His name was Lunjòk, and his village lies at a distance from the shore. His father is a sheikh on the left shore, but the inhabitants of both sides, although they are all Nuèhrs, are continually at war with one another, which he seemed to deplore. They must possess arms, because they make war against the Shilluks and the Kèks, and are generally successful, although they do not boast of it. Most of their villages lie on lakes or gohrs up the country. We saw here also three hamlets lying in ruins, on which I walked, and where even the reeds were torn away. I plainly saw that the place where these villages stood must have been heightened by the destroyed mud-walls.
The men wear small white beads round their necks, which are said to come from Pamm, in the country of the Dinkas: they do not themselves slaughter any cattle, as we were told, but eat animals slain by others, or those that die a natural death. They have not a supreme master, or Sultan.
Yesterday evening, we remarked a large circle of fires and solitary dhellèbs around us, denoting that the villages of the Nuèhrs were near at hand. I got to-day a curious head-dress, of leather and goats’ tails; we see here also those mussels (Cypræa moneta), which I have mentioned before, used as an ornament. We have never observed knives since we left Làkono’s country: spears seem to be used instead of them, and therefore we found them frequently worn away and useless, and not fastened by a nail to the shaft. Our black soldiers make use of the spears they have purchased, instead of knives; and, moreover, the Nubian two-edged knife, and that of Kordofàn, still retain the form of a spear. The bull, as the creator and support of the herds, must be honoured and esteemed here, for the rings worn by the tribes on the wrists, from hence to Berri, are everywhere decorated with little iron horns, and the natives imitate immediately the lowing of cattle, when we look at the rings.
A very charming custom of these tribes came to light during our barter with them. My servant Fadl had purchased articles, as he had often done before, and given some in exchange, when subsequently they demanded that the rings should be returned, which he would not consent to. A negro tore the flesh of his arm with a spear, so that the blood spurted out; but no sooner did he see this, than he spat upon the injured place, and begged pardon by gestures. The spitting in the hand is not perhaps meant, in the upper countries, as a mode of greeting or particular distinction, but rather as a kind of apology, or to exorcise the spirit of anger.
Suliman Kashef was even fortunate enough to receive such a secretion on his head, as a sign of respect, which made him put on a grim countenance. The people seem generally to make use of this spitting custom for the purpose of exorcising evil spirits: we find something analogous to this in the so-called “evil eye” of the South of Europe, namely, of Italy and Greece. Our deserters, we learn, passed here only yesterday; the Nuèhrs would have robbed them, as the women told the little Dinkaui in my presence; but the latter shot some of the Nuèhrs (the women said several), and then crossed to the right side of the river. The Nuèhrs themselves had perhaps killed a few, but were frightened that we should take revenge, and pretended therefore that they had treated them peacefully. The poor men will have a great deal to suffer in their journey to their distant home.
Half-past three o’clock.—We proceed to N. The gentle south-east wind is at our back, so that it is very hot. Four o’clock.—A short tract to N.E.; on the right a wretched hamlet, to N.W. and W., W.S.W.: green shore but low; ambaks, and some trees with thick foliage at our left. A quarter after four o’clock, N.W. to N.E. by N. Solitary elephant-trees, poison-trees, of larger height than we had yet seen, àschurs, young dome-palms, and soon a Haba on the left shore, which is elevated therefore higher than usual. Negroes and women greet us in vain from the left side. Half-past five o’clock. N.E. by E., in a bend to N.W. and W.N.W.; then immediately N. by E. Just after six o’clock, we come to N.E. by E., and go over to the right shore. Thermometer, at sunrise, 28°; noon, 28°. Half-past three o’clock, 31°; sun-set, 28°.
2nd March.—A quarter before seven, to N. by W., then N.W.; and at seven o’clock, N.E., E.N.E., and N.E. by E. I cannot describe the agony we suffered from the gnats; my head is so heavy that it has become quite a useless member of my body. A quarter before eight, further to E.; and at eight o’clock, to the left, N. On the right, in this bend, a village, the negroes standing on their ant-watch-towers. The south-east wind is favourable; the negroes sing the usual old melodies, but cease directly, when they see the vessels sailing past, without noticing their song of welcome. The wind freshens, and the sky becomes cloudy: it looks like rain, and yesterday evening we perceived a storm in the distance.
Our deck being in such bad condition, will afford us, in truth, but little protection. Five miles. From N. in the bend to N.W., then right round at a quarter after eight to N., N.E. and E., where we furl the sails, and immediately to E.S.E. Luckily this last tract is not long, and the wind may soon help us out of these abominable regions of mosquitoes. But unfortunately now, it is contrary to us, and masters the oars so that we are obliged to go libàhn, and land at half past eight at the left shore, for the Kaiàss has remained behind. A little village is seen here, and now goes on the pulling of rings off the arms, so that the bones crack again, and the natives even break them in two on the arm, merely to procure sug-sug. I get here, besides other things, a bow, such as those already described, a rahàt of palm-leaves, and a club with a knob, almost the same as we have seen up to Bari.
The red copper earrings, which perhaps come from Berri, do not seem to be of any particular value; for they take them out of their ears when we ask for them. The men also, when they have no ivory, wear strips of leather, or of bark, round their necks and arms, such as are usual in all the regions of the White Nile.
The hair combed back, and not entirely reddish here, but retaining its natural black colour, gives the head an European look, and particularly so, because it is not woolly, although curly. This remarkable circumstance speaks in favour of the immigration of another race, as I have formerly alluded to. And this supposition becomes still more confirmed when we observe the greater neatness and durability of their tokuls, which are entirely dissimilar to those in Sennaar; so also their household utensils, and even the form of their bows and quivers, which are similar to those seen on the hieroglyphics, shew that they are either in a much higher grade of cultivation, or have outstripped considerably in civilisation the neighbouring tribes.