I saw yesterday evening the first shooting-stars; but none had been remarked by any of the rest. At ten o’clock I jumped on Selim-Capitan’s vessel, who had invited me by dumb show whilst I was with Thibaut, during the dead calm. We sail with the north wind S.E., but the pleasure was soon at an end. Yet no! Selim-Capitan did me the favour of sailing _east by north_ with the north wind; but the oars, however, were obliged to be used to assist us, in order to prevent our running ashore. This manœuvre succeeded; and the others, who had reefed their sails, followed the example. It lasted, however, only a short time, for a strong S.E. wind getting up, threw us on the left shore of the reeds on the right hand. Selim-Capitan shews far more energy and attention than I should have given him credit for, comprehends everything very quickly, and, with the exception of his Greco-Turkish faults, which I will touch upon afterwards, his character has been entirely mistaken. We reckon our number of miles from yesterday at noon till to-day at the same time, to be fifteen; and find, after the necessary reduction, that we have advanced only two miles in direct line towards S. The land retreats on all sides. From the deck I still discover the dark vigorous trees of yesterday, called by Mariàn Tihl, and otherwise named Shudder el Fill (elephant-tree), the large fruit of which is said to be welcome food to elephants. At noon we towed southwards—a very troublesome labour, for there are sloughs and gohrs on every side in the reeds, which the crew must swim through in order to get firmer ground for a short time. Even this presents many difficulties, owing to the reeds and their great unevenness. Nevertheless, the food of the crew is not so bad as in Khartùm, although for several days we have been in want of meat; thus they are not very much spoiled from their birth upwards. The N.E. wind, which was slack at mid-day, freshens at three o’clock; we sail E.S.E., and in five minutes again S.W by S., and make three miles. But already again we see the river going eastward, and we follow it, really S.E. and E.S.E., and then E. within a short time, for it makes eternal bends here, of two hundred paces, or less, in breadth.