A Narrative of the Expedition to Dongola and Sennaar | Page 6

wind, to pass the current which had stopped us yesterday. This day's
sail was the most agreeable of any we had enjoyed since we left Egypt,
the river, since we had passed the rapids of Dall, (where the second
cataract of the Nile properly commences,) having become as broad as
in Egypt, and now flowing tranquilly through a country equally fertile,
and much more picturesque than the finest parts of Said. The eastern
bank of the river, particularly, presented a continual succession of
villages, and fine soil crowded with trees, and all cultivated. Passed,
during the day, some fine and large islands, also occupied by numerous
villages. We stopped at night at one of these islands, by whose
beautiful borders we had been sailing with great pleasure for more than
four hours, with a stiff breeze. We were in formed by the inhabitants,
that this island was a day's walk in breadth. They said, that, as we
advanced, we should find others as large and larger. Their island, they
told us, was called Syee. They appeared to be well satisfied with their
condition, having an abundance of every thing absolutely needful for a
comfortable subsistence, and decent clothing of their own manufacture.
What surprised me not a little, was to find the people as white as the
Arabs of Lower Egypt, whereas the inhabitants of Nubia are quite black,
though their features are not those of the Negro.
I have observed, that the country through which we passed to-day, was
as fertile and much more picturesque than the Said. The reason for the
latter part of this assertion is, that in the Said the view is limited by the
ridges of barren and calcined mountains that bound it on both sides,
whereas here the view ranges over plains bounded only by the horizon,
and interspersed here and there with isolated mountains of most
singular forms. Some of them might be mistaken for pyramids, they are
so regular and well defined; some resembled lofty cones, and others
resembled lofty square or pentagonal redoubts. One of the latter

description lies upon the eastern bank of the river, and could easily be
made an impregnable fortress, which could command all water
communication between Egypt and Dongola. The scenes of verdure
and cultivation through which we had passed today, removed all
suspicions from my mind as to what had been reported to me of the
great difference between Nubia and the country beyond it.
All the villages we have passed to-day, have in their centre a fort or
castle, fortified with towers at the corners, and, judging from those we
visited, resembling in their interior those on the cataract already
described. The village, consisting of low huts, built of mud, is built
round the walls of the fort, which is intended to serve as a place of
retreat and defense for the inhabitants and their flocks, in case of alarm
or attack. They are governed in the manner of the families of the
patriarchs, the Sheck of the village being both judge and captain. Saw
at this island a small skiff, the first boat belonging to the inhabitants of
the country that I have seen since quitting Wady Halfa.
12th of Safa, Parted from the land about an hour after sunrise and
proceeded on our voyage, which was, if possible, still more agreeable
than that of yesterday. On the east bank of the river, the eye rests on a
continued succession of villages, occupying land of the finest quality,
and lying under a continued forest of palm trees, larger and taller, in my
opinion, than those growing in Egypt. On the right we saw, as we
passed, a chain of beautiful islands, some of them large and presenting
the same spectacle as the east bank. It is certainly a beautiful country.
The river from Assuan has only about half the breadth that it has in
Egypt. In this country it is as broad, and in many places, on account of
the large islands it here contains, very much broader than it is in Egypt.
We stopped at night at one of these fine islands, whose breadth being
but about two miles, enabled us to have a view of the west bank of the
river, which presented the same succession of villages and cultivation
as on the oriental side. I have already observed, that the date trees of
this country were larger and taller than those in Egypt. We found a
similar difference in the animals of this country; I purchased a sucking
lamb, which was certainly as big as an Egyptian sheep of a year's
growth. The cattle of this country differ from those of Egypt, in bearing,

as to form, a resemblance to the buffalo. They have a rising on the
shoulder, and a similar