_Thursday, Jan. 5._—Passed some high hills during the night. We have had a fine breeze nearly all night and all the morning. We passed some sandstone rocks on the west bank, which come to the water’s edge. These are nearly opposite to Ben Naga. We have run upon a sand-bar twice. Saw a large number of crocodiles of immense size. A man on shore hailed us frantically, and wanted us to take a quantity of butter for him to Khartoum! As though the Governor’s boat, with two Americans on board, impatient to get along, was going to be turned into a merchant vessel! The men were a little inclined to stop, but we ordered them to go on, and the poor fellow was left on the bank swinging his arms like a windmill and getting red in the face. We are passing through a fine grazing country. A new man suddenly turns up on board, who understands sailing and steering a little better than the others. Where he came from we do not know, but suspect that he was picked up at the last place where we stopped. Now we are making better time. We reached the beginning of the “cataract” at 2:20 P.M. We had a fine wind and plenty of time before sunset, but the captain was afraid to go on and made a variety of foolish excuses. We landed and made inquiries, and finding there was no danger ordered him to proceed at once. We found a few rocks and some sand banks, but there was not the slightest difficulty. We passed some beautiful islands covered with trees and festooning vines and high grass. By sunset we had passed most of the rocks, and then the wind ceasing, and the men being tired, we allowed them to tie up for the night. Ducks are plenty about here. The Garri Mountains are in sight.