At this moment our vessel received from below a tremendous shock: the crew cry “Chamùss, chamàss!” and laugh; but they very soon put on a serious countenance, for the bottom of the vessel was already full of water. The barrels of gunpowder, grape-shot, and cartridge-boxes were taken out, five signals of distress having been first fired; and they were about to continue firing blank shot, for the water rushed in as if a leak were sprung, when the bold reïs Abdullah, a Kenùss (the reïs are generally all Kenùss, because they are well acquainted with the cataracts), went under the vessel with a ball of tow: this took place close to the shore, to which we were not able to approach within ten paces, and where there was still great depth and danger. The hole, however, was stopped by the brave and incessant exertions of some sailors and soldiers. I myself put out the fire on the hearth, and forbad smoking under the threat of instantly shooting any one who did so; for I was to act, in the absence of Feïzulla Capitan, as wokil: and at the same time I posted sentinels. The vessels sailing a-head did not stop at the signals we fired, although they were near enough to hear them; and we ourselves, then, at half-past six o’clock, navigated to N.N.W. Subsequently we go to the left, W.S.W., then to the right, where we halt, together with the other vessels, immediately in the bend at the left shore, at a former landing-place (matrag betal mutfa), after we had jostled our beak-heads together in the usual unskilful manner. _24th February._—Our vessel has a large hole, and we are obliged to be drawn by the prow upon the sand: all the goods were removed, but afterwards safely put on board. Sabatier makes the observations now, and Arnaud is said to be employed with the calculations, for which, therefore, we shall have to wait a long time. Several ostriches were seen yesterday by my servants and Suliman Kashef’s body-guard, without a single well-flavoured leg falling to our lot: they had remarked, also, an ape the size of a large dog. I asked whether it was a chirt, which species answers to our zoological ideas of the cynocephalus and cercopithecus; but they assured me that it was an abelènk, because it had a small head.