The soil of the island, excellent in other respects, is torn up by the inundation, ascending several feet over it; but many trees are lying withered and parched up on the ground. I took a specimen of the seeds of a dwarf acacia, with barbs: I observed also guinea-fowls and monkeys: the last are said to swim. Sabatier, who compares the shores of the Nile here to those of the Mississippi, only that on the latter the trees are higher, is going to accompany me, in Thibaut’s bark to the Aes, whilst M. Arnaud decides upon preparing to-morrow the skin of the hippopotamus, which he has bought for two hundred and fifty piasters. _16th April._—Thibaut has started without us—asleep, as he afterwards said. We remain under Arnaud’s jurisdiction till the afternoon, then go libàhn against the north wind, and halt late in the evening, at the right shore. Thermometer 24°, 34°, to 35°. _17th April._—The wind is against us in our course; forest, islands, downs, mostly with a gentle ascent and shallows, alternate with my impatience, until at last we reach El Aes in the afternoon. El Aes, lying on a sandy down, which ascends and descends with intermission, is said to be a new place, and is called after a former sheikh of this name. The present sheikh is denominated Achmet, and the people appear to be a mixed breed. They do not wish to have much acquaintance with the Turks, although they are subject to taxation, which a soldier collects there as Kaimakan. Thermometer, noon, 33°. _18th April._—Long before daybreak we proceeded on our voyage, without any oxen having been brought to us. At first we passed by several islands, and then left the island of Gùbescha at our right; several Sagiën fallen to ruin, and some chains of buckets being visible on the left shore. The village of Hedjasi lies in the neighbourhood, but not a person was to be seen, although we remained there the afternoon; even onions were not to be got. Suliman Kashef thinks that he is not much beloved here, which I can very readily believe. Thousands of camels were being led to water on the left shore, by the Kabbabish Arabs who come from the interior, and are said to possess more of these animals than all the other Arabs put together. This occurs every eight or ten days, and the tribe take back with them what water they need. Suliman Kashef wanted to make friends with them, because he saw that they had some cows and goats; but they trotted off as if a storm were coming on, keeping themselves in troops like an army, whilst they are said to have shouted “Abu Daoud!” The colony of Hedjasi lies in a good situation, and might become a granary for Kordofàn. The soil is somewhat light; the ground formerly ascended, which declination might have been gradually lost, when the terraces were in the act of formation; at present it is all fallen away.