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.