We proceeded this afternoon at two o’clock with sails in a south-easterly direction, and halted for the sake of antelope-hunting at three o’clock, at the right shore, E.S.E., before the curve to the right. Four o’clock: we sail to S.S.E., then a bend to the left, S.E. by E., where we stop again to hunt and also to remain. An antelope-herd of about sixty head was standing shortly before at a little distance on the shore, like a flock of goats, in harmless innocence and anticipating nothing evil. Wild buffaloes, lions, and hyænas were seen by several of our men: where are the holes and corners in which these beasts lurk? there must be mountains. Thermometer, sunrise, 15°; noon, 26°, 27°; from four to five o’clock, 28°; sunset 26½°. _21st March._—We sail from our place at half-past six o’clock, quite quietly, without a drum being beat, and go E.S.E., with a cold north-east wind. Half-past seven.—From E. Libàhn: again to the left, E.S.E.; eight o’clock: and then again to the left at nine, N.N.E., where we stop at the left shore for sport, pretending that it is owing to the contrary winds.—Oh you Turks! M. Arnaud now pays himself in skins, which he demands very freely for “son Altesse,” but which he intends to sell in France at 500 francs the head. Eleven o’clock: we go with libàhn round a corner, and come to N., whence the river winds again slowly to the right, N.E. by N. and to E., where we are driven forward and indeed without sails. I remark here that the lower border of the river is rocky, with a layer of soft stone under the clay, from which it may originate, and appearing to be limestone formation, until we break off the deceitful exterior, and the apparent corrosion by the action of the atmosphere turns out to be alluvial deposit,—the clay, however, remaining sticking to the hands like sand. One o’clock: E.N.E. All the vessels bear up! Four o’clock: three reïs had been sent forward with the sandàl to sound the water, and the men were honourable enough to express their conviction that there was still a watercourse: we shall get now regularly fixed upon every sand-bank. I, for my part, would like to make yet a good way, for I may stumble perhaps upon a firmer foundation of stone or something else new. We proceed, therefore, further,—against Mohammed Ali’s will, and certainly against Ahmed Basha’s, who may be very much in want of vessels and men at this moment, without any invasion on the part of England or France. E. by N., and we squat again. A quarter before five o’clock: S.E. by E. Water is on the right, but we cannot get there because the bed of the river is elevated in the middle, and these banks are magnificently larded with the spiry Conchylia, which would deprive the vessels instantaneously of their beautiful caulking. The reïs are sent out again in the sandàl; everyone is in doubt what is to be done. Suliman Kashef and Selim Capitan want to return. An island lies in view above. I should like to be