We remark, on the whole, few land-birds; however, we have seen various species of storks, among which was one of a moderate size, unknown to our crew, with a dark-red back shield. We notice pelicans here and there, and I think what a feast these catchers of fish must have when the Nile, in the dry season, partly deserts the reeds wherein we have observed scarcely any fish but of one species, with flat heads, striped. I had seen already here a dark-brown species of swallow, about twice the size of our house-swallow, and remarked their very short legs, which prevent them from soaring again in the air when they have fallen down in short grass, similar to what I saw in Taka. At ten o’clock we make three miles, and at eleven o’clock four miles, for the east wind was blowing fresh, and we sail towards S.S.E. The river has resumed its former breadth of some three hundred paces, and the vessels run against one another, according to the dear old custom, always breaking something or getting stuck together. Our captain, nevertheless, does not fall into a passion: the vessel may crack and shake for what he cares; for his sewing-needle appears to him of more importance, and he handles it with an air of determination, as if all his work must be done within the very next hour. Every one wishes to avail himself of the wind; consequently we rush by on reeds, or right into them, and out then pours a myriad of gnats like clouds. We ought to have the log continually in our hands, with these eternal windings of the river, as the vessel more or less sails according to the ever varying stream, and with the very same winds. Even the most detailed chart can afford but little to be relied upon in such a circular dance of the stream, although the engineer may confine himself to assume as the direction of the course of the river, not the real shores, but the ephemeral borders of reeds. At noon E.S.E., when the wind, passing over into N.E., is somewhat contrary, if the stream does not soon make again another bend. We lend a helping hand with oars to the sails, and the river winds again on the right towards south. Low reeds with tufts of high reeds; little woods of these large crown or paper rushes, and tracts of ambaks.