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.
Selim-Capitan shews far more energy and attention than I should have given him credit for, comprehends everything very quickly, and, with the exception of his Greco-Turkish faults, which I will touch upon afterwards, his character has been entirely mistaken. We reckon our number of miles from yesterday at noon till to-day at the same time, to be fifteen; and find, after the necessary reduction, that we have advanced only two miles in direct line towards S. The land retreats on all sides. From the deck I still discover the dark vigorous trees of yesterday, called by Mariàn Tihl, and otherwise named Shudder el Fill (elephant-tree), the large fruit of which is said to be welcome food to elephants. At noon we towed southwards—a very troublesome labour, for there are sloughs and gohrs on every side in the reeds, which the crew must swim through in order to get firmer ground for a short time. Even this presents many difficulties, owing to the reeds and their great unevenness. Nevertheless, the food of the crew is not so bad as in Khartùm, although for several days we have been in want of meat; thus they are not very much spoiled from their birth upwards. The N.E. wind, which was slack at mid-day, freshens at three o’clock; we sail E.S.E., and in five minutes again S.W by S., and make three miles. But already again we see the river going eastward, and we follow it, really S.E. and E.S.E., and then E. within a short time, for it makes eternal bends here, of two hundred paces, or less, in breadth.
Four o’clock.—To S.; ten minutes after, to W. We see towards the south, on the right shore, from aloft, a small land-lake, the white basin of which denotes some depth, and appears not to be fed by the main stream. We observe in the back ground, two villages, with dhellèbs and other trees, and in the distance other villages upon a bare whitish shore, skirted with some trees. The vessels coming after us reach to our right side, where the left shore ought to lie, a good gun-shot distance from the reeds—and, O illusion and fancy!—the old shore on the right, with its villages and trees, is Sherk (East)—that is, the right shore of the river.—Five o’clock, from S.W. to S. We make only half a mile, whilst the current is not more rapid. At sunset we remark a number of birds, mostly long-shanks, moving in two divisions near one another from west to east, and perhaps repairing to the already more exposed sources of the Nile. Thermometer 17°, 25°—27°, and 22°, at the three different times of the day. The river three fathoms in depth.
22nd December.—I remained last night on board Selim Capitan’s vessel. From S.E., which direction we reached yesterday evening, we now went with a faint north wind to east, and our course had one mile and a half in rapidity. At last I saw on the low ground in the south, a village, with a large tree, apparently a baobàb, and further on the old right shore, with palms and other trees; when,—at half-past eight o’clock,—no more was to be seen of the left shore. At half-past nine o’clock we went to the right shore to fetch wood. The crew landed under a suitable guard, with axes, for we remarked a village in the neighbourhood, and feared the old acquaintance of this people. There were, moreover, no regular trees to be seen here, but only stunted and decayed trunks, standing on or near the countless ant-hills. These serve the natives as watch-towers, as we had already seen, but no person appeared on them. The stumps were said to be torn and disfigured by the elephants; indeed we saw several deep impressions made by the feet of these colossi, for the river had flowed off from hence some time.
The wind has gone round to E., and is very favourable; whereupon we sail also at half-past ten o’clock from this place S.E. towards S., but soon draw to the E. and row; then sail to N.E., and assist with the oars. At noon, owing to the dead calm, we are towed in a south-easterly direction, and at three o’clock we make use slightly of our sails to S.W. by S., and soon afterwards S.E. by S. On the left shore, a long row of isolated trees is visible, also groups of trees themselves, among which, afar off, are distinguished dhellèb-palms. They mark, indeed, as usual, the real old shore, for they do not thrive in the morass, but frequently also they may denote, like other trees, the ephemeral margin of the river. The dhellèb-palms come nearer before us in a wide bend, which, however, may be only so in appearance. The reeds are already on dry ground, and a lower border of the same forms the momentary limits of the river. We remark also here on the right shore of the reeds, where we halt about five o’clock, in a southerly direction, several deep foot-prints of elephants, who have trod down and eaten away every thing, so that only single bushes of high rushes remain. Ant-hills, of eight to ten feet high, rise indeed around, but neither tree nor house—a real elephant pasture-ground.