Half-past seven o’clock. N.N.W. We have a beautiful river-path before us, winding towards N. Eight o’clock. An island at the left shore, the land arm of which is mostly dry. We circumnavigate this with the river, N.E. to N.N.W. When we came near to the natives, we found that they had tried the water a little; now, therefore, they dance and jump in long shining black boots and breeches, and grey close jerkins. Such was their appearance, and one really could not help laughing. Tokul-tops and a hamlet on the right shore; on the left a small island.
Half-past eight o’clock. At the left side the beginning and end of two islands, with a beautiful margin of reeds, and blooming creepers. We go N.W.; a broad arm of the Nile in the right shore to N. by E.; a large lake far towards the trees to S.E., and another one equally large and distant, to the right of the Nile-arm to E. The lakes are only visible from the masts. Behind an island on the left, a cattle village, with numerous herds.
Nine o’clock. From N. to N.W. A large crowd of women are singing, clapping their hands, jumping and shouting a bacchanalian huzza, as if they would make our acquaintance with might and main. A splendid shady group of trees, and a large tokul village, wherein they now may play the master, is in their vicinity. We land at the foot of the last-named island. I repair to Selim Capitan, to gather information through the Tershomàn.
Ten o’clock. N. by E. On the left a broad gohr swerves to W., and is said to issue again among the Elliàbs. I remarked on the shore a kind of willow I had never yet seen, which is altogether similar to our Rhine willows. The reïs hugged the shore, to please me, but even the last copse slipped through my fingers, without my being able to cut off a branch. The forest of the right shore promises not only variety from a distance, but also cooling shade.
Half-past ten o’clock. The river flows N.E.; on the right is a large village, near which we wind N.W.; then soon N.N.W.
On the right, herds and huzzaing, and singing negroes. The south-east wind freshens a little, just as we go N.W.; but we dare not sail, on account of the numerous shallows: and for that reason also, the mainmasts of all the larger vessels were taken down at the commencement of our return voyage. In calm weather the sails were spread over these masts, laid horizontally to protect the crew from the sun. Selim Capitan knows what the men are able to endure, and therefore commands repeatedly “Alma!” (rest); connecting it, perhaps, with calm; whereupon the rowers discontinue their labour. “Alma” means, besides, in the Aggem language in Taka, “water;” as also among the Bishari and Shukuriës. We go N.E., and then N., and round a green reed-island to S.W., but soon again to N. On the left shore, a part of the new Haba suddenly discloses itself; we go a short tract E.N.E., and at half-past eleven o’clock to N. The head and foot of two islands, one close behind the other, are at the right side. I see again the first Zigzag and Sammi, two species of strand-snipes. The latter are called by the Franks Dominicans; in Mahass and Dongola, Begha and Kegla. They make the sportsman very angry, because they announce danger to the other feathered tribe by their loud outcry.
Twelve o’clock. N.E. by E. On the left an island, and soon afterwards, when we are navigating N.N.E., another on the right; and some tokuls, with dancing women, on the shore of the downs. We stick fast on the dry ground for a quarter of an hour, and have, at half-past twelve o’clock, two islands on the left, close to one another, with the usual green border of reeds. This side rises like a hill, in the manner of downs, even to between the trees. We only see the end of these islands. Water fixes here animal life, and human population may spread far away from the main stream, generally on the White River, which may be considered as shoreless. We go round a sand-head of the right shore from N.E. to E., and at a quarter before one o’clock to S. On the right an island, and on the shore a village; on the left several people. With a short bend we have come to the N.; go, at half-past one o’clock, to E., and immediately left to N.E. At two o’clock E., and at half-past two N. A sand-bank here protrudes itself half into the river from the left shore. A summer village, with a large tree, stands behind.
On the sand-bank some pretty young girls had collected, and a number of poor Ethiopians, highly delighted at our arrival. They sing, throw themselves on their knees, spring up again in the air, and stretch their hands imploringly towards us. Selim Capitan is easily persuaded to stop a short time, and to distribute some of the usual glass beads. The unaproned damsels, who could entreat in so friendly a manner, and point to their neck and wrists, ran, however, away immediately, when we wanted to give into their own hands some strings with glass beads. There appears to me to be no doubt that there is a certain separation of the sexes; for these girls, part of whom were marriageable, kept aloof at some distance from the men: this also, shortly before, was the case with the married women. The latter appeared here and there together with the men; but there were always very few of them, and it might therefore be considered the exception to the general rule. Opposite to the sand-bank an arm of the Nile enters E.N.E. far into the land of the right side of the river. We row to N., but soon to E., N.E., and N.
Three o’clock. We leave, about N.W., the broader river separated from us by two islands lying close to one another, and have on the right the large island, or island-land, near which the arm of the Nile enters in an easterly direction. We follow this arm N.E. and N., and the island, at its entrance, has immediately an end here. A summer pastoral village is at the right on the shore of this large so-called gohr. A quarter after three o’clock. Again from N.E. to N. Several women stand on the right shore near a simsim-field; they wear behind them a large piece of leather, like a miner’s apron, which may serve them, when they sit down, as a cushion. The rahàt in front of them is not larger than a hand. Their shrill cry of exultation sounds almost the same as that of the women of Khartùm and Kàhira. At half past three o’clock, on the right two farm-yards, surrounded regularly in the square with palisadoes; beautiful verdant young trees are standing by them. The forest seems to have vanished on all sides. From N. we come gradually to N.E., and go now N.W., where the river makes a splendid bend to the N. A village lies a little up the country on the right side, and an island ends by it.
Everywhere we notice watchhouses among the produce of the fields or tobacco-plants. They consist of four stakes, with a scaffold, and over it a flat straw roof clogged with earth, such as is seen also in the land of Sudàn. If these little watchhouses are not erected against thieves or beasts,—the former I believe to be the case on account of the abominable suspicion of the people in barter,—they may be a shelter for the labourers when carrying on the irrigation. The black gentlemen had bent reeds, which had grown crooked, for their tobacco-pipes. In order to express their joy, they jump like goats, with closed legs, swinging at the same time their arms. When old men singly try these leaps, as I saw done previously by a sheikh of the Ababdes, when we called him an old man (aguhs), it looks extremely ridiculous; but it is abominable and disgusting when old women, with their flabby breasts flying up and down, make such jumps of joy. A very narrow canal leads either to a lake or low ground, or it may form a tributary arm and an island at the right.