_20th April._—We halted yesterday at sunset, near the mandjeras of Khurdshid Basha on the right shore. These docks (there is a similar one on the blue river at Kamlin) are still used, and two new ships have just been built, whilst ten barks are in dock for repairs. The workmen live in the village immediately behind the high shore of the downs, and I saw, in my excursion there, several fowls walking cheerfully with a number of turtle-doves in the shade of the sunt trees, although the people would not sell me a fowl. There is also a corn magazine here, with overseers and soldiers. The neighbouring sheikh and Arabs came to kiss Suliman Kashef’s hand: he never once looked at them, but went on speaking with the other Turks. Such conduct, with many other things of the same kind, is practised deliberately; although it may seem to the inexperienced only to arise from forgetfulness. In short, the Turks do everything to make themselves disliked. It is most advisable for a person who is not dependent on them, to treat them with a certain kind of indifference, to seat himself immediately close to them, stretch his legs here and there in all possible ways, and ask for a pipe, without waiting for this favour from the swaggering fools; otherwise the Jaur or Kaffr will always be neglected and despised by the Musselmen. I examined this morning the nature of the downs, and found that they are rather deposited earthen walls or dikes, fruitful humus strongly impregnated with shingle or rubbish, (dissolved particles of stone) and sand. A covering of sand overlays these hills of earth, being thick, and accumulated by water and wind towards that part of the river-side which is more broken and washed away. The hills lose themselves towards the land side, gently descending in a wide plain (galla) covered with scanty mimosas, which still remain tolerably elevated above the river and the left shore. We observe here far beyond the lower trees, a second dam of downs, which may surpass the former one in height, and perhaps is the old border of the right side of the Nile.