A Narrative of the Expedition to Dongola and Sennaar / Under the Command of His Excellence Ismael Pasha, undertaken / by Order of His Highness Mehemmed Ali Pasha, Viceroy of / Egypt, By An American In The Service Of The Viceroy

by George Bethune English

21st of Safa. At sunrise, quitted the land and proceeded up the river, which we found very wide and shallow. Its middle was occupied by an almost continual range of islands, in my opinion without superior in any river whatever.[16] The country bounding the river is a beautiful plain, as far as the eye can reach, as fertile as land can be, and covered with a great variety of trees, plants, and fields of corn. We sailed on with a fair wind till within half an hour of sunset, without coming in sight of Dongola. This, after the information we had received yesterday, somewhat disappointed us, but we consoled ourselves by observing the islands and shores we were passing, comparable to which, in point of luxuriant fertility, Egypt itself cannot show. The whole country is absolutely overwhelmed with the products of the very rich soil of which it consists.

22d of Safa. Quitted the land at an early hour and proceeded up the river, in hourly expectation of coming in view of Dongola, which we had been given to understand was a considerable town. After sailing with a good wind till the middle of the afternoon, without seeing any thing but a very fertile country, resembling that we passed yesterday, the people on shore, on our landing and demanding whereabouts Dongola was, informed us that we were in Dongola, meaning the country so called. On our asking where was the city or town of Dongola, they pointed to a large village in the distance on the west bank of the river, and told us that village was called "New Dongola," and that Old Dongola was farther up the river. They informed us that the Pasha had left a guard of twenty-four soldiers here, and had proceeded with the army three days' march farther up the river, where we should find him. We determined to proceed to his encampment. We saw to-day, for the first time, a small sail boat, constructed by the people of the country; it was very clumsy, resembling a log canoe. The river, in some places which we passed to-day, appeared to be about three miles from bank to bank, but shallow; the islands and shores presenting the same spectacle of luxuriant vegetation that we saw yesterday.

We bought a lamb of three weeks old, this evening, whose mother was as tall as a calf of two months old. This species of sheep is hairy, and has no wool. The kidneys of this lamb were large enough to cover the palm of my hand, though the animal was undoubtedly undiseased.

23d of Safa. Got under way shortly after sunrise, and proceeded up the river with a fine wind, which lasted during the day, and carried us probably thirty miles on our way. The country through which we passed to-day is not so good as that we saw yesterday; the desert comes down to the banks of the river in several places. We saw many villages, but for the last two days have observed none of those castles so frequent in the lower country. About an hour and a half after we quitted the land, passed a fortified town on the west bank of the river, which appeared to be mostly in ruins. On our landing, at night, we endeavored to purchase some provisions, but the people of the country could only spare us some milk and vegetables, for which they would not take money, but demanded flour. On our consenting to this proposition, they brought us an abundance of the articles above mentioned. They informed us that there was a town called Dongola, containing about three hundred houses, at the distance of two days' sail from this place, and that the Pasha was encamped three days' march in advance of Dongola.

24th of Safa. Left the shore this morning shortly after sunrise, and proceeded on our voyage. The country we passed through this day was, on the west bank of the river, fine, but on the east bank the desert was visible at a little distance from the river almost all the day. Passed two considerable fortified towns, situated on the left bank of the river; they were almost in ruins. An hour before sunset we put to shore on the west bank, where we found a fertile and cultivated country. The people who occupied it, said that they had settled here a year ago; the island they had occupied before having been overflowed by the river, and their plantations destroyed.

25th of Safa. This day made but little progress, there having been a calm for more than half the day; what country we saw resembled that passed yesterday.

26th of Safa. Remained fast by the shore for the whole of this day, the wind being ahead. The country on the west bank of the river, where we stopped, is fine, but deserted by the inhabitants. Some of the boat's company, who went up the country in search of provisions, reported that they had seen the ruins of a temple, containing fragments of columns of black granite. I determined, in case the wind on the morrow should continue unfavorable, to visit this place. They also had met a party of fifteen armed men, who informed them that they belonged to this country, but had been compelled to quit it, and fly, by the brigands of Shageia, who had infested and ravaged the country, but had returned on hearing that the Pasha Ismael had defeated and expelled these robbers, and had invited every fugitive peasant to return home, giving them assurance of future safety and protection. We were alarmed this evening by the report of several musket shot, which appeared to come from the other side of the river, where, we had been told, still lurked some of the brigands. Prepared our arms to be ready in case of attack, but passed the night unmolested.

27th of Safa. Early in the morning, quitted the shore with a fair wind, and proceeded on our voyage; Dongola being, we were told, but half a day's distance from us. The appearance of the country still the same.

28th of Safa. Made but little way today, the wind being light. About the middle of the afternoon, put to shore on the east bank of the river, as there appeared to be no villages in sight on the other shore, and we were in want of provisions. The country we saw to-day is very good, and covered with trees, but sparely inhabited.

The country where we landed was, however, tolerably well cultivated by the inhabitants of several villages hereabouts. The soil, where it was not cultivated, was completely covered with trees, generally of no great height, and with bushes and long rank grass. The habitations of many of the inhabitants could with difficulty be found; they are frequently nothing but a rough arbor formed in the thickets. We had continual reason to be surprised, that a country naturally so rich should be so thinly populated and so carelessly cultivated. The people, however, appeared to be content with raising enough for their subsistence, and to desire nothing beyond this. Our money they did not value; they would give us nothing for money, but the flour of Egypt readily obtained what they could spare.