As the river appeared for a time to hold on its course to the south, being exceedingly weary after these sleepless nights, and not able longer to keep my eyes open, I sank back as it were involuntarily upon my bed, but told my men, however, to wake me without mercy, when the river took another direction. We remained till Asser (three o’clock in the afternoon), in a southern direction, when, covered with perspiration, I awoke of myself, for the cooling N.E. wind had subsided, as usual, after mid-day, and was entirely stagnant. I had dreamt of being very comfortably on my travels in Germany with my brother; and this dream had the effect of consoling me in this miserable position, and of making me look forward with joy to the future. During my sleep they had seen a swimming-bird, said to be as large as a young camel, with a straight beak like a pelican, but no crop under it: they had not shot it, lest they should awake me, and because they thought that this bird, unknown to them, would appear again. Whoever knows the manner of comparing things in this country, will know also how to appreciate the size of this bird. We lie on the reeds, wait for the ships tarrying behind, and as usual delay to take to the middle of the river, till all the holds of the vessel are full of gnats. At the distance of about an hour we see to the right shore the margin of firm land with tokul-tops, whilst the grass-sea extends still to the other side, upon which, however, in the far distance clouds of smoke ascend. The country here may, on the whole, lie lower, whereby the objects upon it remain under the horizon. _16th December._—The sun ascends, and we sail slowly towards it with a faint N.E. wind. I drew two thin cowls, which I had had made in Taka as a protection against the sun, over my face, to be free at least from gnats at the sides, leaving just room enough in the front for my eyes and pipe. These insects torment us up to nine o’clock, morning: at night they are always singing and buzzing, and they have even contrived, this evening, to pierce through to the fleshy part of my face. The skin on the parts stung by them, principally the hands and feet, begins to itch so that one could scratch it to pieces. We soon go S.E., and endless swarms of swimming birds come to meet us, and appear to fly down with the river. The pelicans also follow the very same direction, but rest every moment upon the water. It appears that these birds are fonder of live fish, and leave the dead ones to birds of prey, and on that account seek for the inundated parts of the lower course of the stream. In a very short time we go S.W., but immediately again, at eight o’clock, S.E. The wind passes over to the E. in order to gain strength. Like yesterday afternoon, the right shore, from N.E. to S.E., is now covered with tokul-tops, partly collected together as villages, partly lying singly on the line of the horizon, upon which also some dhellèb-palms may be remarked.