Four o’clock.—To S.; ten minutes after, to W. We see towards the south, on the right shore, from aloft, a small land-lake, the white basin of which denotes some depth, and appears not to be fed by the main stream. We observe in the back ground, two villages, with dhellèbs and other trees, and in the distance other villages upon a bare whitish shore, skirted with some trees. The vessels coming after us reach to our right side, where the left shore ought to lie, a good gun-shot distance from the reeds—and, O illusion and fancy!—the old shore on the right, with its villages and trees, is _Sherk_ (_East_)—that is, the right shore of the river.—Five o’clock, from S.W. to S. We make only half a mile, whilst the current is not more rapid. At sunset we remark a number of birds, mostly long-shanks, moving in two divisions near one another from west to east, and perhaps repairing to the already more exposed sources of the Nile. Thermometer 17°, 25°—27°, and 22°, at the three different times of the day. The river three fathoms in depth. _22nd December._—I remained last night on board Selim Capitan’s vessel. From S.E., which direction we reached yesterday evening, we now went with a faint north wind to east, and our course had one mile and a half in rapidity. At last I saw on the low ground in the south, a village, with a large tree, apparently a baobàb, and further on the old right shore, with palms and other trees; when,—at half-past eight o’clock,—no more was to be seen of the left shore. At half-past nine o’clock we went to the right shore to fetch wood. The crew landed under a suitable guard, with axes, for we remarked a village in the neighbourhood, and feared the old acquaintance of this people. There were, moreover, no regular trees to be seen here, but only stunted and decayed trunks, standing on or near the countless ant-hills. These serve the natives as watch-towers, as we had already seen, but no person appeared on them. The stumps were said to be torn and disfigured by the elephants; indeed we saw several deep impressions made by the feet of these colossi, for the river had flowed off from hence some time.