Expedition to discover the sources of the White Nile, in the years 1840, 1841, Vol. 1 (of 2)Werne, Ferdinand
History
Expedition to discover the sources of the White Nile, in the years 1840, 1841, Vol. 1 (of 2)
Werne, Ferdinand
Nile River
We saw also this morning, for the first time, two giraffes, called,
however, Saràff, and said to be very abundant here. As there was
nothing to be gained, and no people shewed themselves, we left the
place. Soon afterwards we saw a village on the same side, with some
dhellèb and doum palms; near it a river, running from N.W. by W.,
flows into the white stream, which, however, was taken for an arm
of the latter. I subsequently ascertained from our Jengäh Bachit,
that the name of this little river is N’jin-N’jin, and goes far in
his country towards W. He called the white stream Kih, and afterwards
Kidi. The sounds in their language are really inarticulate, and they
can hardly pronounce an Arabic word so sharply as our characters
require.
Up to five o’clock, we had on the right shore, before which a
green margin lies in the water, thirty-four villages of the Nuèhrs,
each containing from twenty to a hundred and more tokuls. Only a few
of these enjoy the shade of trees. I believe it to be certain, that
where Nature has once planted propitiously a shoot, and this shoot,
by its growth, has triumphed over the voracity of beasts, and the
wantonness of man, or stood beyond the reach of their necessities,
the tree may easily become an object of veneration to people living
in a state of nature, owing to the shade it affords to meetings in
the open air.
We sail continually N.W., with slight deviations to one side or the
other. We advance three miles, an arm of the Nile scarcely 200 paces
broad. There is said to be a larger arm on the left side, as appears
also to be the case on the right, where we saw a man take his little
canoe on his head, and carry it to the houses near at hand. The right
shore has here no habitations of the Nuèhrs; beyond the river’s
edge, and also behind the houses the Galla, or Steppe, is visible. The
before-named mountains on the right shore, the larger one of which
is almost covered with masses of rock, appearing at a distance like
large trees, and behind which three smaller curly heads follow,
have vanished towards the south. We sail N.W. by W., and another
considerable mountain appears on the flat grassy scene towards N.W.,
whilst we anchor, at sunset, in the middle of the river. Our Bakhi
(who was taken prisoner from Bakhara, and was previously called Denn)
did not know the name of the hilly ridge lying in the mountainous
country of the Jengähs. The N’jin-N’jin, however, which he also
calls Kih, meaning the same as river, or water, is said to flow past
the foot of high mountains. I was told that when the reed-grass,
standing from three to six feet above the water, and becoming very
dry from the sun, soon after the inundation has run off, although
the roots may be still under water, is ignited, a young and tender
grass springs forth, of which cattle are said to be very fond.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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