Expedition to discover the Sources of the White Nile in the years 1840, 1841. From the German by C. W. O'Reilly

Chapter I. Sleeping Tokuls Ob Barns

CRUELTY AND LICENTIOUSNESS OF THE TURKS. ARNAUD AND SELIM CAPITAN'S FEAR OF THE NATIVES. NEGROES SHOT BY THE TURKS. — CONDUCT OF THE NATIVES. — RED MEN. ARNAUD 'S MADNESS. FEAR OF THE NEGROES AT FIRE-ARMS. — VISIT OF A CHIEF AND HIS SON. — TOBACCO AND SHEEP. — MOUNT KORiK. — NATION OF BARI. — VISIT OF THE BROTHER AND SON-IN-LAW OF THE KING. CHAIN OF MOUNTAINS. .......

Chapter II

reoeption of envoys from king lakono. — description of them. — religion of the baris : their arms and ornaments. — panic created among the natives at the explosion of cannon. — lively scene on shore. — coloured women. — arrival of kino lakono and suite. — his interview with the com manders : HIS DRESS. THE NATIONAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OF BARI. — PRESENTS TO KING LAKONO, AND HIS DEPARTURE . •

Chapter III

mimosas and tamarind-trees. — different species. — durra and creeping beans. — religion of the ethiopians. — second visit of lakono. — the crown-prince tshobe. — particulars VI CONTENTS. r age 50 76 102 OF THE COUNTRIES OF BARI AND BERRI. DESCRIPTION OF LAKONO S FAVOURITE SULTANA. — MOUNTAINS IN THE VICINITY OF BARI : THEIR FORM AND DISTANCE. — ISLAND OF TSHANKER. — REMARKS ON LAKONo's LEGISLATION AND CONDUCT. THE NJAM-NJAM, OR CAN NIBALS. — CUSTOMS AND ARMS OF THE NATIVES. THE TROPICAL RAINS. ........

Chapter IV. King Lakono's Pride

— BEER KNOWN TO THE ANCIENT EGYPT IANS. — BAR OF ROCKS. WAR-DANCE OF THE NATIVES. — DETERMI NATION OF THE TURKS TO RETURN, AND DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE AUTHOR. — COMMENCEMENT OF THE RETURN VOYAGE. — REPUBLICANS IN THE KINGDOM OF BARI. — VISIT OF THE FRENCHMEN TO MOUNT KOREK. — REASON OF THE AUTHOR'S AVERSION TO ARNAUD. — CON DUCT OF VAISSIERE, AND SCENE IN HIS DIVAN. CULTIVATION OF COTTON AT BARI. — APATHY OF FE1ZULLA-CAPITAN AND THE CREW. — SUPERIORITY OF MAN TO WOMAN IN A NATIVE STATE. — WATCH- HOUSES.

Chapter V. River Buffaloes

— COMICAL APPEARANCE OF THE NATIVES. — WILLOWS. — SPECIES OF STRAND-SNIPES. — MODESTY OF THE WOMEN, AND THEIR APRONS. — THE LIENNS. — ORNAMENTS OF THIS TRIBE : THEIR TOKULS. — THE SERIBA OR ENCLOSURE TO THE HUTS.—ENOR MOUS ELEPHANT'S TOOTH. — LUXURIANCE OF THE SOIL. — THE COUNTRY OF BAMBER. — DESCRIPTION OF THE NATIVES. — MANNER OF OATCHING ELEPHANTS.— ROYAL CRANES. — SPLENDID BARTER. — TRIBE OF THE BUKOS. — STOICISM OF AN OLD NATIVE. SLAVES. — HIPPO POTAMI AND CROCODILES. — THE TSHIERRS. — THE ELLIABS AND BOHRS. DESCRIPTION OF THE FORMER TRIBE * THEIR WAK DANCE.

Chapter VI. Examination Of An Arm Of The Nile

— FORESTS ON THE BANKS PRICE OFFERED IN ENGLAND FOR A LIVE HIPPOPOTA MUS. — THJ_SE ANIMALS RARELY MET WITH IN EGYPT. TBE LIENNS. — ROPES MADE FROM THE LEAVES OF THE DOME-PAJ.M. UEKA. CHARACTER AND DESCRIPTION OF THE LIENNS. — THB CONTENTS VII PAGB 133 169 EMEDDI-TREE. — DijBKER-TREE. — COTTON-TREES. — THE TSHIERRS. — TRIBES OF THE BODSHOS AND KARBORAHS. — LABYRINTHS OF THE WHITE STREAM. — BARTER WITH THE KARBORAHS: THEIR DRESS, ARMS, ORNAMENTS, ETO. — MOUNT NERKANJIN. — ISLAND OF TUI. — THE KOKIS. — CONTEST WITH HIPPOPOTAMI. — CROCODILES' EGGS. — HOSTILITY OF THE TSHIERRS TO THE ELLIABS. — EBONY CLUBS. — THE BOHRS : THEIR SONGS, ORNAMENTS, ETC ANT-HILLS. — " IRG-EL-MOJE " OR WATER-ROOT, A SPECIES OF VEGETABLE. — VETCHES.— THE ANDURAB OR ENDERAB-TREE. — THE DAKUIN-TREE. — A SOLDIER STABBED BY A NATIVE. — ANTIQUITY OF DUNG-FIRES.

Chapter VII. The Bohr

" JOI " : HIS TREATMENT ON BOARD THE VESSEL : HIS ESCAPE. — -WOMEN'S VILLAGE. — FELT CAPS. — SONGS OF THE BOHRS. TUBERS SIMILAR TO POTATOE8. — THE BUNDURIALS. — THE TUTUIS AND KfiKS. — AN ELEPHANT ATTACKED AND KILLED. — TASTE OF THE FLESH OF THIS ANIMAL. CHEATING OF THE NATIVES IN BARTER. — WINTER TOKULS OR WOMEN'S HUTS. — MANNER OF MAKING A BURMA OR CO»KING- VESSEL. — "* BAUDA" AGAIN. — FEIZCLLA CAPITAN'S INDUSTRY IN SEWING. — THE KEKS LIVE BY FISHING. DESCRIPTION OF THE WOMEN. — SERIOUS ACCIDENT TO THE VESSEL. OSTRICHES AND APE3 FOGS ON THE WHITE STREAM. — WATCH TOWERS. — SALE SHOOTS A GIGANTIC CRANE : IS PUNISHED. — THE NUJ_HRS. ........

Chapter VIII

NUlbHRS. — ORNAMENTS. — MANNERS OF THE WOMEN. — THE MEN. — CURIOUS CUSTOM OF DRESSING THE HAIR, AND STAINING THEM SELVES. — VISIT OF A CHIEF. — SPEARS USED INSTEAD OF KNIVES. — SINGULAR WAY OF MAKING ATONEMENT, ETO. — WE HEAR ACCOUNTS OF OUR BLACK DESERTERS. BOWS AND QUIVERS SIMILAR TO THOSE REPRESENTED IN THE HIEROGLYPHICS. THE TURKS INDULGENT IN ONE RESPECT. — MOUNT TICKEM OR MORRE. — TRACES OF ANIMAL WORSHIP AMONG THE NUEHRS. — ARNAUD's CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF A LAKE (AND GASCONADES). — ADVICE TO FUTURE TRAVELLERS ON THE WHITE NILE. SWALLOWS. — MEANS OF DEFENCE AGAINST GNATS DISCOVERED. — THE SHILLUKS AGAIN. — QUESTION OF THE CONTINUAL ALTERATIONS IN THE APPEARANCE OF THE NILE. — GUINEA-FOWLS. GIRAFFES. — BLACK WASPS. — TURTLE-DOVES. — OUR AUTHOR CAUGHT CONTENTS. PAGE 203 237 257 IN A THORN-BUSH. — FABLED LUXURIANCE OF THE PLANTS IN THE TROPICAL REGIONS.— VIEW FROM A HILL MANNER OF CATCHING FISH AMONG THE NATIVES THE SOBAT RIVER. — THE INUNDATIONS OF THE NILE CONSIDERED . . .

Chapter IX. Royal Cranes

— SCRUPLES OF FEIZULLA-CAPITAN. — COMPOSITION OF THE SHORES. DESCRIPTION OF THE DHELLEB-PALM AND ITS FRUIT. — FORM OF EGYPTIAN PILLARS DERIVED FROM THIS TREE. — DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EGYPTIAN AND GREEK ARCHITECTURE. — DE SCRIPTION OF THE SUNT-TREE. — DEATH OF AN ARABIAN SOLDIER. — VISIT OF A MEK OR CHIEF. — DANGEROUS RENCONTRE WITH A LION ON SHORE. — PURSUIT OF THIS BEAST BY THE AUTHOR AND SULI MAN KASHEF WITH HIS MEN. — FEAR OF THE NATIVES AT THE TURKS. — PLUNDER OF THEIR TOKULS BY THE CREW. — BREAD-CORN OF THE DINKAS. — ANTELOPE HUNT DIFFERENT SPECIES OF THESE ANIMALS. — IMMENSE HERDS ON THE BANKS OF THE WHITE NILE. — LIONS AGAIN. — BAD CONDITION OF THE VESSELS

Chapter X. Various Species Of Grasses

— FORMATION OF THE SHORES. — WATER-FOWLS. — AN ANTELOPE OF THE TETE SPECIES, NOW AT BER LIN. — STRATA OF THE SHORE. — THE SOBAT RIVER: THE MAIN ROAD FOR THE NATIVES FROM THE HIGHLANDS TO THE PLAINS. — OBSERVATIONS ON THE COURSE OF THE NILE AND SOBAT. — A THOU SAND ANTELOPES SEEN MOVING TOGETHER ! — WILD BUFFALOES, LIONS, AND HYÆNAS. — AFRICA, THE CRADLE OF THE NEGRO RACE. —THE SHUDDER-EL-FAS : DESCRIPTION OF THIS SHRUB. — ARNAUD'S CHARLATANRY. — OUR AUTHOR FEARED BY THE FRENCHMEN. ARNAUD AND SABATIER's JOURNALS ! THE MARVELLOUS STORIES OF THE FORMER. — THIBAUT'S JEALOUSY. — VISIT OF A SHIEKH OF THE SHILLUKS. FEAR OF THE TURKS AT THESE PEOPLE. — SULIMAN KASHEF PURSUED BY A LION .....

Chapter XI. The Shilluks

A VITIATED PEOPLE. — CAUSE OF THE VIOLENT RAINS IN INNER AFRICA. — REFUSAL OF THE SULTAN OF THE SHIL LUKS TO VISIT THE VESSELS DESCRIPTION OF A SPECIES OF CONTENTS. IX PAGE GRASS. — BARTER WITH THE SHILLUKS. — CONQUEST OF THEIR COUN TRY NOT DIFFICULT. — FORM OF THEIR BOATS. — AMBAK RAFTS. — IRON RARELY FOUND AMONG THE EGYPTIAN ANTIQUITIES. — WOR SHIP OF TREES BY THE SHILLUKS : THEIR RELIGIOUS RITES. — STARS IN THE SOUTHERN REGIONS OF AFRICA. — SHILLUK WOMEN : THEIR DRESS. — REFUSAL OF THE MEN TO SELL THEIR ARMS. — THE BAGHARAS : THEIR DRESS, ETC. — RE-APPEARANCE OF THE ISLAND PARKS, AND MOUNT DEFAFAUNGH. — ASCENT OF THIS MOUNTAIN, AND FULL DESCRIPTION OF IT. — THE DINKAS : THEIR LOVE FOR OLD CUSTOMS. — DESERTION OF TWO DINKA SOLDIERS, AND REFUSAL OF THEIR COUNTRYMEN TO GIVE THEM UP. — SHEIKHS SEIZED, AND DESERTERS RECOVERED. ...... 280

Chapter XII. Landing In The Territory Of The Bagharas

I DESCRIPTION OF THEM : THEIR HOSTILITY TO THE DINKAS, AND MARAUDING EXCURSIONS INTO THE COUNTRY OF THIS TRIBE. — CURIOUS POSITION IN WHICH THE LATTER TRIBE STAND. — MOUNT N'jEMATI : EXAMI NATION OF IT A SHRUB- ACACIA. APPEARANCE OF ELEPHANTS AND LIONS. — GEOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE MOUNTAINS. — MON KEYS APPEAR AGAIN. — MOHAMMED ALI UNDER THE FORM OF AN HIPPOPOTAMUS. ISLAND OF ABU. — THE HASSARIES. — A HIPPOPO TAMUS KILLED BY SULIMAN KASHEF. SHORES OF THE NILE COM PARED TO THOSE OF THE MISSISSIPPI. — EL AES. — THE KABBABISH ARABS. — HEDJASI. — THE MOUNTAIN GROUP OF ARASKOLL. — CONDUCT OF SULIMAN KASHEF TO A SHIEKH AND ARABS. — BEST WAY TO TREAT THE TURKS. — THE DOWNS : THEIR NATURE. — INTELLIGENCE OF THE DEATH OF SOLIMAN EFFENDI AND VAISSIERE. — APPROACH TO KHARTUM. — ARRIVAL, AND MEETING OF OUR AUTHOR WITH HIS BROTHER CONCLUSION. ...... SOURCES OF THE WHITE NILE.

Chapter I. Sleeping Tokuls Or Barns

CRUELTY AND LICENTIOUSNESS OF THE TURKS. — ARNAUD AND SELIM CAPITAN'S FEAR OF THE NATIVES. NEGROES SHOT BY THE TURKS. — CONDUCT OF THE NATIVES. RED MEN. ARNAUD'S MADNESS. — FEAR OF THE NEGROES AT FIRE-ARMS. — VISIT OF A CHIEF AND HIS SON. — TOBACCO AND SHEEP. — MOUNT KOREK. — NATION OF BARI. — VISIT OF THE BROTHER AND SON-IN- LAW OF THE KING. — CHAIN OF MOUNTAINS. 20th January. — The vessels were towed further to the southward hy the Libahn, whilst the com manders, and we Franks with them, walked on the magnificent shore. The wind, with which, however, we had previously sailed, although not quicker than the pace we walked at on shore, freshened at ten o'clock, and we repaired again on board the vessels. I had made a real forced march, and was at last compelled to be carried, owing to increasing weak VOL. II.

B ness. Little villages and isolated tokuls stood in the beautiful woody country, which is interspersed with solitary light spaces or corn-fields, where, however, the short fine grass was withered. These tokuls are elevated above the ground on stakes, and serve to pro tect the fruits, or as sleeping-places for security against noxious animals or the temporary damp of the soil. The natives dance, sing, and jump, slide on their knees, sell or exchange their god (glass beads — Arabic, sug-sug), amongst one another, and squat, but not by sitting upright in the Turkish manner, and smoke their pipes. These pipes have prettily-worked black clay bowls, with a tube of reeds, and a long iron mouthpiece : even the tongs, to apply the charcoal to light them, are not wanting. They are cheated in the most shameful manner by the Turco- Arabian people ; robbed of their weapons, and plundered right and left.

What am I to do ? I am ill, and have lost my voice; yet I try to prevent these outrages as far as I am able. The so-called elephant-tree prevails here exclu sively ; and one of the chief amusements this morning was to shoot down its fruit, in which exploit Suliman Kashef distinguished himself as the best shot. The shady trees, the prospect on the river, enlivened by the glittering sails, the blue chain of mountains — it was a sight that did me good, and refreshed my inmost soul. But all this was again clouded by Turks. Is there another word for Turks I No : Turks, — basta! A negro, who came from the other side to swim over to us, got into the track of the sailing vessels, and was drowned, although he might have been easily picked up by two ships following us. The commanders had gone on a-head, and I was behind with the Frenchmen ; I was not able to call, and therefore fired off my gun, in order, by signs, to induce them to save him.

Arnaud also, whose vessel was just bearing up, might have easily prevented the death of the unfortunate creature if he had given a hail to his reis. He even blamed my impatience, saying I was ill ; and added, with the contemptuous tone, in which the Arab pronounces his " Abit," and the Turk his " kiafr," " Why do the fellows swim about in the water !" Upon this I could not forbear using hard words. An Egyptian soldier, who, like some others of the libahn, had remained behind on shore to ransack the deserted tokuls, ran behind a young naked girl, when I fortunately noticed the circumstance in our walk. I hastened to Suliman Kashef, who was gallant enough to recall, with a voice of command, the libertine from this his wicked purpose. The Turkish character involuntarily shews itself on such occasions as these ; it goes against his grain to see an inferior enjoying any pleasure.

There was no merit, therefore, in Suliman's conduct, even had he warded off from us a Sicilian vespers. Thibaut had had also a similar incident on board his vessel with the reis, who wanted to be too free with a young girl whom the former, during this voyage, had purchased for a few glass beads, — I believe from the Keks. This incident was also announced in due form by us ; but they laughed, and said, " Baden " (after wards), and Arnaud even joined in this opinion. At a quarter past ten o'clock, the north wind has completely died away, and we tack about towards the b west for a short tract, when it becomes again so freshj whilst the wind is S.W., that we are able to sail slowly. To all appearance, unfortunately, our vaunted voyage of discovery will soon have an end. Selim- Capitan is frightened to a ludicrous degree ; Arnaud cannot conceal his fear ; and Suliman Kashef, not being yet restored to health, is utterly indifferent.

I cannot refrain from considering an instant return as a disgrace and as treachery both to the world and Mohammed Ali. On the right an island, and the last of those two which we had on our left still continues, and so we are somewhat free from the noise of the people on the shore. Sale and Sate Mohammed are no longer seen on land ; they have perhaps become the victims of their passions, although they were only to shoot for me a pair of turtle doves. We halt, for a time, on the left shore, where there is a large village, partly scattered in the wood that skirts the river so beautifully. At eleven o'clock we set out again, and our men drive back the cattle from the island close to us, through the water to the right shore, for their unfathomable throats appear at last to be satiated. The clapping of hands, keeping time to the singing, above which the " kih, kill " of the women is heard, accompanies us from both sides.

We cannot hear or see anything for the crowd and clatter, especially myself, round whom <.ll the beautiful world floats as in a mist, and a jarring din sings in my ears, so that my writing, inexorably necessarj' as it is, be comes exceedingly difficult. I dared not close my eyes for fear of becoming completely confused. I wanted to go to Selim Capitan, or rather to his interpreter, but was not able to put the requisite questions and to note down the answers. 1 continue to write mechanically, and cannot square my own journal, when I try to revise the entries of the last few days ; for everything flickers before my eyes, and my me mory is gone, so that it all appears to me like a dream. With a light north-east wind, which also assisted us yesterday, we proceed S.S.W. It is noon, and we have two islands, lying close to each other, on our left.

A large island ends on our right, and another one begins, by which the course in the middle of the river is, in some degree, confined. Nevertheless, the river always retains a considerable breadth, and a proper depth ; and then, — will the poltroons return I The mountain, already several times mentioned, peeps into the window from the west ; it shews itself as two mountains lying one close to the other, the western of which rises conically, and has an obtuse peak, and an undulating tail to the west. The latter appears somewhat wooded, yet these masses giving light and shade may be mostly blocks ; the conically ascending mountain, on the contrary, has a smooth surface, and may be an extinguished volcano, although one would not expect to find such here. We now find, for the first time, stones in the river, and they are granite and gneiss.

They are not yet rounded ; the chain of mountains from whence they come cannot, therefore, be very far distant. We proceed S.S.W. An island terminates on the left, and another follows at the distance of some hundred paces. Four o'clock. S. W. An occurrence has just happened, which might be the death of us all if anything were to be feared from the revenge of these evidently good-natured people. We were on the right side of the river, and went to the left, where the little sandal was towed not far from us by the Libahn. Natives had stationed themselves here in large and small groups ; they greeted us, held up their hands, pointed to their necks for beads, and sang, danced, and jumped. There was no end of laughing in our vessel ; I was attentive to what was going on, and saw that the natives had seized the rope of the sandal, and would not let it be towed further, for they wanted beads.

Probably the crew of the sandal had taken weapons or ornaments from them, without giving anything in return, as this frequently happened. We steered close to the left shore to assist our men, when eight bold armed figures advanced towards us, and gave us to understand by pantomimic signs, that we had presented beads to their neighbours below, but would not give them anything. They offered the rings on their arms, and their weapons, and signified to us, as we were advancing libahn, on account of the faintness of the wind, that they would not allow us to tow any further unless we gave them something. They said all this, however, with a laughing countenance, jumped about, and laughed anew. It was plain they were only in jest ; but our bloodthirsty fellows, seeing no danger in this small number of men, and never thinking of the probable consequences, just like the Turks, considered this an excellent opportunity to display their courage.

They seized their weapons. I was unwell, but yet was standing on deck, and kept order as well as my weak voice would allow me. I went from one to the other, and enjoined them not to fire, until arrows were first shot at them. The black soldiers, who were mostly recruits, I admonished especially not to he files dejoie (the usual expression here applied to those who exhibit fear in discharging their guns), but men (rigal, sing, ragel), to grasp the gun firmly, and to take good aim. Our blacks are generally very much afraid of the report of guns, and do exactly as the Greeks did at the commencement of their war for freedom ; they lay the butt-end oil the thigh, and fire at random. On the White River, also, the report of these unknown weapons was more feared than the real danger itself. They listened to me ; but then came the vessel of Captain Mohammed Aga, a fool-hardy Arnaut, who is always trying to distinguish himself in some way or another.

He shouted to the sandal to cut away the rope, although the men were still on land. This was about to be done, when the tallest negro, who had twisted the rope round a little tree, pointed his bow at the sailor who was about to cut it through with his knife. He laughed at the same time, and it was clear that he was not in earnest; for he had wrestled in a friendly manner with the other sailors, when they tried to get the rope from him, without making use of his weapons. Yet the Arnaut commanded them to " fire," whilst he had already aimed at the in cautious native, being the first to discharge his piece. In a moment all three vessels fired away, as though they were beset by the devil. I was only able to pull back a couple of fellows whose guns had flashed in the pan. Eleven or twelve other victims followed the first, who was knocked over by the captain's shot.

Those who went away wounded were not counted. An old woman was shot down by an Egyptian standing near me, and yet he boasted of this heroic deed, as did all the others of theirs. There might have been from twenty-five to thirty natives collected together at that place, scarcely thirty paces from us, and the high-standing straw might have concealed several more. We sailed away with the wind favouring our criminal action, for our men had again come on board before the firing commenced. The Dahabies sailing ahead of us must have heard our shots ; they did not however furl one sail to lend us assistance, which might have been eventually necessary. Before we caught up these vessels, we saw a woman on the shore, looking about among the dead men, and then afterwards running to the city at some distance from the shore.

The natives were hastening towards it, but they did not trust themselves near us. Yet they knew not the melancholy truth that our shots would hit at a distance ; hitherto they feared only the thunder and lightning of them, as we had seen several times. We halted a moment ; the unhappy creatures or relatives of the slain came closer to the border of the shore, laid their hands flat together, raised them above their head, slid upon their knees nearer to us, and sprang again high in the air, with their compressed hands stretched aloft, as if to invoke the pity of heaven, and to implore mercy of us. A slim young man was so conspicuous by his passionate grief, that it cut to my heart, and — our barbarians laughed with all their might. This unbounded attachment to one another, aud the circumstance that that woman, iu spite of the danger so close at hand, sought for the man of her heart among those who had perished, affected me exceedingly, because such moral intrinsic worth, flowing from pure natural hearts, is unfortunately more acquired than innate in civilised nations.

We had only advanced a little on our way, and above thirty unarmed natives, who must yet at all events have been informed of the tragical incident that had just occurred, sat down on the sand directly close to the river, without suspicion, or designing any harm to us, as if nothing had taken place, and really — I had enough to do to prevent their being shot at. We reached the vessels of the commanders, and Mohammed Aga was the first to hasten to them, in order to report the incident. But I also drew near, and there was a kind of court martial summoned. Arnaud did honour to the European name, and took the part of the Turks, who looked upon the whole as a trifle. Finally, the Arnaut, who had already con fessed the fact, faced about boldly and swift as lightning, declaring that he had never fired a shot, aud that he would bring witnesses to prove it, and — here the matter ended.

Selim Capitan thought he shewed his wish to keep up a good understanding with the natives, by throwing into the grass on the shore some miserable bits of glass paste, with a cup. The natives looked and groped about, whilst we sailed to the neighbouring island. Here we found two divisions of negroes, whose chiefs were also presented with strings of beads. Again we threw beads among the grass, and ordered the whole occurrence to be ex plained by the interpreters ; more beads, and — every one jumped forward delighted. One of these chiefs B had all his naked body streaked over with ochre : he looked like the black huntsman of Bohemia. They are said to do this in particular when they marry ; we have seen already several such red men ; even the hair and the ivory bracelets which are thick and of a hand's breadth, as well as the numerous iron rings on the wrists and ankles, are coloured red in this fashion.

Rage and vexation, together with the heat of the sun, compelled me to be carried back quite exhausted down the shore to the vessel. Thibaut and Sabatier disclosed to me, as usual, their vexation at Arnaud's assuming conduct, and how they are cut up and calumniated in his journal, which they secretly read, without being able to call him to account for it at the moment. So likewise I am obliged to listen to the loud lamentations of his servant Mustapha, a Maltese renegade, who always ends with " Credo che sia mezzo matto quest gran signore o baron fututto." Although he looks very fierce, yet he cannot renounce his nature as a tailor, and is continually asking me whether we are in any danger and begs me, for the holy Madonna's sake, to take care that we return as speedily as possible, for he would rather a thousand times live with his devil of a wife, than venture again so far among the heathens.

Arnaud is jealous at Suliman Kashef having purchased a young girl with his beads, and by the assistance of Duschoi'l, the interpreter, prettier than his little sailor's trull, whom he has hung with glass beads from head to foot. In a fit of madness be writes a long French letter to the Kashef, summoning him to restore the girl immediately, although we are already a long way from her people. Thibaut translates the letter, and looks as if he had fallen from the clouds, for he is in the very same boat with Arnaud himself, respecting the purchase of a girl, that he is going to make a living present to his black Sara, whom he brought back from England to Khartum. After the letter was read aloud, a rude burst of laughter naturally ensued, and Suliman Kashef said when it was finished, in a pitying tone of voice, " El shems, el shems !"

(the sun, the sun.) Certainly it is not the first time that the African sun has produced such an effect on Arnaud ; he suffers like all of us, and his arro gance and pride shake him more violently, because they find opposition on every side. 21s. January. I this morning felt myself un commonly well but had scarcely stepped out of the door to go ashore, when the stream of light — I know not what other name to give it — rushed upon me with such force, and penetrated, as it were, through me, that I was scarcely able to sink back on my bed ; and it is only now, when, however, the sun is at its height, that I feel myself at all capable of writing. We have remained since early this morning, in a southerly direction. The sails have been twice hoisted, but on the average we are towed by the rope. We leave an island on our right.

There are several red skins among the negroes, who are really handsome men ; the tokuls, standing singly, are large, well roofed, and, resting upon strong stakes, open on all sides. The stakes form a peristyle, and the inner wall is smeared inside with clay ; perhaps they serve as stables for cattle, and summer tokuls. A small gohr, or river, in the neighbourhood of which we repose at noon, comes merrily in from the right shore, and the stream has a noble breadth, but little depth of water. Two o'clock, S.W. We have a slight north wind, and an island on our right ; behind it, the forest continues on the shore. The high mountainous district beyond it is still blue, for the day is not clear. It appears, indeed, partly covered with wood, and to form a chain with the other mountains. The information we possess about this regioii is still very scanty, and it would be difficult to make any thing out of the interpreters, even if my head were less affected.

Groups of a hundred and fifty to two hundred negroes are standing together on all sides ; they generally accompany us a short way, without uniting themselves to the next swarm. This perhaps arises more from accident than for the purpose of keeping their boundary stations on the water, to prevent falling together by the ears, whilst watering their herds, and on other occasions. Islands impede our course, and the crew see, to their terror, a number of natives, holding their weapons aloft, wade through the river from one side to the other. We immediately take possession of a little islet in the middle of the river, and surround it with our vessels ; a regular military position, for it is surrounded with deeper water. It is about a hundred paces long from north to south, and from five to six broad, and the shores fall away steeply to the river.

Fei'zulla Capitan disembarks, and returns soon from Selim Capitan, with the melancholy intelligence that there is " moje mafish," (no water). I was com pletely in despair, left the vessel, and set off to the top of the islet, where Turks and Franks were assembled for further consultation. The black people found on it were driven away by us; they jumped into the water like frogs, so that we heard a simul taneous fearful splash. They sooii stood on the more shallow ground, and shouted their huzza, " Hui, ii hui iih ! " laughed and joked, and offered their valu ables, &c. We let some of the negroes come on the islet, and gave them presents of beads. About even ing a large herd of cows appeared on the right shore; they were lean, possibly having been long in want of fresh grass. The men, armed with spears, bows, and arrows, drove the herds from the right to the left shore, where we likewise remarked a herd of cattle.