_4th January._—The vessels remained during the night towards E.S.E. According to my usual custom, I breathed the fresh morning air at the open window: but I flew from the room where gnats and the besotted Feïzulla-Capitan had robbed me of my sleep, as soon as day shewed itself through the red tinge of morning. I see at my right hand a lake, and hear from the mast that the same extends on the right to S. for half an hour, and is, from S.E. by E. to W., three-quarters of an hour long; that another joins to it towards N., cut off from the Nile by dry slime. We remarked also a third little lake, a quarter of an hour distant, behind the before-named city. The green grass ceases before us; on the right is noticed a wood behind the lake, and on the left some trees of the right shore,—always a friendly appearance to me in the landscape. We advance by the rope at ten o’clock S.E. by E., and then on the right to S. At eleven o’clock we move towards the left side of the river to gain better ground for towing, although the east wind had become stronger, and we could see before us the continuation of our course. The wind is now always driving the vessels on the reeds, and the people tow only with the greatest difficulty, the poles being continually used to prevent us from running aground. At noon, to S. The south-east wind blows so violently against us, that we hardly advance beyond the lake, near which is a little village. We still see the herdsmen’s city, at which we stayed yesterday. The lake, as is mostly the case here, fills up the angle of the earth formed by the Nile in its present circuit, and therefore cut off formerly by it in a straight line, and perhaps is so now at high water. The main stream then makes good its old right, on account of its greater fall, without tearing up from their foundations the choked-up passes to the lakes; for these old river-beds form, by means of that root-work of marsh plants, a natural cofferdam, which is no more to be subdued. To the east, we see on the right shore mists of smoke creeping over the ground like Cain’s sacrifice, for they cannot rise out of the vaporous atmosphere. There is also there a village, pushed back, as it were, by the reeds struggling forward, and somewhat elevated above the marsh region. The crew are very tired, and we halt above the lake till three o’clock. A small hamlet lies in our neighbourhood, and I see again cattle dragged near to us. Now, at last, we shall have enough meat. Large garlands of meat, cut in narrow strips, are passed already from one rope to another, to be completely dried in the sun, according to the usual custom in the Land of Sudàn. It is afterwards rubbed small on the murhaka, and with the ground uèka, used for a favourite broth, to be poured over the hard meal-pap (Asside), or over pancakes. This abundance of meat must be followed by injurious consequences even to these Saturnian stomachs, for the crew generally are not accustomed to it.