9th February.—At half-past seven o’clock this morning we leave our encampment, and go by the rope E.S.E., and soon S.E. A summer village lies at the right shore, and an island in the water, which is low and covered with green vegetables. Two tokuls are upon it, surrounded with high fish-baskets and hedges of cut simsim, which appears to be dried in this way. I remark on the island as well as on the steep disrupt shores, that the lower thick layer of earth consists of black mould, whilst the middle stratum is red with iron particles, and the upper one strongly impregnated with sand. The arable land here appears not to arise from a general deposition, but has its commencement from the slime of a lake, and the remains of a subjacent vegetation for its formation. The north wind has set in, and we navigate round the island in S.W., S.E., and S., and sail at eight o’clock S. by E. Immediately afterwards S.S.W., a small island before the forest on the left shore. Eight o’clock, S.E. Here the island will soon end. Then to S.; solitary farm-yards on the right and left on the low shores; cultivation before the rising Haba. A quarter before nine o’clock, S.S.W. The left shore is covered with young dome-palms, and a large widely scattered village ascends gradually with the shore to the height of the Haba, in which we remark a number of large dome-palms. The margin of the shore stretches flat along the river, and before it lies a completely shallow island, or peninsula, whereon a quantity of fishing implements are lying about. Nine o’clock S., then S.S.E., and S.E. Right and left, the level land is well cultivated with durra, simsim, and especially lubiën.
The wind changes after nine o’clock to E. We furl the sails, and halt at half-past nine o’clock, at the left shore, after we had first gone a short tract to E. by the rope. There is a very little isle in the river, and near the trees on the left shore a hamlet, under which the edge of the shore is also cultivated. From deck we perceive five other villages, of which one is large, at a slight distance from the water. The Haba retreats for an hour. At the right shore are two villages, and the Haba is still further distant.
The people of the Lienns are, on the whole, poor in ornaments and weapons, although individuals carry two or three spears, and a bow with arrows, without quivers, in the left hand. They have the heads of the spears generally turned towards the ground, which was not the case further up. This is perhaps rather a sign of friendly sentiments than their usual custom. They fear, as I saw yesterday and the day before, even the smacking of the great, long whips, that the sailors have made from bark for their amusement. They like to look at the beating of the palm-leaves, and then the sailors cannot forbear dealing cracking blows right and left, with the dome-leaves, and running after them. The Liènns understand a joke, and laugh, run away, and return immediately again to let themselves be cudgelled anew. They are great children, who are happy at seeing us and our doings, and playing with the soldiers, although the jests of the latter are often rude, and at times even end with plunder.
Ten o’clock.—We proceed with the libàhn E. by S. Half-past ten o’clock. From S.E. to S.W. At the left lie four villages, tolerably close together, and on the right rises, at a quarter of an hour distant, a considerable village between trees, on the gentle height of the Haba; before it a large level field descends to the edge of the river. Soon again to the left round to S. by E. A crowd of natives, amongst whom are also some coloured red, welcome us from all sides. Our gohr is not above fifty paces broad, but has a strong fall. Nothing is yet to be discovered of the main stream, and we begin now to doubt in our very tedious voyage, whether we did see on the 6th instant our old anchorage at the island of Buko. A quarter before eleven o’clock, S.E. by S. Not far from the right shore, a large village, near which we hear the lowing of herds. The shore is cultivated, and we see there some magazine tokuls, and whilst we are going S. by E., we perceive from the deck another large city in the Haba. Opposite, on the left shore, some tokuls, and a numerous herd of cows.
Eleven o’clock. From S.S.W. to S.E. and E.S.E. Half-past eleven. From E.N.E. to S.E. At twelve o’clock we stop near some tokuls on the right shore, to allow the crew to eat. The upper boundary of the Bodshos, who follow the before-mentioned Kikins, is in the neighbourhood, and the Karboràhs begin here, who also belong, with the first named tribe, to the nation of the Liènns. They dwell on both sides of the river, and live at war with each other. In a quarter of an hour we move on again, and go in short bends S. by E., E.S.E., S.E., and S.S.W. From the deck—four villages on the right, and three on the left. Half-past twelve o’clock. For a finger’s length to S.E., and then S and S.W.; a quarter before one to S. One o’clock, S.S.E. On the left two villages seen from the deck; on the right an island, covered with high grass. We must think no more of an island of Buko, for this gohr is said by the negroes to lead up to the mountains; and I had therefore heard quite correctly, at the very beginning, near the Kofon of the Elliàbs and Bohrs, where this very same thing was said plainly enough.
If we suppose that we shall again be connected with other arms of the Nile, for we were near such a one on the 6th inst., which I still hold to be that of the island of Buko, our return voyage, with the present waste of time, might become more difficult than is expected. We should be obliged to wait for the commencement of the hariff (rainy season), or to seek to regain King Làkono’s sympathy, which we have forfeited. The want of good bread-corn, already beginning to be felt, is the only thing that makes me fear the crew would not then be induced to follow further the White Stream beyond Bari.
The Abu Hashiff of Suliman Kashef proclaimed this morning a punishment of five hundred blows of the cudgel to any soldier or sailor who should be found to have delayed slaughtering his goats or sheep till to-morrow. They had collected together at different times, by purchase, theft, and robbery, several beasts, whom they were fattening with durra, to sell them in Khartùm.
Sand-banks also appear with the increase in width of the gohr, and render the navigation difficult. A quarter before two o’clock, a short tract, S.S.W. and W.S.W. Two o’clock, W. by S. A broad gohr flows here from our arm to S.E., and makes the land at our left a large island. We go, however, up the stream, and wind W.S.W., where we halt at the right shore. It is asserted very positively that we have navigated up and down that broad gohr flowing from here, and that therefore the continued ascending in the gohr, in which we are at this moment, and which also is becoming broader, has no object. It matters not, however, whether we are blind and do not see, or whether we see as we wish, so that we only go again downwards. Our river arm has suddenly here again a width of three hundred paces. This, as well as the depth of the water, speaks, certainly, in favour of the sailors’ opinion, that we are again on the main stream. The supreme council would fain, of course, assent to this opinion, but, to my great astonishment, I hear it is very much feared that we shall lose our way in another stream territory, and not come out at all by Khartùm. In order to prevent our returning by the very same road in our gohr, I propose to navigate up even as far as the mountains, to set ourselves right, or at least to find some memorials, such as a village or natives that we had seen previously. Our men, however, put no more confidence in what the latter say, and the crocodiles and hippopotami give us no intelligence. The blue-green broken corals which we had found already in the kingdom of Bari, are still the same here, and are preferred by far to those of a white colour.
At half-past two o’clock a north-east wind set in, which blew the wise council asunder. A short tract to E.S.E. by the rope, and we sail then S.W. by S. in a flat arch to S.W. with two miles’ course. The shores are low and only three to four feet high. The green forest developes itself behind the slender, half-dried reeds. A quarter after three o’clock. From S.W. with a short bend to E.S.E.; at half-past three o’clock E. by N., and at four o’clock S.W. by W. The shores have been for a long time without cultivation, and only here and there we see some negroes, but yet there are two large villages, a quarter of an hour distant from the left shore.
It is scarcely four o’clock when Fadl tells me from the mast that he sees a high mountain W.S.W. I remark its peak also immediately from the deck. To judge by the outline of it, it appears to be the Nerkanjin, but I do not wish it, as I would rather see another beautiful mountain country. Whilst we are sailing S.S.W. a gohr issues on the right from our mysterious river to W.N.W., and makes, therefore, the land at our right, a large island. What a happy combination of natural canals, and what nations may be still drinking of this water! A quarter after four o’clock, S.E. by S. Right and left a village on the shores. There are low tokuls with clay walls and square doors: the roof consists of leaves of the dome palm. Their large baskets are also composed of the hearts of these trees. The village of the right shore has many open tokuls or cattle-stalls, and enters tolerably far into the land, where we observe several herds. Half-past four o’clock. From S.E., with the broad beautiful bend of the river to S. by E. At five o’clock we stop opposite a large village on the right shore, where many natives are collected. The thermometer, 20°, 28°, 30°, and 27° Reaumur.