_9th March._—We start, though it is raining, at six o’clock, and go E.S.E. and immediately E., and sail with a north-west wind to N.E. Seven o’clock; round the left to N.; immediately, however, to the right, E.N.E. and E. The wind has gone round to south east, and freshened, so that we make six miles. We see from the deck ten villages scattered at some distance on the left side, and a lake on the right. The lakes mentioned yesterday, which were encircled here and there by ambaks on the side turned from the river, and not, as usual, by the Habas, could only be perceived from the deck. We go at eight o’clock to S.E. with oars, after some delay, in consequence of our vessel having come into collision with Selim Capitan’s. The wind has slackened considerably: a large lake on the left. A good idea unfortunately often strikes us too late. Last night, I was trying to defend myself with a fan against the onslaughts of the gnats, but often let it fall from pure weariness. Continual stings, however, soon waked me to pick the fan up again, till about morning it came into my head to erect a small tabernacle over my face, by means of a linen cloth. Yesterday evening I repeated that contrivance, and was scrupulously careful in forming it, when I found that the little pincers and pests would not let me eat in peace, and poured out of their lurking-holes with bloodthirsty intentions. I drew, therefore, my little conical canopy over my head: I was very hot under it, but yet not a mosquito was able to pierce through it. They buzzed and hummed outside, and the crew cried, “Bauda! bauda!” but I was comparatively jolly, and of good cheer.