I have only to answer to this, that Khartùm already lies considerably lower than our present course; that further up the country, on the left shore, considerable mountains rise towards the W.—for example—those of Kordofàn, which, now at least, do not allow the river to discharge itself from hence into the Libyan deserts. Indeed, many contests and physical revolutions must have occurred before the White Stream crept into its present channel, where it is nearly stagnant, and which seems scarcely natural in so long a tract.
Nov. 30th.—Towards morning we set out with a tolerably good N.E. wind, and soon after sun-rise made four miles[5] an hour; at six o’clock it was 18, and at noon 28 degrees Reaumur. We sailed till eight o’clock, S.W., and passed by a small wooded island, the grassy foreground of which was picturesquely garnished with trees. The prospect on the stream was shut out from us by four islands, through which we passed towards the south, and left them right and left at our side. Among the trees standing in the water were large, white aquatic flowers, visible even at a distance, which glistened forth magnificently from a floating world of flowers, in the moist splendour of the morning. It was the double white Lotus. The sunt-trees stand in full bloom, and appear, in comparison with the others, to have been of later growth, as they stand here still deep in the water.
We approached near the largest of the before-named islands, which is an hour long, and I remarked that it is elevated towards the interior, in the form of a shield; this is not the case with the others. They are long and flat islands, pieces separated from the shore, existing only as long as the wood on their level backs which restrains the pressure of the waves. They are a proof of a yet uncultivated course of the stream, in a deserted freshwater basin. The water still struggles here against the aspiring vegetation. The trees are of slender growth, but of young and fresh appearance; the moist element promotes a rich, exuberant growth, and just as speedy a death, with the usual tropical power of regeneration. In the interior, however, much stronger trees are found. When we sail towards the south, we leave this island on the left, and turn again south-west, where the head (Ras) of a long island ends, and other islands, to the number of seven, shutting out the back-ground from our view, spread here in such a manner, that the stream appears like a regular Island-sound, which can be better seen than described.
The land also to the right of the left shore presents a clearer view, and beyond the downs, are seen the distant and scarcely elevated old shores of the stream, which, however, judging from their whitish colour, do not indicate fertility; and beyond which, indeed, only isolated copsewood and solitary lank trees could find any subsistence, as I remarked also yesterday on the right shore. I would much rather see beech trees and oaks than these eternal mimosas. Oh, thou good Fatherland! in a distant foreign country we first learn to appreciate thee truly!
At twelve o’clock, a wooded island with a long green tail, appeared on our left, and immediately afterwards another on the right, where the wood stands deep in the water; whilst the islands of the right shore almost always show lower vegetation. The landscape being monotonous, I directed my attention more to the scenes on board, and there surely I found variety enough.
Our lieutenant, Abd-Elliab, from Kurdistan, is a very pious man—to our good fortune! for piety restrains him from wine and dram-drinking. This temperance conduces to the tranquillity of the crew, notwithstanding the predominant inclination of my good Feizulla Capitan, who will never rest till he has exhausted my stock of spirituous liquors, so necessary for an European in these countries. Abd-Elliab says that he has not the Koràn in his head, but in his heart; and is of opinion that we Christians have only strayed from the right path, since the prophet Jesus (el Nebi Issa) was created from God without a father, and that Mohammed understood better this divine messenger (Ressùl) than we. He plays the part, also, of a Hakim belèsh (a surgeon who cures gratis) by repeating pious sentences whilst he ties knots in threads, and binds them round the neck and hands of the patient; or, praying, and blessing wheat, he sews it up in little bags as a talisman against fever and the devil. The Captain, besides his master passion, the incentive to which, to my great peace of mind, will be soon exhausted, has also an extremely interesting minor inclination—tailoring and cobbling, which he pretends to have learnt in England.
Our little black female slaves are right to ornament their noses with rings, for without them, their flat noses would be lost in their dark countenance. As usual, the wind almost ceases at noon. We sailed south with a faint north-east breeze, and make scarcely one mile. At half-past twelve we passed a long grass island on the left, the upper part of which was covered with wood; whilst on the right, another one still extends; and on the left, the high grass of a long narrow back of an island rises up from the water. After we had passed five such river meadows, on the right and left, we landed at four o’clock on the right shore. We found ourselves on the island of Aba, eight to nine hours’ long, and proportionably broad, although I had not remarked the commencement of it.
Suliman Kashef was no sooner gone on shore than loud rejoicings, mixed with the sound of citherns and drums, were heard from thence, and I was sent for. Every festivity, whether it consists in public shows, or in singing, dancing, and drinking, is called here also by the word, usual in Egypt, “fantasie.” The proper expression, however, is “faragh” (joy, pleasure). The former is also used to denote a person who is proud and gives himself airs. Therefore the Turkish “fantasie tshok, paraja jok,” means,—where there is much conceit and no money. Such a Fantasie of the first description was taking place on shore, whilst the servants of Suliman Kashef stood round us, armed and fully equipped. Feïzulla-Capitan was obliged to be carried by force on board his vessel, and it was fortunate that he was able, even in this transport, to recognise me. He grasped at sabre and pistol—I pulled him back: he stamped and cuffed around him as if he were mad, till I clapped his head and heels together, threw him on his bed, and held him fast till he had stormed himself tired, as I would take no notice of his English exclamation—“the devil!—stop a little!—look!” No one but myself dared to lay a hand on him. At last he fell asleep, and the sailors called me, among themselves, “Achù el Bennàht,” and praised my conduct, being such as they had never witnessed before.
Yesterday, I gave occasion for drawing upon me the hatred of one of the roughest of the Egyptian sailors, who was sitting with another at the hand-mill, and repeatedly abusing his companion as a “Nazrani” (Christian), until at last the whole crew looked and laughed into my cabin, the captain not being on board at the time. At last I lost my patience, sprang up, and dealt him a hard blow with my fist on the nape of his neck. In his fanatical horror at being struck by a Christian, he attempted to plunge immediately into the water, and vowed revenge against me, as I heard from my servants.
Now, while Feïzulla Capitan lies senseless, I see from my bed this long sailor leave the fore-part of the ship, and approach our cabin, followed by the looks of the rest of the crew. From a fanatic who might put his own construction on the friendly scene I had just had with Feïzulla Capitan, and might use it in his own favour, I had everything to expect. He paused, however, at the door, apologized and thanked me, for not having reported him to his commander. He then kissed my right hand, whilst, in my left, I held a pistol concealed under the covering of the bed.