I saw five large and small islands, but whether they lie nearest to the right or to the left shore, I know as little as upon what shore the isolated villages and tokuls stand. It was really enough to drive one mad to see the sailors so often apply themselves to the oars when the wind had turned the vessel, which they regard as a piece of floating wood, towards the mountains. I shall, at last, be confused myself in such a disgusting hurly-burly. Six o’clock. On the left, a little island; soon afterwards, on the right, a larger one, separated from the right shore by a narrow arm. Then a village, close upon the same shore, pleasingly enlivened by men and cows, immediately appears. Single trees extend behind it, and give a picturesque effect to the whole. On the left, our old acquaintance, Mount Nerkanjin, steps forward again, and surpasses, at least, considerably in height, the mountains lying nearer. At half-past six o’clock we go to the N., with small deviations to one side or the other, and come to three islands, following close behind one another, along the right shore, and anchor, when it becomes dark, before seven o’clock, below the last one. _30th January._—A very strong wind all night; the vessels lying awkwardly near each other, beat their heads and knock their ribs together, so that it was quite pleasant to behold it. Every one slept and snored around me, and I also would not allow myself to be disturbed any more, and did not wake the capitan; but looked, however, twice through the open hatchway into the hold, to see if the water were increasing. This morning there was only one vessel at the anchorage; all the others were scattered far and wide down the river. Immediately after sunrise we set out towards N. On the right a wood extends; on the left, solitary beautiful trees rise; but few people are to be seen. Two little islands are at the right shore; the one lying deeper rises from the water like an elevated green shield. The beautiful forest of the right side condensates and strengthens; on the left, also, the trees approach closer together. The country rises here, and we look far over the left shore into the land, as into an orchard, with villages. We halt at the shield-island, on the sand, and look around us for another water-track. With much difficulty we work through between the green reed island and another one, and land at our old little isle, where we made the acquaintance of the chief Nalewadtshòhn on the 22nd January. We had half an hour’s barter; then we push off, and navigate with the bow of our vessel directed towards the first of the two islands lying one behind the other, at the left shore, as if we would have caused there an earthquake. The vessel turns, and we go now again with the stern forward, as generally happens upon the Nile, in order to let the vessels drift free from danger, for the helm then becomes the scenting-nose of the shallows, and stops also, in fact, on them.