This vast water-basin had, some two hundred paces from the Nile, which passes through on the east side, only one fathom and a half in depth, the latter having three fathoms and a half, and a current of a quarter of a mile. The latitude here was given by Selim Capitan as 9° 16′, and 28° 55′ east longitude from Paris. I hear that, in the preceding year, they sailed round the mouth of the Gazelle river for two days, being unable to enter it by reason of the reeds. I did not grudge the trouble of asking a question twenty times; and at last, I learned from our Iengäh that the head of the river is called in his country Iak, although he refused to give me the name of his abode or of the capital or city. I could extract equally as little information from him about his religion; yet these people must be, as Professor Ehrenberg, who had a Iengäh as a servant, asserts, worshippers of the moon. The moon is generally more or less an object of veneration in these hot countries. The distinctive characteristics of the Iengäh nation consist of a cross incision immediately over the eyebrows as far as the temples, and over this, several vertical cuts close to one another, an inch in length. The manner of tattooing amongst them consists in slitting or cutting open the skin, the scars on which protrude like basso-relievos. The dignity of Sultan and Sheikh is hereditary. It almost seems to me that Marian is also unwilling to give information concerning his Nuba, since I shewed him a map of his country. The offer I made him to solicit the Basha to promote him to the rank of an officer, and to send him back into his own country to enlist troops, seemed very agreeable to him, and easy to be accomplished, for his countrymen must and would willingly follow him, because the Basha pays well. The Basha subsequently promoted him to the rank of a lieutenant, but thought it somewhat hazardous to raise a regiment of Nuba negroes, since he must have given the supreme command to this man as their native Mak or King; although he values the slaves from this country more than all the others, and keeps many of them on his estate, whom he rewards with pretty wives.