From the undulating eastern direction, swerving to the N.E., where the towing-path is now made through the reeds, we wheel, according to the dear old custom, towards S., in which direction we halt at noon on the right shore, to wait for the other vessels. The north-wind having become stronger since half-past eight o’clock, promises to be favourable for the two windings we see before us. We see over those vessels, towards S.E., clouds of smoke arise in the forest, about half an hour distant, as we did yesterday and the day before. Over the green-flat, to the E., from which bushes of high rushes and ant-hills rise, several dhellèb-palms.
At three o’clock we set sail towards W.S.W., yet soon again S.S.W., and at four o’clock S.E. by S.
One mile rapidity. Five o’clock. To W. On the right thirteen tokuls, which, like the four on the opposite side, near our landing-place, are partly new, partly restored, for the high-water rises above these new shores. There are neither human beings nor anything else living to be seen near the poor, badly built huts. The river navigated by us has here a breadth of some four hundred paces. To the N. we at last observed the vessels which had remained behind, and from yonder the Haba shews itself, with groups of trees jutting out in a circle to some distance; in N.W. smoke ascends in different places: as on the left, to the E., in the far distance over the trees, although no villages can be seen even from the mast.
These pillars of smoke are considered by the crew not as aerial angels of peace and friendship, but rather as a general signal against us. It seems more probable to me, however, judging from analogy with the people, dwelling in Taka, that this kindling of high grasses and pines is done by the tribes of the place to free their territory from insects, snakes, and other noxious animals, or to give air and nourishment to the sprouting grass, in order to make it fit for pasture. In these forest-burnings we must seek for the cause of the bad and stunted condition of the wood.
I thought that the river made a bend to the S., because I saw water there; but they tell me from the mast, that this water is a broad gohr, or Birke, (land-lake). It shews itself a gun-shot distance from the river, and quite parallel to it from E. to W., and is, at this moment, only divided from it by the reeds under water, and an ambak-thicket. A water-course meandered through the rushes to the eastern end of the lake. The crew affirmed that the lake receives its water from the river by this road (sikka): this, indeed, is not impossible, but it is improbable, for the river must propel its current against the water from W. to E. I believe rather that the lake feeds itself from S.W., where incisions are remarked in the reeds, and behind, a long and broad marsh-land. The lake and the river have now an equal level, and there is neither an influx nor outflux to be seen in the so-called little water-road. If it be not an outlet of the lake, discharging its higher surface of water through the reeds, it is a road for crocodiles and river-buffaloes. The broken rushes and the scattered borders of the lower vegetation, &c. make me believe the latter supposition. I have also remarked, at this moment, a large hippopotamus wallowing about there.
There can scarcely be a doubt that this waterpath serves the fishing-boats as a channel. The lake is from E. to W. about an hour long. There may be numbers of such collective lakes and tributaries which the reeds hide from us; for these waters, when the Nile is at its height, do not rush into it, and cannot force a road through the luxuriant and strongly articulated world of plants. These plants perhaps allow a conjunction of water; but no open tributary stream for the rise and fall of the waters takes place at the same time. Fadl tells me that the lake is only twice as broad as the Nile, which is here three hundred paces; and the head of the lake is said to draw towards the south, thereby shewing itself to be an old bed of the river.
No large fish are found here; for if there were any we must have heard them at times in the evening splashing up; that is, supposing they were very abundant in these lakes. However, in the land of the Shilluks several fish of uncommon size, such as are seen in the markets at Kàhira and Khartùm, floated towards us, dead. The crew eat them, although they stank. Standing at the helm, above the cabin, I noticed, before sun-set, seven elephants, with two young ones, feeding on the right in the reed-grass, and, for this once, unmolested by their feathered friends. We halt on account of the faint breeze, towards the west, in order to wait for the vessels, the sun going down before us and throwing all its charms on the limitless watery expanse. Throughout the whole day it had never shone through those misty veils, which appeared so lightly floating.
Feïzulla Capitan has found a new consolation, by establishing a small brandy distillery. For this purpose he used dates, a great quantity of which fruit we carried with us. One burma forms the boiler, and another, with a reed in it, the head of the still. As, however, he only once draws off this araki, there remain too many lees in it to be pleasant; but this does not offend the taste and smell of the bold captain. The thermometer before sunrise 19°, from noon to afternoon 25-26°; after sunset 24°. The hygrometer had fallen from 80° to 30°.