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 ViceroyEnglish, George Bethune
History
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
English, George Bethune
Dunqulah (Sudan) -- History; Sennar (Sudan) -- History; Sudan -- History -- 1821-1881; Sudan -- History -- To 1821
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.
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