—the largest might contain

200 houses. The bank of the river here is gently elevated to about

10 feet, as is the case nearly always in the direction of villages a

little distant. Some of our soldiers, native Shilluks, who were like

slaves among the troops, have been sent out to treat with the people.

The Sultan or Bando of the Shilluks, in the preceding year, on the

arrival of the first expedition, fearing a hostile invasion, collected

here several thousand men. On that occasion the Turks remained two or

three days, in order to come to terms with him; and he presented them

with cattle and sheep. We expect, therefore, now, the arrival of the

Bando, to whom a present of a red upper garment, red cap (tarbùsh,

in Turkish, fessi), and glass beads, has been sent. A heavy boat,

or rather a periagua, hollowed out from the trunk of a tree, lies

here. Thibaut, in his spiritual humour, wanted, or pretended to want,

dry wood, and ordered his servants to hew to pieces this boat, which,

perhaps, had been made half a year; but the sunt-wood having become

black from being in the water, was as strong as iron, and defied all

the efforts of the hatchet. A canoe of this kind is called sürtuk.

_7th December._—We have not yet seen the king of this great nation,

which may amount to 2,000,000 people, according to Suliman Kashef’s

declaration, if it be true, that there are large gohrs fed by the

Nile in the interior, whereon the villages lie equally as crowded as

here on the main stream, who has not made his appearance. He dwells,

however, only two or three hours’ distance from the river; and we

hear throughout the night the large war-drums (Nogàra) beating in

our neighbourhood—a proof that they mistrust us. I am also persuaded

that if Suliman Kashef had once got the dreaded Bando of the Shilluks

on board, he would have certainly sailed away with him. I read this

in his countenance when he received the intelligence that the Bando

would not appear. Willingly as I would have seen this negro king,

yet I rejoiced at his not coming for this shameful treachery to be

practised upon him. Besides, he had also no cause to welcome the

Muslims, these sworn enemies of his people; for, shortly before

our departure for the white stream, he had sent three ambassadors

to Khartùm, to place himself on a friendly footing with the Turks,

and thus to check the marauding expeditions of his Arab neighbours,

in which Kurshid Basha and Suliman Kashef had played a principal

part. These three Shilluks, who were masters of the Arabic language,

were treated in the divan with the usual contempt, as “Abit,”

and were handed over to the Sheikh el Beled of Khartùm, to be

entertained as common men. This Sheikh, who, receiving no pay, and

having to bear the burden of everything, performs the duties of his

office more from fear than for the honour, regaled these imperial

messengers so magnificently that they came to us Franks, and begged

some girsh (piasters) for bread and merissa. To procure them a better

reception in the divàn, I represented to Abdalla Effèndi that

he would by such treatment draw upon him the anger of the Basha,

who was absent in Taka. He really would have presented them on the

next day with dresses of honour, but they went away by stealth on

the same evening. Now, I heard privately, through my servants, from

our messengers to the Shilluks, that the Bando accepted, indeed,

the garments, but abused the donors, and said that he would receive

and welcome his equals, such as Mohammed Ali, and not his slaves.

I had not seen the baobàb-tree, which, as I learned in conversation,

was in the neighbourhood of our landing-place. This gigantic tree,

attaining a circumference of 60—nay, even of 120 feet, as one is

said to be, near Fàzogl, is called in the land of Sudàn _Homera_,

and its fruit _Gungulés_. So also the date-tree is called _Naghel_,

and its fruit _Tammer_, or _Bellàgh_.

Half an hour before sunrise this morning, we left the prodigious

sunt-trees, which had yesterday afforded us such excellent shade. With

a fresh north wind we sail S.W. by W., and make four miles. The

idea of enticing the king of the Shilluks by a new experiment,

was abandoned. On the level surface of the right side of the river

we observe ten pastoral villages, appearing to be surrounded with

enclosures (Seriba), as a protection against wild beasts. No villages

containing tokuls are seen; these are found further up the country,

in the Gallas, as our Dinkas tell me. In the land of the Shilluks

twenty-one villages shew themselves within an hour and a half. We

pass by twelve villages in an hour. On the contrary, we see only four

in the land of the Dinkas, on the opposite side. Eight o’clock,

W.S.W., five miles. The villages of the Shilluks are in a line, close

to one another, and form many pretty groups between the trees, whilst

the huts of the Dinkas cover monotonously the flat shore, upon which

few or no trees rise. I counted again, up to ten o’clock, fifteen

villages, the last of which was distinguished by its picturesque

position and large trees. Three baobàbs stand before the hut, which

extend in two groups upon a gently curved neck of land, with their

small cupola roofs. One of these trees is dead; the second a ruin;

the third, as well as a fourth, in the upper part of the village,

is in a living-dead state, for it has only a few leaves. This is

the already known African giant-tree (_Adansonia digitata_).

One of the things especially giving a beautiful effect to the

landscape, besides the doum-palms, protruding over the mimosas, is

the aspiring slender Dhelleb-palm. It has a stem like that of the

date-tree, which swells somewhat in the middle, and decreases towards

the top. In the inlets, from whence these picturesque necks of land

project into the stream, I perceived, to the left side of the shore,

villages in all directions, forming a magnificent whole, whilst

the right shore was bare, and at this time had only two villages to

shew. The river forms its grass-islands, as before, and the villages

unfortunately retreat to the old line of the shore from east to south;

whilst we, with a brisk north wind, sail W.S.W. six miles. Half an

hour beyond, the villages, green, marshy meadow-land, up to the old

shore, appearing to denote the forest, to which the Nile approaches

in an extensive curve, and forms near us, on the right, a grassy river

pasture. I should like to see a map, accurately marking these creeks,

subordinate arms, and natural canals, extending into the country,

with the proximity and distance of the villages from the shore.

Whilst we approach the forest on the left bank, we observe several

crocodiles before us, who are not alarmed at the rustling of our ships

through the water. At half-past ten I stand on deck, and count again

seventeen new villages of the Shilluks. It is very certain that the

bay before alluded to spreads to nearly an hour’s breadth in the

left shore. At eleven o’clock I see, on this side, an unlimited

thriving grass plain, extending on a level with the water, at the

most distant point of which a city is seen, said to be about three

hours distant. The verdure shews that the river overflows the whole

country; therefore it may be possible for individual families, during

the inundation, to remain in the tokuls, lying close to the river,

because they are always somewhat elevated, and the water can spread

itself over a place of such a nature, but cannot ascend to any height.

On every side rise dhellèb-palms, but most of the villages

are without them, and generally without trees at all. It seems

inconceivable that none should be planted, for their shade is

so extremely grateful in this climate. The natives always take

the nearest trees, for the building materials of their tokuls,

and never reflect that they may be sorry for this when the sun

ascends the horizon. In their most pressing necessities they only

provide for the moment, and therefore may not be inclined to plant

for the future, or for their children. Immediately after eleven

o’clock we sail close to the right shore, where two villages lie

on yellow bare elevated downs; they are distinguished from those

of the Shilluks by pointed roofs and a slovenly construction. Near

the upper miserable Dinka city, where the lower walls of the tokuls

are not even plastered, nine dhellèb-palms are found; eight stand

together, and afford a beautiful sight. Four of these bear fruit;

the others are male trees. The horizon, towards the left shore is

covered with sixteen villages, and again we have a beautiful group

of dhellèb-palms, mimosas, and baobàbs. The dhellèb, as far as

it was known to the Ethiopians of Meroë, might have given the form

to the pillars swelling in the middle; otherwise such columns appear

to be contrary to nature; but we also find the same form in the Ambak.

About twelve o’clock we see, on the right side of the river,

six ostriches walking about. This sight Suliman Kashef cannot

withstand. We go ashore therefore, but the ostriches do not seem

to trust us strangers: they stride up the country, and run away,

directly the first shot sounds in their ears. The shore here gently

rises from ten to twelve feet; and the hill, which might once have

counted many huts where now only a few cabins are seen, rose some

six feet higher. Behind it, the whole surface of the earth falls

away, and the Nile is seen at a distance flowing near other Dinka

villages, and ending in a narrow channel, deep in the land. A number

of potsherds lay around; and those small heights I had taken at a

distance for ant-hills, as these had often come before me in the

Taka country, were hills of ashes. The Dinkas, who here chiefly

lead a pastoral life, make on these hills their fires, and raking

away the warm ashes, and collecting them in a circular form, lie

down and sleep upon them, on account of the damp nights, for they

go naked like the Shilluks. The cattle also are tied to stakes, in

a circle around these hills of ashes. Now I could explain the livid

colour of the people; for no religious custom enjoins the strewing

of ashes on the body; and washing is not one of their practices,

as is only too plainly remarked by the slaves coming from thence.

Opposite to us lay seven villages of the Shilluks. We had seen,

at an earlier period, several of those Sürtuks (boats) erected

within the shade of trees, in the country of the Shilluks; but

here they are of an unusual length, and seem to be made of the

dhellàb-palm. In the afternoon, level land abounded on all sides. We

again approached the left shore. The stream flows in a picturesque

semicircle before a beautiful pasture-ground, upon which are found

doum and dhellèb-palms, mimosas, and other trees, forming a strong

contrast to the blue sky. Between them eight villages are scattered,

at which several people have collected under the protecting shade of

two baobàbs, and gaze at us with astonishment. The Haba, or forest,

either loses itself here, or extends beyond the horizon. Opposite,

only one village, containing tokuls, with more pointed roofs,

lies upon the arid ground; and a small river there seems to flow

into the great stream, if it be not itself an arm of the river,

having a considerable fall. We sail S.W., and make three miles

whilst the river has the rapidity of one mile. On the right shore

merely a doum-palm rises here and there from the immeasurable plain,

whose low grey circumference, untouched by water, can scarcely be

seen on account of the distance. At three o’clock five villages,

in a low country, rich in palms; on the right shore, in front, only

one village is to be seen, and the horizon before us is closed by

nine villages. About four o’clock S.S.W.; on the left all flat

to the forest, which again approaches nearer in an extensive sweep,

but consists only of bad trees and underwood.

It is five o’clock, and we sail S.W. to the mouth of a river coming

from Habesh, and on that account called Bahr el Makada. We halt,

and Selim Capitan and our engineers ascertain the latitude, in order

to determine the mouth of this river, which may be here five hundred

paces broad. It has six fathoms in depth, and two miles in rapidity;

whilst the Nile has only three fathoms in depth, and half a mile in

velocity. It is said to come from the east, but that remains to be

proved on our return voyage. The Arabic name of the river is Sobàt,

though we hear it called also Sibàt and Subàt. Downs rise before and

on it, from whence we perceive, at the setting sun, eleven villages

between doum-palms, on the right shore of the White Stream, which,

dividing here far and wide into several arms, raises a doubt which

we shall choose to-morrow. The river Sobàt forms the limits of the

country of the Dinkas.

The nation of the Nuèhrs begins on its left shore, and dwells up the

Nile from hence—the Shilluks still continuing on the left shore. We

learn from our negroes that the Sobàt is called Tah by the Dinkas,

who give the name of Kir to the white stream, and Tilfi by the

Shilluks dwelling opposite. It disembogues itself under 9° 11′

north latitude. When I returned to the vessel from my excursion, at

sunset, I had an attack of fever, which is very inconvenient for me

here on the white river. We chose our anchorage far from the shore,

in a kind of lake; therefore the fires or torches of the Shilluks

in the grass, flickering here and there, might keep the crew awake,

but could not frighten them. The continual drumming must indeed have

destroyed the illusion of the Shilluks, that they could swim to us,

or surprise us with their canoes whilst we were sleeping.

CHAPTER VI.

ANT-HILLS. — TRIBE OF THE NUÈHRS. — THE JENGÄHS. — KAWASS

OR SERJEANT MÁRIAN FROM MOUNT HABILA. — DESCRIPTION OF HIM. —

TOKULS OF THE JENGÄHS. — FIRST APPEARANCE OF GAZELLES. —

THE RIVER N’JIN-N’JIN. — WORSHIP OF TREES. — THE GALLAS

OR STEPPES. — BLACK COLOUR OF THE RIVER. — NEW SPECIES OF

PLANTS. — THE BITTERN AND IBIS. —“BAUDA” OR GNATS: THEIR

DREADFUL STING. — LIEUT. ABD-ELLIÀB’S CRUELTY TO HIS FEMALE

SLAVE. — THE TOKRURI OR PILGRIM. — CURIOUS SUPERSTITION WITH

REGARD TO THESE MEN. — MOUNTAIN CHAIN OF NUBA. — PAPYRUS ANTIQUUS

OR GIGANTIC RUSH. — GAZELLE RIVER. — DEAD FISH. — DIFFERENT

SPECIES OF SNAKES. — ARABIC SONGS AND FESTIVITY ON BOARD. —

JENGÄHS SUPPOSED TO BE WORSHIPPERS OF THE MOON: THEIR MANNER OF

TATOOING. — STRIFE BETWEEN THE SOLDIERS AND SAILORS. — ANTIPATHY

OF THE FRENCH ENGINEERS TO EACH OTHER. — LOCUSTS. — TORMENT OF

THE GNATS: THEIR VARIOUS SPECIES. — BARBARITY OF THE TURKS ON THE

FORMER EXPEDITION. — MARVELLOUS STORIES OF THE ARABS. — HATRED

OF THE NATIVES TO THE TURKS.

8th December.—At day-break we proceed towards S.W. with north-west

wind; three miles. At nine o’clock N.N.W. We see from the deck

sixteen villages on the left shore; on the right, close to the

border of the river, a number of little hills, overgrown with

sward, and therefore, perhaps, formerly strongholds of ants, like

those characteristic hills of ashes, which would seem to denote an

ancient pastoral station. Further inland are distinguished, on the

ancient old shore, up to which all is bare, two large villages. The

stately palms also on the right, appear now to lose themselves in

the extensive plain. We go N.W., and make five miles.

About ten o’clock, I surveyed on the right twenty-one villages,

in the country of the Shilluks, on a green plain, in which, with

the exception of some palms, there were no trees, and which took up

the whole horizon from W. to N.E. Ou the left hand, the neighbouring

right shore was nearly bare. Whilst we sail to N.W., two mountains,

the one in front appearing to be covered with wood, rise in the S.W.,

at a distance of three or four hours.

At half-past eleven o’clock, we go on shore to the left, in the

country of the Nuèhrs, to take in wood for ten or fourteen days,

as it is said that there are merely reeds further up. No sunt

presented itself here, but stunted geïlids and miserable ebony,

which, however, cannot be cut, owing to its hardness. On the left

shore here, are the boundaries of the Shilluks, and the Jengähs

follow. An extensive green meadow, with neither trees nor houses on

it, separates these two tribes.

The Kawass (serjeant) on board our vessel, gives me much welcome

information on the condition of this people. He is called Màrian,

from Mount Habila, and is the son of the murdered Mak, or King of

all the mountains of Nuba, a hundred and eighty in number, according

to him, and subject formerly to his father, who was slain by the

Turks. He was made a slave, and was obliged, as being such, to change

his name from Uadassa to that of Marian. He is of middle height, has

a regular black countenance, with vertical streaks on the temples;

on the forehead he is tattooed, and has ten holes at the edge of

each ear, from which the Turks have taken his gold rings. He is a

sensible and modest man; has been in the service thirteen years, and

understands it, but has not been able to gain promotion, because he is

entirely forgotten, and has no one to make the necessary intercession

for him: his young son, however, was preserved at the time, and

Marian’s uncle, who pays tribute to the Turks, has appointed him

his deputy. Marian perceives that his tribe cannot do anything, even

with the greatest bravery, against fire-arms, and therefore does not

wish to acquire his freedom again by deserting. Besides this man,

there are two Dinkas, a Shillkaui, and a Jengäh, on board, though

hitherto I have found it impossible to learn the slightest thing from

them about the manners and customs of their country, because they

consider that such information would be treachery to their countrymen.

At one o’clock, we got again under weigh towards S.W., and kept

more to the left side of the river. About half-past two o’clock,

we saw the first tokuls of the Jengähs, which are far more slovenly

built than those of the Shilluks; they stand a quarter of an hour

distant from the shore, near a single dhellèb palm: we landed near

them. A sürtuk lay there, forty feet long, with vertical sides and

pointed ends; the stern of the boat, although made of hard timber,

is closed diagonally by a piece of wood: it appeared to be hewn

out of the trunk of a dhellèb palm. A beautiful kind of mimosa,

with thick foliage and yellowish red flowers, like floss silk,

struck me especially. The blue clay soil was full of foot-prints of

river buffaloes, several of whom shewed themselves yesterday evening,

and blew their sackbuts stoutly.

We saw also this morning, for the first time, two giraffes, called,

however, Saràff, and said to be very abundant here. As there was

nothing to be gained, and no people shewed themselves, we left the

place. Soon afterwards we saw a village on the same side, with some

dhellèb and doum palms; near it a river, running from N.W. by W.,

flows into the white stream, which, however, was taken for an arm

of the latter. I subsequently ascertained from our Jengäh Bachit,

that the name of this little river is N’jin-N’jin, and goes far in

his country towards W. He called the white stream Kih, and afterwards

Kidi. The sounds in their language are really inarticulate, and they

can hardly pronounce an Arabic word so sharply as our characters

require.

Up to five o’clock, we had on the right shore, before which a

green margin lies in the water, thirty-four villages of the Nuèhrs,

each containing from twenty to a hundred and more tokuls. Only a few

of these enjoy the shade of trees. I believe it to be certain, that

where Nature has once planted propitiously a shoot, and this shoot,

by its growth, has triumphed over the voracity of beasts, and the

wantonness of man, or stood beyond the reach of their necessities,

the tree may easily become an object of veneration to people living

in a state of nature, owing to the shade it affords to meetings in

the open air.

We sail continually N.W., with slight deviations to one side or the

other. We advance three miles, an arm of the Nile scarcely 200 paces

broad. There is said to be a larger arm on the left side, as appears

also to be the case on the right, where we saw a man take his little

canoe on his head, and carry it to the houses near at hand. The right

shore has here no habitations of the Nuèhrs; beyond the river’s

edge, and also behind the houses the Galla, or Steppe, is visible. The

before-named mountains on the right shore, the larger one of which

is almost covered with masses of rock, appearing at a distance like

large trees, and behind which three smaller curly heads follow,

have vanished towards the south. We sail N.W. by W., and another

considerable mountain appears on the flat grassy scene towards N.W.,

whilst we anchor, at sunset, in the middle of the river. Our Bakhi

(who was taken prisoner from Bakhara, and was previously called Denn)

did not know the name of the hilly ridge lying in the mountainous

country of the Jengähs. The N’jin-N’jin, however, which he also

calls Kih, meaning the same as river, or water, is said to flow past

the foot of high mountains. I was told that when the reed-grass,

standing from three to six feet above the water, and becoming very

dry from the sun, soon after the inundation has run off, although

the roots may be still under water, is ignited, a young and tender

grass springs forth, of which cattle are said to be very fond.

The white stream here, and indeed since yesterday, might be really

called the _Black River_. The latter colour arises partly from the

Thin, that heavy clayey morass with which the bed of the river is

covered, instead of floating sandy particles; and partly also from

the dark kind of moss, that we see among the reeds, continuing to

the bottom of the river, for the current (amounting here to less

than half a mile), is not able to keep its course clear. This long

marshy lake, of some two hours in breadth, discloses a new world

of plants, in various high grasses and bog-shrubs. The swarms

of little birds seem to find their nourishment in the ripening

seeds. I remarked two bitterns, having the greatest resemblance to

our water-hens—silver-grey, with a white wing: and also the black

Ibis. The small detached islands, linked together by marsh-plants,

floated only very slowly, although the contrary wind had quite

subsided.

_9th December._—The latitude, yesterday evening, was 9° 4′. The

river, or Kih N’jin-N’jin, would therefore disembogue itself

between 9° 12′ and 9° 4′. Our Gohr, as it pleased them to

call the arm of the Nile, which we navigated yesterday evening, and

which was scarcely fifty paces broad, has increased this morning to

100 and 150 paces in breadth, ever according to the caprice of the

reed-grass, _predominant_ here, and impudently intruding itself,

for the stream has scarcely anything to do with it. A very strong

dew hung on the grass in large pearly drops, very refreshing to the

eye at sunrise. The thermometer shewed 20° heat. The distant shore

of this marshy lake was denoted by isolated trees and a few small

villages. We were obliged to take again to the oars, as on yesterday

evening, and went N.W.

A dreadful pest has made its appearance in these lakes. “Baùda”

is the horrible name, and means nothing else than gnats, which,

when a calm sets in, make the people, and especially the half-naked

sailors, nearly mad. On the right side of the Nile we perceive no

human habitations. The nation of the Nuèhrs is said, thus far, to

dwell more towards the interior, on the left shore of the Sobàt,

and may therefore keep at a distance these frightful swarms of

gnats, that torment man and beast. On the left bank we saw, at

an hour’s distance beyond the reed-lake, eleven small villages;

yet the nation of the Jenjähs is said to be very numerous, and to

inhabit the shores of their N’jin-N’jin in populous villages,

situated on inaccessible mountains. At nine o’clock we sailed,

with a tolerably favourable east wind, W. by S., and made three

miles, whilst the rapidity of the current might have been about a

mile. Clouds had collected in the sky, and we feared rain, to which

the Egyptian inhabitants of the Nile are so sensitive.

At eleven o’clock the S.E. wind set in, when we went due N.W. The

river, which has, up to this place, a breadth of from four to five

hundred paces, widens again to about an hour’s breadth. A marshy

swamp, however, soon again intrudes: its pointed angle springs from

the right shore, so that the latter can be only an hour distant,

even to the trees over the green grass-land, whilst the left shore, on

the contrary, has retreated this hour and a half into an immeasurable

bay, the limits of which cannot be reached by the eye, even from the

mast. That we should not remark any villages in the vicinity of this

marshy land, is naturally to be expected.

The right shore becomes wooded, and we see, everywhere, rising pillars

of smoke, said to be signals, as the natives can discern our vessels

from thence. At 1 o’clock, the right shore, on the foreground of

which groups of ambaks rise, is about two hours’ distant. We noticed

numerous morass birds collected on this wide plain. This marsh-tree,

towards the left side of the shore, appears to delude us in the same

manner, since it assumes the form of groups of trees, belonging, at

other times, to firm ground. A new morass-plant, rising to a great

height, with large corollas, similar to a tuft of reeds, elevates,

here and there, its long bare stalks. Its external appearance

indicates it, even from afar, to be the _papyrus antiquorum_.

We go W.S.W., and a little before two o’clock W.N.W. One of the

vessels chose another road to the left of us, and is separated an

hour’s distance from us by the grass. About two o’clock, every

tree (being the sign of firm ground) on the left also vanishes, and we

see, therefore, nothing but _the sky_ and _grass sea_, surrounded or

intersected by the arms of the Nile. We sail N.W. with two miles and

a half rapidity of current, and probably in the larger central arm,

although it is scarcely four hundred paces broad. We conjecture that

the main stream is to the right side of the shore, from whence the

vessel before mentioned has returned, fearing to lose us altogether

from the horizon.

My servants had given some durra to the female slave of our first

lieutenant, Abd-Elliab, to prepare merissa from, of which drink the

rest of the crew partook. The Paradise-Stormer,—formerly, according

to his own confession, a staunch toper,—had no sooner learned

that his slave had set to make this liquor, than he ordered this

unfortunate creature, who was kneeling just before the murhàka, and

grinding the corn, so that the perspiration was pouring off in streams

from the bared upper part of her body, to remain quiet where she was:

whereupon she crossed her arms over her naked breast. At the very same

moment he drew forth the kurbàsh from under his angereb, and swinging

it backwards and forwards, brought it down with fearful violence upon

her back. As he did not attend to my call from the cabin, but struck

so furiously that her skin broke and blood poured down in streams, I

jumped out and pulled him backwards by his angereb, so that his legs

flew in the air. However, he sprang up again immediately, bounded

to the side of the ship, and shouted, with a menacing countenance,

“Effendi,” instead of calling me “Kawagi,” which is the usual

title for a Frank and a merchant. I had scarcely, however, returned

to my cabin, ere he seized his slave again to throw her overboard. I

immediately caught up my double-barrel, stood in the doorway, and

called out “Ana oedrup” (I’ll fire), whereupon he let her go,

and said, with a pallid countenance, that she was his property and

he could do as he liked with her. He at last suppressed his anger,

when I explained to him that his own head as well as all his Harim,

belonged to the Basha. Subsequently he ventured to complain of me to

the commandant, who, knowing his malignant and hypocritical character,

removed him to the little sandal, to the great delight of the whole

crew. On our return to Khartùm he was cringing enough to want to

kiss my hand and ask my pardon, (although he had become a captain

in the Basha’s guard), because the Basha distinguished me.

A few days previously I had had an opportunity of gaining

the affection and confidence of our black soldiers. One of them,

a Tokruri or pilgrim from Darfùr had, in a quarrel with an Arab,

drawn his knife and wounded him. He jumped overboard to drown himself,

for he could not swim, and was just on the point of perishing when

he drifted to our ship, where Feïzulla-Capitan no sooner perceived

him than he sprang down from behind the helm and saved him, with

the assistance of others. He was taken up and appeared nearly dead,

and on intelligence being conveyed from the other vessels that he

had murdered a Muslim, some of our people wished to throw him again

immediately into the water. This, however, being prevented, they

thought of making an attempt to resuscitate him, by standing him up

on his head. I had him laid horizontally upon his side, and began

to rub him with an old ferda belonging to one of my servants. For

the moment no one would assist me, as he was an “Abit,” until

I threatened the Captain that he should be made to pay the Basha

for the loss of his soldiers. After repeated rubbing, the tokruri

gave some signs of life, and they raised him half up, whilst his

head still hung down. One of the sailors, who as a faki, pretended

to be a sort of awakener of the dead, seized him from behind, under

the arms, lifted him up a little, and let him, when he was brought

into a sitting posture, fall thrice violently on his hinder end,

whilst he repeated passages from the Koràn, and shouted in his ears,

whereupon the tokruri answered with a similar prayer. Superstition

goes so far here, that it is asserted such a pilgrim may be completely

and thoroughly drowned, and yet retain the power of floating to any

shore he pleases, and stand there alive again.

On the right we noticed N.W. by W., at a great distance, a

considerable chain of mountains, to all appearance, over the

invisible left shore. According to Selim-Capitan’s declaration

this must be called Tickem. The crew even think that it is either

the Tekeli or the Tira, which, however, is impossible, as we have

long ago left them behind in the North. Both mountains are well

known by our Kawass Màrian, and belong indeed to the mountain chain

of Nuba. This mountain, however, is called, according to Màrian,

_Morre_, and its high rocks are inhabited by a valiant, pagan,

Negro race; they lie beyond the Nuba chain, and far isolated from

it. Màrian had more than once travelled through the country, and

had also been into these parts, when Sultan Fadl fled to them from

Kordofàn, on the invasion of the Turks. Half-past three o’clock,

W.N.W. Still in the grass-sea. We halted at sun-set, where the arm

of the Nile goes from E. to W. The far distant and scarcely visible

mountain lies now to the N. of us, and appears to be nearly twenty

hours’ distant; this agrees with Màrian’s statement. Neither

land nor tree to be seen, even from the mast; but back on the right

shore, large clouds of smoke, which we have seen in many places

throughout the day, and which I rather take to be signal-fires,

than kindled for the purpose of driving away the gnats that first

make their appearance towards evening.

_10th December._—A dead calm throughout the night. Gnats!!! No use

creeping under the bedclothes, where the heat threatens to stifle me,

compelled as I am, by their penetrating sting, to keep my clothes

on. Leave only a hole to breathe at; in they rush, on the lips, into

the nostrils and ears, and should one yawn, they squeeze themselves

into the throat, and tickle us to coughing, causing us to suffer real

torture, for with every respiration again a fresh swarm enters. They

find their way to the most sensitive parts, creeping in like ants at

every aperture. My bed was covered in the morning with thousands of

these little tormenting spirits—compared with which the Egyptian

plague is nothing—which I had crushed to death with the weight of

my body, by continually rolling about.

As I had forgotten to take with me from Khartùm a mosquito-net,

or gauze bed-curtains, for which I had no use there on account

of the heat, to keep off these tormentors, there was nothing

for it but submission. Neither had I thought of leather gloves,

unbearable in the hot climate here, but which would have been at

this moment of essential advantage, for I was not only obliged

to have a servant before me at supper-time, waving a large fan,

made of ostrich-feathers, under my nose, so that it was necessary

to watch the time for seizing and conveying the food to my mouth,

but I could not even smoke my pipe in peace, though keeping my hands

wrapt in my woollen Burnus, for the gnats not only stung through it,

but even crept up under it from the ground. The blacks and coloured

men were equally ill-treated by these hungry and impudent guests;

and all night long might be heard the word “Bauda,” furious

abuse against them, and flappings of ferdas to keep them off;

but in spite of this, the face and body were as if bestudded, and

swollen up with boils. The Baudas resemble our long-legged gnats,

although their proboscis, with which they bore through a triple fold

of strong linen, appears to me longer. Their head is blue; the back

dun-coloured, and their legs are covered with white specks, like small

pearls. Another kind has shorter and stronger legs, a thicker body,

of a brown-colour, with a red head and iris-hued posteriors.

The crew are quite wearied from sleepless nights, and rowing must be

given up if the calm continues, although we find ourselves in a canal

whose water propels us so little that we do not cast anchor. Here

I got a specimen of the gigantic rush (_papyrus antiquus_) before

mentioned. The stalk is prismatic, somewhat rounded, however, on

one side; it runs in a conical form, to the length of from ten to

twelve feet, and bears on the top a corolla like a tuft of reeds,

the ray-formed edges of which branch out, and are more than a span

long: the greatest thickness of the stem is one inch and a half, and

never less than half an inch thick, and under the green rind there is

a strong pith. Subsequently, however, I saw this papyrus, which our

Arabs were not acquainted with, from fifteen to twenty feet long, and

two inches thick, so that the longer reeds on the top shot forth from

their little clusters of flowers and seeds, five to six new spikes,

the length of a span. The _Ambak_ was _known_ to the old Egyptians;

there is no doubt, therefore, that it, as well as this rush,

was split, glued to one another, and used for a writing material,

because it afforded the advantage of a greater extent of surface.

We row again a little, and wait till ten o’clock for Hüssein

Aga’s clumsy kaiàss, although a slight N.E. wind has set in. We

then sail N.W. and make two miles and a half. At three o’clock we

go W.S.W. slowly into the great lake, wherein the Gazelle river (Bahr

el Gasáll) disembogues itself. This river is said to flow here from

the country of the Magrabis (Berbers), as some soldiers affirmed,

who had served under Mustapha Bey, and pretended to have pressed

forward to its shores. Touching this lake and the river, the name

of which we could not learn, for its borders are entirely covered

with reeds, and therefore cannot be inhabited, the declaration of

the soldiers was only a confirmation of what Mustapha Bey told me

in Khartùm. On account of the dead calm, we halt on the right reedy

shore of the stream, in the lake itself, beyond which we do not yet

distinguish land, any more than to the left. Over a yellowish tract,

there, which the water may have left, like an island, green grass

and the ascending smoke, announcing human life, shew themselves

again and denote a firm shore. The lake may be from eighteen to

twenty sea miles square.

In the evening, the smoke appeared like long-extended peculiar

fireworks, rising equally high; and there was no doubt that this

was ignited high grass, a sight which, from Sennaar to this place,

was no longer new to me. The Gazelle river glimmered far beyond,

the grasses impeding its mouth; and I distinguished plainly, from

the elevated poop, that it emptied itself into two arms, S.W. by

W. and S.W., forming a delta, obtuse at the top. My servant, who was

at the mast-head, confirmed me in the opinion of this more extensive

direction, by stretching out his arm to that region.

Dead fish, of the species called garmùt (_Heterobranchus, bidorsalis

Geoff._), real monsters in size, had already previously floated

towards us; they were said to have been harpooned by the inhabitants

of the shore, as very probably was the case. Our angling, however,

procured us few or no fish. It was not so much the north wind,

as the abundance of food brought by the inundation, that kept them

away from our bait.

We had already seen and caught several snakes, and twice I saw how

this reptile let itself be carried by the stream, coiling itself

up and holding its head above water. Here a small blackish snake

appeared, before which we threw a piece of wood, when it became

irritated, and drove repeatedly against our vessel, although we thrust

at it with poles. The first-named were mostly those I had already

seen and made a collection of in Taka—the Naja Haje (Coluber Haje

Hasslq.) Vipera Cerastes Daud, Python Subae, &c. The large snakes

were generally called Assala, and the small ones sometimes _Hannesh_

and _Debib_, and sometimes _Dabàhn_. It is only the viper that

has the name of Haigi among these people as its peculiar one. We

had seen here and there in these marshes serpents which might be

described as equal in bulk to a moderate tree. I had in Taka heard

a similar comparison from Sheikhs whose word could be relied on;

and also that the snakes were of such a size that they could easily

carry a man from his angereb, and swallow him very comfortably.

I remarked in the reeds many ant-hills, such as are seen in Taka;

they were eight to ten feet high, but whether inhabited or not I

cannot say. If they were so, their height might be explained by

the supposition that the insects sought to protect themselves in

their upper cells from the high water; that is, if the Nile did

not formerly make another bend here, so as not to overflow this

marsh-land. Besides, I had already had the opportunity of observing

these termites and their ingenious strongholds, whereby I convinced

myself that they are not very much afraid of the water; but, on the

contrary, they descend deep into the earth, to fetch up damp soil,

in order to give a smooth surface to the apparent labyrinth of their

cells, which, in the lower part of their habitations, are as thick as

one’s fist. These little whitish insects are also themselves full of

water, and burst as soon as they are touched. These ants are called

arda. They will perforate in one night, from the bottom to the top,

a trunk filled with clothes, if it is not placed upon a _stone_; for

they dread daylight, and are afraid to climb up stones on the earth.

Owing to the ants, we, towards evening, left the shore, and anchored

in the middle of the lake, which has a greater breadth in the

direction of the west, and where only a few ants shewed themselves,

and these, from the weight of the blood they had sucked in, were

not able to fly away from the reeds, and had stuck to the ship. We

remarked also a great number of glowworms among the reeds. Suliman

Kashef sent me the sandal, and I repaired with Feïzulla Capitan

to him.

Every one was overjoyed at escaping from the gnats. The sailors

swam here and there, but desisted from this vocation when crocodiles

appeared in our neighbourhood. There was mad shouting and singing, and

the Hippopotami appeared indignant at this noise, for they bellowed

in opposition on all sides. Suliman Kashef ordered his men to squat

down before the cabin, and sing. Several Arabic songs were chanted,

such as that of the Bedoaui (Bedouins), in which there is really a

pretty _refrain_. “La Volèt, el Juhm” (O youth the day). The

variation of “l’Eli, l’eli” (the night, the night), being

in trioles, is adapted to very soft modulations, and is introduced

as a melody, awakening the feelings in the same manner as the

modern Greek “Mana” (composed from the Turkish “Amàhn,”

and denoting a cry for mercy). It is not, however, executed in the

horrible and purely barbarian manner of the so-called Hellenes. They

had also satirical songs on Melek Kambal and Ahmed Basha: these,

however, they were not allowed to sing to the end. Suliman Kashef

related anecdotes of his former journeys, and did not seem to think

it impossible to overthrow and supplant his friend and countryman

Ahmed Basha. He had an old sailor as a jester or Dèli on board,

who was obliged to make jokes before the whole crew, and therefore

was called Abu Hashis, which means a man who drinks a decoction made

of hemp, having the same effect as opium, and who plays the buffoon.

Suliman Kashef was very much excited by the liquor. He fired in the

air, or at the hippopotami emerging from the water, and had his gun

continually loaded. It was really wonderful to see these animals,

bellowing on all sides, as if challenging him to the combat. Their

time of coition appeared, however, to have set in, and these fearful

trombone sounds might have pertained to the period of rutting. Towards

evening we had also seen numerous fish bustling about amid the reeds,

and heard them the whole night springing up, without thinking

of catching them, because they are considered unclean in the

coition-season by our Turks and Arabs. A number of green islands,

worn off by the floating water colossus from the marshy shore, being

driven by the wind, floated by us, and made us believe that we were

sailing. There was such a shouting of bad witticisms from the jesters

privileged here, that we could not help laughing. If our Abu Hashis

failed in his tropes, he was unanimously called “Abu! abu!” and

if the chief Abu Hashis of Suliman Kashef was not quiet at this,

and went on to make fun of the others with his stentorian voice, he

was asked what his Harim consisted of, at which question he always

became quiet, not wishing to joke on such a subject.

This vast water-basin had, some two hundred paces from the Nile,

which passes through on the east side, only one fathom and a half in

depth, the latter having three fathoms and a half, and a current of

a quarter of a mile. The latitude here was given by Selim Capitan as

9° 16′, and 28° 55′ east longitude from Paris. I hear that, in

the preceding year, they sailed round the mouth of the Gazelle river

for two days, being unable to enter it by reason of the reeds. I

did not grudge the trouble of asking a question twenty times; and

at last, I learned from our Iengäh that the head of the river is

called in his country Iak, although he refused to give me the name

of his abode or of the capital or city.

I could extract equally as little information from him about his

religion; yet these people must be, as Professor Ehrenberg, who

had a Iengäh as a servant, asserts, worshippers of the moon. The

moon is generally more or less an object of veneration in these hot

countries. The distinctive characteristics of the Iengäh nation

consist of a cross incision immediately over the eyebrows as far

as the temples, and over this, several vertical cuts close to one

another, an inch in length. The manner of tattooing amongst them

consists in slitting or cutting open the skin, the scars on which

protrude like basso-relievos. The dignity of Sultan and Sheikh is

hereditary. It almost seems to me that Marian is also unwilling to

give information concerning his Nuba, since I shewed him a map of

his country. The offer I made him to solicit the Basha to promote

him to the rank of an officer, and to send him back into his own

country to enlist troops, seemed very agreeable to him, and easy to

be accomplished, for his countrymen must and would willingly follow

him, because the Basha pays well. The Basha subsequently promoted

him to the rank of a lieutenant, but thought it somewhat hazardous

to raise a regiment of Nuba negroes, since he must have given the

supreme command to this man as their native Mak or King; although

he values the slaves from this country more than all the others, and

keeps many of them on his estate, whom he rewards with pretty wives.

_12th December._—Before sunrise this morning we left the Lake,

sailed with a faint N.E. wind a short tract S.W., and then W. by S.,

with two miles rapidity of current, into a canal, surrounded by a

border of reeds on both sides, and 100 to 150 paces broad. High reeds,

but more low ones, water couch-grass and narrow grass, the pale-green

aquatic plant, the lilac convolvulus, moss, water-thistles, plants

like nettles and hemp, formed on the right and left a soft green

mixture, upon which groups of the yellow-flowing ambak-tree rose,

and which itself was partly hung round with luxuriant creepers,

covered with large cup-like flowers, of a deep yellow colour. To

my sorrow, I see that my collection of plants, in spite of my great

care, has commenced the fermenting process, leaving but little hope

of preserving any of them, for these children of the marshes speedily

rot. I am especially grieved about the white lotus-flowers, which I

have not seen for some days; as well as for the Nymphæa cærulea,

which do not appear at all.

From W. by S.; soon again to S.W. by S.; and at nine o’clock,

S.W.—four miles. The ambaks rising from the immeasurable expanse of

reed-grass, at times deluded us into the belief that they were trees

of distant shores. High reeds are no longer to be seen, and even that

reed-grass appears to be lost here, but, instead of it, luxuriant

long grass, two to three feet high, sprouts out of the water.

Eleven o’clock, S.W. by S.—two miles. Towards S. we observe

isolated trees, and the tops of dwellings, in the country of the

Nuèhrs, where soon afterwards smoke ascends,—a sign that they see

our masts, although they are an hour distant from us. The channel is

again about 300 paces broad. There is everlasting strife between the

Egyptian sailors and the few Egyptian soldiers, who shew, even here,

the quarrelsome nature of the Fellàhs. Feïzulla Capitan is very

indifferent to it; a thorough slave to his crew and to his passions;

yet, at times he makes them tow, or orders the braggarts to be gagged

by a piece of wood fastened behind the ear, which they are obliged

to take in their mouths; but this is done, however, more to please

himself, and to make the crew laugh, than to acquire respect by good

sound reprimands. Where a laudable zeal is displayed on no side,

this apathy appears to me, generally, to promise us very little

honour in the conclusion of our expedition; even Arnaud testifies

but little pleasure at the prospect of a further advance. Selim

Capitan is afraid of the natives, and Suliman Kashef is the only

one from whose ambition and courage I have anything to expect. The

Frenchmen continue to have their windows covered, that, forsooth,

they may not see the melancholy, monotonous country. Mutually cool

towards one another, they are continually opening collections of

anecdotes, and comic publications, to fill up the gaps in their

insipid conversation. Arnaud seems to look upon Selim Capitan as

the abler man, for he consults him, and watches the chronometer,

whilst the latter handles the instruments.

At noon, W. by W., and at one o’clock S. Towards the east,

we see the vessels that have remained behind, in the extensive

sea of reeds, and we likewise, for the first time, rightly remark

the winding of this passage. The gigantic rush shews itself here

and there like little pine-forests; also isolated parcels of high

reeds over the old dry low reeds, which spring forth again fresh

from their stalks. The spikes of the grass are here cropped, and

before us there rises an enormous swarm of locusts, who move up the

river. These may be, for the moment, welcome food to the fish mostly

seen here, which are wide-mouthed, but otherwise similar to an eel

(_Clarias anguillaris_). All those that we caught, had locusts in

their belly. The wind, as is usual about noon, has almost entirely

slackened; the crew row, keeping time with songs to their oars,

S.W. by S. About three o’clock, we halt at the right shore of the

reeds, which are dry here, although on the right they are of a soft

green. Now I see that we must not be deceived by the yellow tracts,

with the belief that firm ground exists there, for the grasses here,

standing in the water, are also dry.

Although the thermometer, as yesterday, is only 28°, yet it feels,

when the dead calm sets in, as close and confined as in Khartùm,

with a heat of 42°, to which, perhaps, the exhalations from the

marshes may mostly contribute. An unusual perspiration has not only

made its appearance upon me, but even the crew, especially the rowers,

are dripping, as if with water. About nine o’clock in the evening,

we cast anchor in a depth of two fathoms, and half a mile current.

I had resigned to Feïzulla Capitan the pleasure of preparing the

bill of fare for us, and therefore there was so much cooked (“Alla

Kerim”), that not only he, but half the crew, were feasted. The Kurd

had previously withdrawn himself from this community; and I found

it advisable, as I had been robbed by his people into the bargain,

to be economical with my provisions, in order that they might last to

the end of the voyage, giving my servant, Sate Mahommed, from Mahass,

the most necessary directions for cooking.

_13th December._—If a regular visitation of gnats took place three

days ago, it was nothing to be compared with that of yesterday

evening. Even this morning, when the sun had risen, we had no

rest; it was impossible for me to write even if my head had been

less confused, after such a painful night. This was the _smaller_

species, not having legs, with spots like pearls. Neither fans,

nor entire masses of tobacco, which we kindled on an iron platter,

keep these little beasts away from us.

Millions of glowworms fluttered around in the rushes and ambaks,

accompanied by the shrill cry of locusts. The croaking, however, of

frogs was wanting, for they do not appear to be forthcoming here. A

little before sunrise, we again rowed towards the west; and the

whole crew, though exhausted, really used their utmost endeavours

to get away from this region. We advanced, however, but slowly, for

the current had become a little stronger. About eight o’clock,

to our great delight, a strong N.E. wind set in, and we made four

miles. The horizon was covered, towards the right shore, from E. to

S., with tokuls, and there was a considerable village at the point

where the river approaches from E. and E.S.E. Unfortunately we are

obliged to wait for the vessels left behind; and this is so much the

more to be regretted because the strong north winds seem altogether to

be lost here. We are only separated from this shore by a few reeds,

but prevented from landing, as the water reaches far above a man’s

head. Low bushes of mimosas stand there upon dry ground, scarcely

elevated above the surface of the Nile, but rising, however somewhat

towards a village in which a tokul is distinguished, from its unusual

size. The little sandal has, nevertheless, discovered a narrow road,

made by the natives, or by the large aquatic animals to the land, and

brings off with it twenty-five sheep, which it has procured on shore.

The inhabitants of this village were harshly used by the former

expedition. At that time they brought four oxen as a present, and

gave a sheep to Thibaut, who, because it was somewhat swollen, took

it to be poisoned. This circumstance was sufficient cause to incite

the crew to go ashore, to surround the village on all sides, and to

shoot down, in a shameful manner, the Sheikh, and several others who

had fled with him into the neighbouring marshes. Thibaut made a very

pretty booty here, consisting, amongst other things, of a square

quiver, somewhat curved at the top, altogether of antique form;

besides large felt caps, very similar to the ancient Egyptian caps

of the priests, high and obtuse in front; bread collars for bulls,

set round with iron spindle-shaped ornaments, which were hung up in

the great tokul, and may have been hung therefore round their Apis,

as signs of adoration or affection, only on certain festive occasions.

In the neighbourhood, we saw far and wide, towards the left side of

the village, the smoke assume a magnificent form. We see from the

deck flames moving towards us, the wind being favourable, in long

battle array, and steam and black ashes spread near us, apparently

arising from the dry grass. Thousands of birds driven thence swarm

in the air around the vessels. A number of turtle-doves remain quite

innocently in our neighbourhood, perched on the ambak-bushes. It

may indeed be called fortunate that the wood there was low and

generally thin, for, had it been otherwise, this conflagration,

probably caused by the frightened inhabitants, might easily have set

the sails on fire. The fatalism, however, of the Turks causes us to

squat in the very same place till about sunset, in order to fill our

ships again with gnats, although we see the vessels, left behind,

coming at a distance. The river winds here from E.S.E. to S.S.W. At

last they apply themselves to their oars, but we gain very little,

for the current amounts to more than one mile, and the wind, which

had set in over night, holds scarcely on for a moment.

_14th December._—After a restless night, we did not put ourselves

in motion this morning till an hour after sunrise. I see that we

have scarcely advanced this night two miles, calculating from the

trees standing towards N.E., behind us, which I remarked yesterday

at the village of the Nuèhrs, who, indeed, had fled from us behind

the burning wood. We sail slowly to the west, and we should scarcely

distinguish the right shore, if some tokul-tops were not seen peeping

out at a distance of an hour and a half. From want of wind we halt for

a time, and sail then with the shifting N.E. wind, further westward,

till we go, at ten o’clock, S.W., and make two miles. At eleven

o’clock the wind becomes so strong that we fly by, as it were,

the reeds close at hand, and for the first time make six miles. We

went here W.S.W.

The right shore was marked out by three or four large trees standing

at equal distance from each other, like ancient monuments of the

victory gained here with difficulty over the moist element. Twelve

o’clock, N.W. by N., four miles: again sky, water, and reeds; in

the latter, solitary bunches of ambaks and high reeds. Soon we go

gradually S.W. by S., and the stream, although it is only some 200 or

250 paces broad, appears not to have, near this part, any considerable

arms, as none such are visible from the mast-head. From this reason

the greater current is explained. The white river traverses these

reed-lakes in meandering windings, and river buffaloes can break any

other road for themselves in this shoreless expanse. The thermometer

shews at three o’clock 28°, at noon 25°, and this morning at

sunrise 20° Reaumur. It is now nearly a dead calm, and we are

scarcely able to move from N.W. to S.W.

My servant Fadl informs me from the mast, that he sees land, indeed,

behind us; but at the side, and before us, nothing but gesch (reeds or

grass). The great mass of water of the white stream so suddenly making

its appearance, is explained partly from this long lake (the breadth

of which cannot be determined from the ship without an air-balloon),

forming a great basin. This basin (after the reed or marsh-ground of

its flat edge being scarcely superficially dried, is in some degree

saturated) collects immediately the water streaming from above,

below, and the sides, until, becoming a mass, it surmounts its natural

flood-gates, as these machadas may be called, like a breach of a dike.

At four o’clock the cry is “El hauer galàss” (the wind has

ceased), and we halt on the right shore of the reeds, where another

dreadful night of gnats awaits us. Where it has been possible,

and I have thought of it at the moment, I have planted date-stones,

or thrown them, when passing by, on the inundated shores; for this

beneficial tree never presents itself, and may, indeed, never thrive

here again.

_15th December._—We remained yesterday evening actually till

after sunset in the reeds, and our vessel was full of musquitos. I

mentioned previously these insects as being of two distinct species,

and not as male and female. I am confirmed in my former opinion; for

in the nights of the 12th and 13th December the smaller kind was so

prevalent, that I could only find, after much searching, some bodies

of the pearled long-legs on my bed. We therefore suffered again from

the usual plague from evening to this morning at eight o’clock,

although we had left the reeds. The river had here three fathoms and

a quarter in depth, and a rapidity of about one mile and a quarter. We

waited this morning for the kaiass, left behind as usual, when it was

rowed, owing to its large, clumsy oars; and being a broad-built ship

of burden, it had cost us already a pretty time during our voyage. It

was not till half-past eight o’clock that a slight east wind set in,

and we move slowly on towards S.W., again to W.S.W. after a quarter

of an hour, and at nine o’clock to the S., and make two miles.

We remark, on the whole, few land-birds; however, we have seen various

species of storks, among which was one of a moderate size, unknown

to our crew, with a dark-red back shield. We notice pelicans here

and there, and I think what a feast these catchers of fish must have

when the Nile, in the dry season, partly deserts the reeds wherein we

have observed scarcely any fish but of one species, with flat heads,

striped. I had seen already here a dark-brown species of swallow,

about twice the size of our house-swallow, and remarked their very

short legs, which prevent them from soaring again in the air when they

have fallen down in short grass, similar to what I saw in Taka. At

ten o’clock we make three miles, and at eleven o’clock four miles,

for the east wind was blowing fresh, and we sail towards S.S.E.

The river has resumed its former breadth of some three hundred paces,

and the vessels run against one another, according to the dear old

custom, always breaking something or getting stuck together. Our

captain, nevertheless, does not fall into a passion: the vessel

may crack and shake for what he cares; for his sewing-needle

appears to him of more importance, and he handles it with an air of

determination, as if all his work must be done within the very next

hour. Every one wishes to avail himself of the wind; consequently

we rush by on reeds, or right into them, and out then pours a myriad

of gnats like clouds.

We ought to have the log continually in our hands, with these eternal

windings of the river, as the vessel more or less sails according

to the ever varying stream, and with the very same winds. Even the

most detailed chart can afford but little to be relied upon in such

a circular dance of the stream, although the engineer may confine

himself to assume as the direction of the course of the river, not

the real shores, but the ephemeral borders of reeds. At noon E.S.E.,

when the wind, passing over into N.E., is somewhat contrary, if

the stream does not soon make again another bend. We lend a helping

hand with oars to the sails, and the river winds again on the right

towards south. Low reeds with tufts of high reeds; little woods of

these large crown or paper rushes, and tracts of ambaks.

As the river appeared for a time to hold on its course to the south,

being exceedingly weary after these sleepless nights, and not able

longer to keep my eyes open, I sank back as it were involuntarily

upon my bed, but told my men, however, to wake me without mercy,

when the river took another direction. We remained till Asser (three

o’clock in the afternoon), in a southern direction, when, covered

with perspiration, I awoke of myself, for the cooling N.E. wind

had subsided, as usual, after mid-day, and was entirely stagnant. I

had dreamt of being very comfortably on my travels in Germany with

my brother; and this dream had the effect of consoling me in this

miserable position, and of making me look forward with joy to the

future. During my sleep they had seen a swimming-bird, said to be as

large as a young camel, with a straight beak like a pelican, but no

crop under it: they had not shot it, lest they should awake me, and

because they thought that this bird, unknown to them, would appear

again. Whoever knows the manner of comparing things in this country,

will know also how to appreciate the size of this bird.

We lie on the reeds, wait for the ships tarrying behind, and as usual

delay to take to the middle of the river, till all the holds of the

vessel are full of gnats. At the distance of about an hour we see

to the right shore the margin of firm land with tokul-tops, whilst

the grass-sea extends still to the other side, upon which, however,

in the far distance clouds of smoke ascend. The country here may,

on the whole, lie lower, whereby the objects upon it remain under

the horizon.

_16th December._—The sun ascends, and we sail slowly towards it

with a faint N.E. wind. I drew two thin cowls, which I had had made

in Taka as a protection against the sun, over my face, to be free at

least from gnats at the sides, leaving just room enough in the front

for my eyes and pipe. These insects torment us up to nine o’clock,

morning: at night they are always singing and buzzing, and they have

even contrived, this evening, to pierce through to the fleshy part

of my face. The skin on the parts stung by them, principally the

hands and feet, begins to itch so that one could scratch it to pieces.

We soon go S.E., and endless swarms of swimming birds come to meet

us, and appear to fly down with the river. The pelicans also follow

the very same direction, but rest every moment upon the water. It

appears that these birds are fonder of live fish, and leave the dead

ones to birds of prey, and on that account seek for the inundated

parts of the lower course of the stream. In a very short time we go

S.W., but immediately again, at eight o’clock, S.E. The wind passes

over to the E. in order to gain strength. Like yesterday afternoon,

the right shore, from N.E. to S.E., is now covered with tokul-tops,

partly collected together as villages, partly lying singly on the line

of the horizon, upon which also some dhellèb-palms may be remarked.

To follow the shore of the river, and to define the limits of the

bed of the White Stream, over which it here and there rolls, the

principal thing would be to follow the line of the villages and

old trees, for these determine the peculiar marks of high water,

elevated by the river itself. From this high water we might,

perhaps, be able to ascertain the mean breadth of the river. But

such a difficult journey by land will be certainly, for a long time,

an intricate problem. The Turks themselves have also here, without

perhaps wishing it, failed in the first impression; so that from

“children of heaven” they have become “white devils,” in

the eyes of the people. Therefore we see on every side pillars of

smoke ascending, which are to be considered as signals of approaching

danger, according to the statement of our heroes; whilst the kindled

reed-straw, or the high grass of the savannah prairies, spreads

its smoke _horizontally_. Innumerable birds are perched round,

in the ambaks; among them a number of turtle-doves are cooing very

peaceably, reminding me more of the great Campo in Constantinople

than of the lower shores of the Nile.

Ten o’clock. Fadl told me, from the mast, that firm land was

approaching the shore from both sides. It was not long before we

perceived, whilst making three miles’ course, some tokuls also on

the left shore, part of them appearing to be of peculiar size. We see

also, in the middle of the reeds, on small eminences, two such huts,

said to serve fishermen for temporary abodes. Four men and a woman

make signs, or greet us, by raising up their arms high in the air;

but even with the best will, we are not able to force our way to them,

although they may have something we could pillage. Nevertheless,

the right shore retreats again, and we distinguish only the palms

of the last-mentioned village.

We continue S.S.E., and as the right shore goes back towards S.E.,

the left shore approaches nearer with S.W. by S. The stream is

now more than 400 paces broad; its water is still very dark,

and the broad reeds, with the other aquatic plants, present such

a verdant appearance, that it is quite refreshing; and they shoot

forth with such vigour, that we imagine we see them growing. It is

eleven o’clock. The N.E. wind has again slackened. Our direction

is S.E. The water is stagnant in the reeds, not only shut out by

them from the current, but also kept back from the stream, which,

notwithstanding the narrowness of its bed, has only one mile in

rapidity. An influx of this stagnant water into the narrow river-bed

can only, therefore, take place according to the proportion in which

the stream gradually runs off, and is absorbed into this, its bed.

The Frenchmen pretend, when they return from the mast, to adjust the

genuine river-bed, but they will not believe that the water has fallen

so that one cannot see over the reeds and the marsh-trees. The company

was to have dined with us, but Feïzulla Capitan, who had undertaken

to invite the others, had gone first with the sandal to Suliman

Kashef, and had there caroused to such excess that he even forgot to

invite Suliman himself. Yet, this morning, he thought that he had not

only invited him, but also Selim Capitan and the Frenchmen. We made,

therefore, the necessary provision for this repast, and waited for

the vessels preceding us to bring up; until I heard at last from

Selim Capitan as he passed us, that Feïzulla had not been to him.

The latitude yesterday was 8° 36′ 30″, and to-day, 8° 36′. We

remained generally, with small declinations, in the south-easterly

direction. The hygrometer indicated at three o’clock 40′, and

after five o’clock 50′, of atmospheric moisture, whilst in the

night it had 70′ to 80′. The dew constantly shews itself first

towards morning, and the carpet lying upon the deck is as wet as if

it had been dipped in water. The cheerful verdure is explained from

this cause, yet it will be extremely monotonous if the same vegetation

continues for any distance. We supped together in our vessel, and the

Russian renegade, Captain Selim Aga, shewed his usual good scent,

and likewise appeared. We were merry, and had two Abu Hashis to

contend in witticisms; during which they wished each other to be

troubled with all the gnats, and kept up a continual scoffing.

CHAPTER VII.

QUESTION OF THE NAVIGATION OF THE NILE. — KING OF THE SNAKES. —

OFFERINGS TO HIM BY THE ARABS. — KURDISTAN. — MÀRIAN’S

AUTHORITY OVER THE NEGROES. — THE TAILOR CAPTAIN AGAIN. —

DHELLÈB-PALMS. — WANTON DESTRUCTION BY THE CREW. — ELEPHANTS:

WHITE BIRDS ON THEIR BACKS. — POISON-TREES. — THE NATION OF

THE KÈKS: CUSTOMS AND DESCRIPTION OF THEM. — FLESH OF CAMELS AND

GIRAFFES. — MERISSA PREPARED FROM ABRÈ. — THIBAUT DISCOVERED

TO BE AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE. — RECOLLECTIONS OF GREECE. — WILD

CUCUMBERS. — FEIZULLA CAPITAN’S DRINKING PROPENSITIES.

17th December.—Immediately after sunrise we sailed S.S.E.; at eight

o’clock, S.S.W., and at nine o’clock, S.W. by S. The stream we

navigate is tolerably broad, and appears, so far as we can see over

the reedy-sea, to be the only one. On the right shore we have still

the dhellèb-palms of yesterday in sight; the land retreats towards

S.E., whilst the left shore comes nearer, and lets us see individual

tokuls and villages. Some blacks stand on the shore, which approaches

us at nine o’clock within gun-shot. They greet us and make signs,

but we cannot go to them on account of the reeds, willingly as we

would make their acquaintance, in order to provide ourselves again

with meat. Ten o’clock. The left shore appears to go S.W. with the

river, calculating from some trees and dhellèb-palms. The east wind

is tolerably strong; we make three miles. A large pelican was shot,

and there were found in the pouch under its bill twenty-four fresh

fish, the size of moderate herrings. This burden had impeded its

flight from our vessels, and prevented it from swallowing its prey,

on the death-shot, as is usual with these birds.

If we consider this enigmatical stream territory, we ask ourselves

whether the white river, of and _by itself_, with such a weight of

water, can maintain these lagoons under an African sun? Were the Nile

_one_ stream, it must flow off faster; for the rains have already

ceased here, and previously, indeed, under the Equator itself. How

could the Nile, which still shews its peculiar disposable mass of

water, in its main-stream, supply, quite _alone_, that enormous mass

of water, and even to the present time maintain under water these

immense reedy lakes, unless other tributary streams, the mouths of

which stagnate, owing to the level nature of the ground, and the

counter-pressure of the main-stream, supplied a nourishment great

beyond belief, to this, with which it equally rises and falls? For the

whole mass of water _in complexu_ must suffer an incredible diminution

during such a long tract in its slow ebbing, under a burning sun,

or this Bahr-el-Abiad must have real giant-springs in its source.

A steam-boat here might surmount many difficulties, and give us the

necessary corrections for a map, which cannot be effected by sailing

with a constant wind, owing to the often diametrically opposite

windings, and the endless difficult calculations. In order to bring

such a steam-vessel safe over the upper cataracts of Wadi Halfa,

or even of Es-Suan, it must be constructed in such a manner that the

paddle-wheels could be entirely taken out, so that it might be towed

over by ropes, or it must be built in Khartùm, which, indeed, might

be difficult from want of good timber, as the sunt-tree, though very

strong, affords but brittle wood. The greatest difficulty would be

the establishment and protection of coal-magazines; and with regard

to applying charcoal to this purpose, although the White Stream

in its lower course has forests enough, yet not so on its middle

and upper part: and even if the requisite wood should be found,

much time must be lost in felling and preparing it for charcoal. A

considerable number of men also would be always necessary for the

protection of these establishments, and their consumption of victuals

would be so great, that their provisions would leave no room for

the charcoal, as the vessels could not be _heavier_ laden. There is

another very great consideration,—these labyrinths go through the

marshy regions. If only a few men, therefore, should be embarked,

and other vessels employed to take up coals, their crews must consist

entirely of men selected for the purpose, and known to one another,

in order that they might communicate with the inhabitants of the

shore, and be able to aim at something more than simply ascertaining

the course of the river. Europeans only are fit for this, as they

have ideas of humanity, and subjection to the will of One.

At last we have determined to take the clumsy kaiàss in tow,

at the droll request of Hässeïn Aga. Our vessel began with it,

in order to form a line with the other larger Dahabiës. At eleven

o’clock we discerned, upon a marsh island, near the left shore,

some thirty talle-trees; this genus we had missed for some time. Here

we turn S.S.E., and with a small bend E.S.E., and then E. by S. We

were driven by the east wind close to the right bank of the reeds

before we had reefed the sails. The only remaining hope that the river

may follow its winding course, and bring us, with the assistance of

rowing a short way, into a more favourable direction.

Hüsseïn Aga, who is on board our vessel, with another Kurd of

Suliman-kashefs, confirms what we had already heard from the Kurd

Abdul-Elliàb, and which all these people firmly believe,—namely,

that derwishes know how to prepare a liquor, which, if but once

drunk of, is a preventive thenceforward of the bite of a snake, or

of rendering it harmless. Such a derwish is said to be found even

in Khartùm. But some few words, which they assert to be a secret,

are requisite to exorcise or find out where snakes are. I then heard

that the King of the Snakes is called Shah Maràn. They cannot say,

however, where this Sultan lived or died before he assumed the form

of a snake, nor do they know his fixed residence, for he sometimes

appears in one place, sometimes in another, like the two tutelar

deities by water and land, Abu Seïd and Abd-el-Kader. The Arabs

are also said to adjure this Snake King in their exorcisms. Even the

long sailor, Salem, whom I had patronised on account of his German

countenance, and to whom I had given some piasters for the snakes he

brought me, one of which he even seized with naked hands before my

eyes, affirmed by his silence that he would not trust me, even under

the greatest promises of secrecy, with this mystery, inherited from

his father. The country of this Shah Maràn is in Turkish Kurdistàn,

not very far from Adana, where there are two villages exempted from

paying tribute on condition of supplying the snakes there with milk.

Abd-Elliab had himself offered milk to the snakes in that region,

and swore that he had seen with his own eyes this King, unless it

was a Wokil or deputy, of whom Maràn has many. Abd-Elliab poured

his milk into one of the basins there formed by nature, whereupon,

in the first place, a large snake, with long hair on its head,

rolled out from the hole in the rock, and drank of it. This great

chief then retired, without, however, speaking a word to him, as it

had done to others; because, at that time, he had not abjured strong

drinks. Afterwards other snakes crawled out from all the clefts of

rocks, and took the remains of the milk, as being subjects of the

former one. The two other Kurds (sing. _Kurd_ plur. _Krat_), who

were not friends with this Koran-hero, vouched for the truth of their

countryman’s statement, and gave it as their opinion that the great

Maràn only shewed himself to a saint, or a Sultan; and that he had

a human face, for that otherwise he could not speak and give advice.

They related, likewise, more credible histories of their country;

how their capital city, Nausùd, stands upon a high, impregnable

rock, where the Sultan Haidar resides, and has six Bashas under him;

that all the warriors wear armour, and are mounted, and that the

mountaineers themselves have _never_ been subdued. Then they spoke

of their manner of hunting, and their hawking for hares and gazelles,

and said that a good falcon costs 2000 piastres. They suffer no Jews

to reside in their state, and assert that the latter kill and drink

the blood of prisoners, when they happen to be Krat (Kurds).

At half-past four Selim Capitan returned to us, because he thought

some accident must have happened; the ships which had preceded

having waited for us three hours. Feizulla Capitan, with the same

zeal that he read, a short time ago, the Koràn, so that he neither

heard nor saw, now sits at his tailoring, and lets the crew do

what they like. They therefore never think of exerting themselves

and seizing the oar, but draw the vessel forward on the reeds,

slinging a rope round it to tow it. We had scarcely made one mile,

when the river wound towards the right side from E. by S. to S.S.E.,

and we saw beyond the reeds, projecting in a sharp angle, the other

vessels with their glittering sails.

That the reeds have sufficient strength to encroach in this manner

on the path of the river, or that a counterpressure from the left

shore, although no tributary stream is visible in the neighbourhood

takes place, indicates the weakness of the current. So far it

is established, that if a straighter bed here could be assigned

to the river, by removing the reeds, it would have a fall, and,

by that means, a more rapid flow. These marsh lakes might be made

dry at certain seasons of the year, and an immeasurable, fertile,

low country would be gained, such, perhaps, as exists not elsewhere

in the world. And this cutting through of the reeds does not lie

beyond the reach of possibility, if once ideas of cultivation of

land spread even here. Some miserable tokuls, on small elevated

spots, peep out from the reeds; their vicinity to snakes, gnats,

and other vermin, is not to be envied. We follow the course of the

river, at four o’clock, towards S.S.W., and set three more oars on,

without Feïzulla Capitan’s orders.

Again there is contention among the blacks, who are of different

tribes. Prince Mariàn, the serjeant, lashes away in a very vigorous

manner between them, with his nabùt, and by his simple look calms the

wild, inflamed passions of these Negroes, which neither the Captain,

nor Abd-Elliab (if even the latter had been still on board), could

have succeeded in doing. They have all a peculiar _veneration_ for

this man, whom they call their _Mak_, and he had needs only express

a wish, and it would go hard with us whites.

We soon went S.S.W., and at sun-set, E.S.E. The rowers then rest

on their laurels, for Feïzulla must wind up his thread, and he

never once looks up to see whether the other vessels are going

a-head. At last I myself take to the oars, as well as Mariàn,

in order to set the people a good example. The tailor-captain sat

up on the deck near the lantern, and had himself fanned, for the

gnats will not respect his artistical fingers. He was never vexed

at bringing down Selim Capitan’s reproaches, for his tarrying

behind, but only annoyed at being obliged, though for a short time,

to leave his sewing implements, to which he faithfully stuck, with

an incredible indolence and indifference to every thing else. The

people rested every moment, and we did not reach the vessels waiting

for us, where the river goes S.E., till nine o’clock.

_18th December._—Half an hour before sunrise we followed our

course towards S.E., and the east wind blew so faintly that it

scarcely swelled the sails, and we moved but with difficulty from

the spot. My mast-watcher, Fadl, says that a river, from the trees of

the left shore, which I see, upon the deck, behind us, towards N.W.,

enters into the land in a basin far above an hour; that this land

is covered with trees, and again approaches the river towards the

south, and that many tops of tokuls are visible upon the right

tree-less shore, away beyond the reeds and grass, at a distance of two

hours. We are therefore again in a lake, wherein this large village,

according to his account, lies upon a neck of land which corresponds

with the bay of the left bank.

After an hour and a half, we take to our oars, and double, for

the first time, a corner towards E., and immediately afterwards to

E. by N. The damp yesterday evening was so great that it penetrated

our clothes. In the reeds there was continual croaking, chirping,

waddling, and springing up of the spawning-fish, such as we had

not before heard. Birds also flew over us, uttering a shrill and

whistling sound, said to announce a storm. We torment ourselves till

eleven o’clock by slowly moving along the right shore of the reeds;

and in order to get the crew into some activity, I have forced the

tailor out of his shop, for the east wind has become stronger, and

the river makes a bend before us to the south, as we perceived by the

masts of the ships waiting for us. We sail, therefore, towards the

south, to the other vessels, which have already got a considerable

start of us. We quit this southern direction at the end of an hour,

go for half an hour towards S.E., and then more eastward and E. by

S., where again we are obliged to take to our oars. The group of

the thirteen dhellèb-palms, which previously stood south of us,

retreats to the left shore. We saw here four fishing-huts in the

reeds, near which some blacks were occupied in fishing. At noon S.E.,

and at two o’clock towards E., sailing.

One can scarcely form an idea of the continual and extraordinary

windings of the river. Half an hour ago we saw, on the right,

the Muscovite’s vessel, and on the left the other vessels a-head

_on a line_ with us, separated, however, by the high grass, from

which their masts and sails joyfully peeped forth. I could scarcely

persuade myself that we had proceeded from the one place, and shall

steer to the other. There is something cheerful and tranquilizing

in this life-like picture of ships seeking and finding each other

again in the immeasurable grass-sea, which gives us a feeling of

security. It must be a sight to the people of this region that they

cannot comprehend, owing to the distance.

Those sixteen dhellèb-palms have at last approached to within

gun-shot. I had counted them four times, and every time found another,

so exactly does one trunk cover the other. I do not call them

_handsome_ trees, because they stand there in the green wilderness;

no, I find them really beautiful, for there is a peculiar charm in

them. They rise like double gigantic flowers upon slender stalks,

gently protruding in the middle, and not like those defoliated

date-palms, which stand meagerly, like large cabbage-stalks. It

is impossible that the latter should delight my poor heart, full

of the remembrance of shady trees,—the oaks and beech-trees of

Germany; the planes near Parnassus; the cypress on the Bosphorus,

and the chestnuts on the Asiatic Olympus. About three o’clock we

landed on the left shore, and found it dry, to our astonishment, but

still green, and covered with high grasses. Near the palms were four

ant-hills, on the tops of which we found the wet blue clay worked

up. Some miserable tokuls also stood around, but they were deserted

by the inhabitants. To my sorrow, I see again a sürtuk destroyed,

for the sake of some splinters of wood, merely to keep up a fire the

whole night for amusement, on board the sandal,—not to drive away

the gnats, for they let the fire burn in a clear flame. Wherever they

have the opportunity of displaying their petulance, our blacks also

are ever ready. They are not ever ashamed to have always in their

mouths the word “Abit,” although they themselves are slaves,

and will be so while they live, though clad in the soldier’s smock

frock, for the Turkish soldiery have not yet qualified themselves

for an honourable condition.

It shews a want of order, nautical policy, and tact, on the part of

the commanders, to allow the poor inhabitants of the left shore to

be injured. They are said for some days past to belong to the nation

of the Nuèhrs. Suliman Kashef has made over some of his own crew

to us, to assist in rowing our vessel; but Feïzulla plays tauola

(tavola), or backgammon, with a Turk, and thinks, when he does not

hear the stroke of the oar, that we are sailing. I had collected

some pretty plants near those villages, and found wild cucumbers,

without prickles, as well as a kind of aloe, seeming here to thrive

on marshy soil. About five o’clock we had to be towed a short

distance; then we took a little to our oars, and at sun-set joined

the other ships in the east. The river has a depth of three fathoms

and about three-quarters of a mile rapidity in the intersection. I

appeal to Suliman Kashef to prevent the taking away and hewing up of

sürtuks. He himself confesses that the Icthyophagi dwelling here in

the reeds, being entirely cut off from the rest of the world, would be

lost, as it were, without their fishing-boats, since they can neither

swim nor wade through the marshes; he promises therefore to forbid it.

_19th December._—We had cast anchor in the middle of the stream,

and the right shore was raised above the grass, to the distance of

a quarter of an hour; it was quite bare, notwithstanding its row of

palm-trees. It is a dead calm, and we do not put ourselves in motion

till half-past seven o’clock, assisting the slackened sails by

rowing. We bend immediately to the W., and I see before me, to my

astonishment, the sixteen palms again standing and the row of palms

just mentioned behind us, as well as the vessels preceding us on the

left towards the E. Near the palms of the right shore, we remarked

not a family, but a small army of elephants, moving slowly here and

there under the trees, apparently for the purpose of tasting the

dhellèb-fruit. This is not yet grown to its full size, nor ripe;

but perhaps they will shake it down by the weight of their body,

as I have seen them in Taka, do with the doum-palms. Two elephants

were previously shewn me in the country, where we saw the giraffes

and ostriches, appearing in the far distance like hills, until they

began to move.

At half-past eight o’clock, S.E. by E., north-east wind, but

faint, and only one mile and a half course. In the space of half an

hour, we shall be advancing to the south, where the other ships are

already. The serpentine winding of the Nile would have a beautiful

appearance from an air-balloon, striving, as it does, to break a

road through the reeds in all directions.

The steersman would often be puzzled what direction to take if we did

not push against the stream, which requires labour and exertion. If

it were otherwise, they would let themselves drift with “Allah

Kerim,” and most certainly would fall every moment with the high

water into unknown paths among the reeds, and pass several islands

by force, or remain sticking therein.

At half-past nine o’clock we proceed westwards, in order to

go again southwards after a quarter of an hour, as we see by

the vessels sailing before us. At eleven o’clock to S.W. two

miles and a quarter, and at twelve o’clock only one mile and a

quarter. At one o’clock the wind has almost entirely died away,

when we again turn towards the south. The sixteen palms are still

visible behind us, and we must have advanced in little curves,

as we see by the vessels behind us, during my short sleep, caused

by the nightly epileptic fits of Feïzulla Capitan. Wonderful to

relate, we have sailed by them, the captain having roused himself,

for a short time, from his apathy. Bushes of high reeds, and little

forests of ambaks in Nile grass; before us a long group of palms,

which, as Fadl at the mast-head thinks, belongs to the right shore.

From south we make a small bend towards east, and turn a little

corner of the left shore of reeds to S.W., where we again derive

some advantage from the nearly exhausted wind. I hear from the mast

that the left shore winds back to south, and that the right again

approaches the river in a semicircle.

For some days past the stream has appeared whitish or clouded to

the superficial observer. Viewing it however, through the glass,

we find it quite clear. It is also well tasted, which was not the

case throughout the marshy lakes. If we find the river, having here

a breadth of five hundred paces, and a depth of from three to four

fathoms, we continue to ask the question, from whence does this

enormous mass of water come?

We have already passed the limits wherein the Mountains of the Moon

have been placed. It would almost seem the river is accumulated in

a cauldron-shaped valley, the declivities of which encroach with

long arms on the African world, and from which the discharge after

the periodical rains would be also only _periodical_. Unless it

has an immeasurable tributary stream as an unfailing source from a

south-westerly ramification of the Abyssinian high lands, because

the _level_ ground, notwithstanding its tropical vegetation, has

too little power of attraction to justify such an enormous power

of throwing out water by the instrumentality of a lake, under the

absorbing African sun.

The breadth of the current amounts generally here to about five

hundred paces; its reed-lakes are always at the side. At half-past

two o’clock we move slowly S.S.E. with the north wind, which has

nearly died away, and set to work with the oars. We are glad that

it is a north wind, thinking that it may become constant before the

end of this month. Four o’clock. What Fadl said three hours ago is

confirmed even now, inasmuch as I see from the deck the right shore

more than a quarter of an hour distant, though I am not able from the

cabin to look over the reeds. The palms stand here in graceful rows,

and satisfy the wandering eye in search of something to rest upon;

an isolated dhellèb is also seen far up the river. We sail W. by

S., and a skirt of trees with some dhellèbs behind approaches us,

but is lost soon again in the distance to S.W. There is nothing to be

distinguished on the left shore. Ant-hills are visible in the reeds,

among which, in spite of their fresh green, there are dry spots.

On the right shore we noticed a giraffe and twenty elephants, the

latter teazed in an impudently friendly manner by white birds, against

whom they tossed up their trunks: their tormentors, however, always

returned to their heads and high backs, in order to pick the ticks

out of their thick skins, like the crows on the pigs in Greece. They

appear to me to be the very same birds we saw in Egypt perched on

cows and camels. When the last-named animals have old wounds on

their backs, they are visited by birds of prey. I was never allowed

to shoot them, because the Arabs believe that they pick out _only_

the tainted flesh, and even contribute to heal the wounds, when the

unmerciful cauterization of these people proves ineffectual. Mariàn

shewed me some trees, of singular shape, having a corolla like that

of a cactus. They are called _Shudder el Simm_, or poison-trees. On

the left bank of the river I saw fourteen miserable tokuls upon the

partly dried up morass, projecting between the reeds, and various iron

pots lying about. They had the usual pointed roof of straw or halfa;

the lower wall of reeds was plastered over with morass. Judging from

this plaster, which had fallen off three feet high from the earth,

the water had only risen here four feet, reckoning the height of

the island at a foot. This, the highest water-line, had not been

able to carry away an old thatched roof of some four feet high,

and six feet diameter.

Beyond these fishing-huts, spread far and wide in the water, is

reed grass, overtopped like a bush by high rushes. Now I find it

explained why the White Stream on the efflux of these slime-lakes,

wherein thousands of animals miserably die, stands in such bad repute

in Khartùm, because we found ourselves a short time ago, when in a

tributary arm of the river, in a nonplus,—the water being really

undrinkable. A microscope might generally give interesting results

in these places. The lakes must not be considered as similar to the

slime-lakes of the Blue Nile, Rhine, and Rhone.

Sunset, six o’clock.—From the mast the right shore is seen

retreating to the distance of an hour, and approaches again before us,

whilst the left bank comes near us for a moment, so that a round basin

with a wide mouth is created. We hoist sails, and row to S.E. by S.

It is evident that the Nile, which we traverse, in spite of all its

circular windings, can never go out of the path of that _old shore_

so often denoted. It is certain that these windings enclose the

gigantic bed of the stream in vast curved lines; for the primitive

stream could not be arrested by a paltry opposition, as the present

one is, even by the reeds. If a journey by land were practicable

on the old border of the Nile, the road would be far shorter. The

thermometer has now got up to 25°. We stay behind during the night,

because the crew will not work any more. Feïzulla Capitan retreats

ashamed into the cabin and says not a word.

_20th December._—Even before daybreak I went out of the cabin to

watch the weather; but the mist which melted away yesterday morning at

the rising-sun, did not make its appearance. Nevertheless, I watched

for the third time the dawn of morning, and found I could read a

printed book three-quarters of an hour before sunrise. The morning

dawn is, therefore, not so very short as is generally believed. I

had previously remarked this also in Khartùm. We had 26° Reaumur,

yesterday afternoon, in spite of the dead calm only 25°. The fall

of dew was considerable, and wetted my guns even through the window,

which I had scarcely opened. The hippopotami put their heads above

water, as if to consider the appearance of our ships.

Immediately after the sunrise a gentle wind arose, directly

increasing, however, to a strong breeze, and we sailed from the

north, S.W.; but soon rounded a sharp corner of the reeds on the right

shore towards E. A group of high rushes of twenty feet high above the

water was entwined picturesquely with the blooming convolvulus, which

also floated in long tendrils with numerous flowers upon the water,

intersected, likewise, by high aquatic herbs and low plants. The

water hurries partly in cheerful flowing rivulets through this group,

in order to seek the nearest channel. The left shore surrounds

us at a distance of half an hour or an hour, in a beautiful arch,

with palm clumps and isolated trees, from N. to S. by E.

Our course amounts to two miles and a half, and the rapidity of the

river here is generally half a mile. Nine o’clock.—Just as I

lift up my eyes, we go again from S.W. to E. by S., and immediately

to S.W., where we see some strong trees before us. Half-past nine

o’clock, S., then S.W., subsequently S., and then S.E., with four

miles’ course.

Once more we see, after a lapse of a long time, a certain number

of people, said to form a considerable nation, under the name of

Kèks. The little village yonder contains only thirteen wretched

tokuls; the pointed roofs are low, and, like the walls, of

straw. Among the trees there are some which branch out vigorously,

and have a thick green foliage; they are said also to be found in

upper Kordofàn or Nuba, where, according to Mariàn, they are

called Tihls. Their fruit is long and large, like the pumpkin,

and edible. Possibly a Nuba negro may think them relishing; but

subsequently, when we found a number of such trees, called by the

Arabs _elephant-trees_, I found the unripe fruit not eatable. The

Arabs also, who themselves eat _locusts_, although not from choice,

never eat this fruit even when ripe. Isolated poison-trees also

stand round about there. A second village lay back in the reeds. The

people were of a livid colour, and naked; they smear themselves, as

the Shilluks are said partly to do, with Nile slime, as a protection

against the sting of gnats.

It was affecting to see how these poor creatures raised both hands

high in the air, and let them slowly fall, by way of greeting. A

woman likewise, naked to the girdle, greeted us, placing her elbows

somewhat close to her body, and made with her hands, the flat side

upwards, the motion of saluting usual also with us. She had an

ivory ring round her head, and another round the neck; which last

must have been either ingeniously put together, or slipped over her

head in her youth. The men wore ivory rings around one arm. A man

turned towards his hut, as if inviting us in; another stood alone,

lifted his hands, and jumped round in a circle upon one spot.

[Illustration: DOUM-PALMS. DHELLEB-PALMS. BAOBABS. BAOBABS.

A VILLAGE OF THE SHILLUKS, ON THE LEFT SHORE OF THE NILE.

25TH MARCH, 1841.]

Our Dinkas (whose language is allied to that of the Nuèhres and

Keks), said that they wanted durra from us, and told us that their

cows were far away, and would not return till evening. (Durra is

called in Bellet-Sudàn, _esh_, which denotes _bread_ in Egypt, and

plainly indicates to the primeval bread-corn of the Egyptians found

still in the old tombs; but it is also here used for _bread_ in the

Egyptian manner, whilst the pancake-bread is called _kisra_.) Our

Dinkas, as well as Mariàn, asserted in the most positive manner

that these _Kèks kill no animal_, but only live on grains of seed

and milk. I could distinguish no hair on their heads, and heard

that they coat it with clay, and let it dry in the sun. I greeted

them with my hand, and _two_ of them repeatedly jumped in the air,

and gave me to understand that they recognised my salute. These must

be the real happy Ethiopians, for they seem to lead a blameless life,

and they do not even have festivals, like the Homeric ones. I could

not ascertain, with certainty, whether this sparing of animal life

extends also to game and fish; it was generally asserted, however,

that they eat cattle that _die a natural death_. The latter also is

partly done in the land of Sudàn, but not by the genuine Arabs; it

is even contrary to the Koràn, to eat a beast struck by a bullet,

unless its throat has been cut whilst it yet lived, to let out the

blood: this is scouted also by the Hebrews.

At Khartùm, I saw, one morning, quite early, two dead camels lying

on a public square; the men were cutting off large pieces to roast,

and the dogs stood mournfully around. I myself, with Drs. Fisher

and Pruner, helped to consume, in Kàhira, a roasted portion of

Clot Bey’s beautiful giraffe, which had eaten too much bersim

(white clover): the meat is very tender, and of tolerably fine grain;

the tongue appeared to me a real delicacy. I could never acquire a

taste, however, for the course fibrous flesh of camels, even when

they were young. A German cook might, however, know how to make

it palatable by a suitable sauce. We ourselves have dressed very

tolerable sauerbraten[6] from the tough beef in Khartùm.

Half past ten o’clock. We row round a corner N.E. by N., and are

obliged, owing to the north wind, which is against us in this short

passage, to make use of the sandal as a leader, in order to drag

after us the Kaiàss. We wind then S.S.W.: the wind has freshened,

and we make four miles. At noon a short track to the S.E., but

only for a short time, and we halt on the reeds, opposite to the

right shore. Thibaut visited and invited me to a Burma of merissa,

which he had prepared from _Abrè_. This Abrè is a very fine kind of

bread; it is baked on the usual pan (Docka), by pouring liquid dough

of durra meal on it, and immediately scraping it down with a knife;

to free it from the clay or iron-pan, some butter is put over it now

and then. If a handful of these broken wafers are thrown into a gara,

with water, they give a wonderful coolness to what they float in,

and a pleasant acid taste. On this account it is the usual drink in

the land of Sudàn, and a welcome draught to the thirsty traveller.

Thibaut had made a large Burma of water in a state of fermentation

with this fine bread, and let it work for three days, till the bread

part had sunk to the bottom. This merissa must, however, be quickly

drank, or else it becomes sour. Naturally enough, it was far better

than that prepared in the usual way from warm bread, and withal

uncommonly strong and intoxicating. Even the finer kind of merissa,

called in Sennaar Billbill, is inferior to it. Abrè Nareïn, as the

corpulent Sheikh Defalla prepared it for us during the campaign in

Taka, and as it is drank by the kings of Sennaar, is only superior

to it. This liquor is like beer, and twice put on the fire (Nar),

whereby it acquires its name Abrè Nareïn.

Thibaut’s Reïs (steersman) exhibited the first proofs of the

intoxicating effects of this merissa, and was persuaded to delegate

the task of steering the ship to the former; but Thibaut, who had

begun even earlier to test its strength, was still less capable of

commanding his vessel. The wind had thrown us, in a trice, towards the

other side of the little lake, which forms part of the river. I had

previously remarked the dazzling contrast which the water of the basin

made, through its dark-blue colour, to our course. We think that we

discern in the three segments of that water, three mouths of a river,

separated by the reeds. Beyond this, we also see a real water track,

coming from S.S.E., which may be a river of less importance, but we

could not approach close enough to discover this. It was only with

a great deal of difficulty that we got loose again from the reeds,

and came into the stream.

We saw Selim Capitan, somewhat behind this little lake, halting at

a village; and a man, who was soon after followed by four women,

wading through the water and going on board. This village, on

the left shore, was called Baiderol, and its Sheikh, Ajà. They

gave presents to these people, but could not learn from them the

name of the great lake; and were soon obliged to ship off, for all

the tribe poured down to get presents of glass beads. These people

belonged to the nation of the Kèks, who are always at war with the

Nuèhrs. I remarked here a new construction of tokuls; as usual, of

reeds and straw, but with flat, cupola-shaped roofs. In the former

expedition, the Turks came here also to Shàmata (contention-war)

with the natives, because the latter had incautiously fired arrows

in the air, which the Turks looked upon as a declaration of war,

and therefore shot down several people.

Thibaut read me the description he has given of Arnaud in his journal;

and I found in the course of conversation, that we had, in 1822, been

together at Philhellenes, in Greece. We lodged close to one another

in Tripolizza, when the Greek heroes (who at that time very modestly

called themselves Romanians, and were unacquainted with the name of

Hellenes) began suddenly to murder, in a base manner, at the Bazaar,

fifty-four unarmed Turkish prisoners, who for some time had managed

to prolong their wretched existence in the city. We Franks saved

three of the wounded Turks in our house, and would not give them up,

though the blood-thirsty people collected before the door. On this

occasion, Dr. Dumont (familiar with the modern Greek language),

and the brave Captain Daumerque, beloved by us all, (subsequently

gloriously known in the Egyptian army by the name of Khalim Agà,)

distinguished themselves in the manner most honourable to mankind

in general, and man in particular.

We remembered very well, that in the everlasting quarrels which

took place, the word “Greek” surpassed all other insults, and

was inevitably followed by a duel, without any other reparation of

the injured honour ever being thought of.

Without the knowledge of my parents, who fancied that I would exchange

Bonn for another university, I had travelled with my friend, the now

Professor Dieffenbach, of Berlin, to Marseilles. George Thibaut had

done the same thing, and thrown up his clerkship in Paris. I found

my books, the Pandects of Mackeldey, with the Archbishop of Argos,

turned into cartridges, in order that I might beat the Turks blue

with the Roman _Corpus juris civilis_, &c. It was a dangerous and

adventurous undertaking. Thibaut went with the other Frenchmen

and Italians to Egypt, to offer the Basha his services. I learnt

eventually to find out the fellows, who are even now figuring away

as robbers, and returned from Smyrna to my dear native land, like an

undeceived Phillhellene who had known, however, how to distinguish

the unworthy cause of these _Synclides_. Ten years afterwards I again

found the old people in celebrated Hellas, only better laced up and

combed, in high Turkish caps.

The river makes from this basin a strong bend to N.N.E.; we had

sometimes, therefore, to use oars, sometimes the towing-rope. The

breadth of the river, including the reeds, is from one hundred and

fifty to two hundred paces. The rapidity of the current below that

little lake is one mile; it decreases, however, to half a mile in the

basin, and amounts now to one mile and a half. Our course was very

troublesome, slow, and so irregular, that it would be difficult to

calculate the length of this short passage. We sailed then a short

tract to the S.W., then S. and E., rowed N.W., and after sunset to

the north, without having advanced further to the south. The latitude

is 7° 48′, and the longitude 27° 41′ east of Paris.

_21st December._—I passed the night on board Thibaut’s vessel,

for mine had remained behind. This morning we worked towards the

east. We found in the little lake of yesterday such beautiful clear

water as only the Blue Nile displays at low ebb. Its dark water is

kept back in a sharp cut by the current of the still high Nile. It

may be inferred that the goodness of it arises from a neighbouring

spring-lake, or from a mountain-river, the blue water of which

may flow, even in other places, imperceptibly through the reeds

to the Nile: this is the case also with the Gazelle River. It was

a pity that, when we drank of the beautiful water, the village of

Baiderol lay behind us. My vessel will not even yet work up; I visit,

therefore, the Frenchmen, to inspect the hygrometer. It was about

eight o’clock, and the hygrometer shewed 70°: at night, however,

it had got up to 75°, and usually went back at noon to 20°: which

may be taken as the average in these lakes. For a long time there

have been only very few streaky clouds in the horizon, which were

scarcely to be distinguished from the firmament.

I saw yesterday evening the first shooting-stars; but none had

been remarked by any of the rest. At ten o’clock I jumped on

Selim-Capitan’s vessel, who had invited me by dumb show whilst I was

with Thibaut, during the dead calm. We sail with the north wind S.E.,

but the pleasure was soon at an end. Yet no! Selim-Capitan did me the

favour of sailing _east by north_ with the north wind; but the oars,

however, were obliged to be used to assist us, in order to prevent

our running ashore. This manœuvre succeeded; and the others, who

had reefed their sails, followed the example. It lasted, however,

only a short time, for a strong S.E. wind getting up, threw us on

the left shore of the reeds on the right hand.