We soon went S.S.W., and at sun-set, E.S.E. The rowers then rest on their laurels, for Feïzulla must wind up his thread, and he never once looks up to see whether the other vessels are going a-head. At last I myself take to the oars, as well as Mariàn, in order to set the people a good example. The tailor-captain sat up on the deck near the lantern, and had himself fanned, for the gnats will not respect his artistical fingers. He was never vexed at bringing down Selim Capitan’s reproaches, for his tarrying behind, but only annoyed at being obliged, though for a short time, to leave his sewing implements, to which he faithfully stuck, with an incredible indolence and indifference to every thing else. The people rested every moment, and we did not reach the vessels waiting for us, where the river goes S.E., till nine o’clock. _18th December._—Half an hour before sunrise we followed our course towards S.E., and the east wind blew so faintly that it scarcely swelled the sails, and we moved but with difficulty from the spot. My mast-watcher, Fadl, says that a river, from the trees of the left shore, which I see, upon the deck, behind us, towards N.W., enters into the land in a basin far above an hour; that this land is covered with trees, and again approaches the river towards the south, and that many tops of tokuls are visible upon the right tree-less shore, away beyond the reeds and grass, at a distance of two hours. We are therefore again in a lake, wherein this large village, according to his account, lies upon a neck of land which corresponds with the bay of the left bank. After an hour and a half, we take to our oars, and double, for the first time, a corner towards E., and immediately afterwards to E. by N. The damp yesterday evening was so great that it penetrated our clothes. In the reeds there was continual croaking, chirping, waddling, and springing up of the spawning-fish, such as we had not before heard. Birds also flew over us, uttering a shrill and whistling sound, said to announce a storm. We torment ourselves till eleven o’clock by slowly moving along the right shore of the reeds; and in order to get the crew into some activity, I have forced the tailor out of his shop, for the east wind has become stronger, and the river makes a bend before us to the south, as we perceived by the masts of the ships waiting for us. We sail, therefore, towards the south, to the other vessels, which have already got a considerable start of us. We quit this southern direction at the end of an hour, go for half an hour towards S.E., and then more eastward and E. by S., where again we are obliged to take to our oars. The group of the thirteen dhellèb-palms, which previously stood south of us, retreats to the left shore. We saw here four fishing-huts in the reeds, near which some blacks were occupied in fishing. At noon S.E., and at two o’clock towards E., sailing.