9th April.—Our direction yesterday was generally N; to-day N. with deviations to the East. We landed early at the left shore, near the Baghàras, who received us on all sides in a friendly manner, and displayed here real hospitality,—with a little craft and self-interest. The mighty bond of language, race and religion, knit immediately reciprocal confidence, which begot eloquence, and lively questions and answers. The herdsmen, part of whom had handsome physiognomies, surveyed our vessels. Whilst their horses remained close by, they brought goats and sheep to us, holding them by a rope, a kurbàk in one hand, and a long lance and three javelins in the other; and seemed, on the whole, to be a more cultivated and cleanly people, in spite of their dirty ferdas and kittels, which, being originally of a white or blue colour, were not strongly contrasted one with the other. Their countenance was expressive, with their thick eyebrows and sparkling eyes; the hair being twisted more or less to the back of the head in a cue, allowed the beautifully arched forehead to stand out, but it is often difficult to tell the sex of the young persons. The women and girls coming to us with milk, butter, and fresh tamarinds, were free in their movements, joked and laughed, and sought to sell their wares as dear as they possibly could, which they exchanged for salt, beads, red pepper, and strings of ostrich-egg shells. All of them were distinguished by a slender shape, a bold carriage, and pleasing form of countenance; some, according to my idea, might be called really beautiful, and they were generally excellently proportioned; they appeared to me like independent, dark Spartan women. A ferda was slung over the invisible rahàt being used at other times to cover their heads as a protection against the sun; the hair was parted, and arranged in tasteful, little plaits in different directions, or falling down over the shoulders. Red, and other coloured pieces of coral, were placed on each side of the head in an oval form; in which copper, silver, or gold rings were entwined, and even the ear-rings with their pretty elongation of corals and small conchglia were fastened to the temples by the shining black tresses of hair falling over the forehead. This head-dress could not fail of making an agreeable impression upon me, when I thought of the shaven and dishevelled heads of the women in the countries up the river; the unseemly custom of wearing rings in the nostrils was scarcely unpleasing here, from this _supposed_ ornament being so small. They wore brilliant cut agates or flints of the desert round their neck and across the shoulder and breast,—the younger girls also over the rahàt and on the wrists, which they buy from the Dinkas, as well as corals of different kinds.