ministered to his last necessities. This sad event
closes the year 1862. Made' sail at 8.30 p.m., the
repairs of ship being completed.
1863, Jan. 1st, 2 o’clock A.M.—Melancholy thoughts
preventing sleep, I have watched the arrival of the
new year. Thank God for his. blessings during the
past, and may He guide us through the untrodden
path before u s ! ' - . . • / sS <•
We arrived at the village of Mahomed Her in the
Shillook country. This man is a native of Dongola,
who, having become a White Nile adventurer, established
himself among the Shillook tribe with a band
of ruffians, and is the arch-slaver of 'the Nile. The
country, as usual, a dead fla t: many Shillook villages
on west bank all deserted, owing to Mahomed Her s
plundering. This fellow how assumes a fight of territory,
and offers to pay tribute to the Egyptian Government,
thus throwing a sop to Cerberus to prevent
intervention.
Course S.W. The river in clear water about seven
hundred yards . wide, but sedge on the east bank for
a couple of miles in width.
2d Jan.— The “ Clumsy” lagging, come' to’ grief
again, having once more sprung her rotten yard. Eine
breeze, but obliged to wait upon this wretched boat—
the usual flat uninteresting marshes : Shillook villages
in great numbers on the terra firma to the west.
Verily it. is a pleasant voyage; disgusting naked
savages, everlasting marshes teeming with mosquitoes,
ahd the entire country devoid of anything of either
common interest or beauty. Course west the whole
d a y ; saw giraffes and one ostrich on the east bank.
On the west bank there is a regular line of villages
throughout the day’s voyage within half a mile of each
other ; the country very thickly populated. The huts
are of mud, thatched, having a very small entrance-'—
they resemble button mushrooms. The Shillooks are
wealthy, immense herds of cattle swarm throughout
their country. The natives navigate the river in
two kinds of canoes—one of which is a curious combination
of raft' and canoe formed of the Ambatch
wood, which is so light, that the whole affair is
portable. The Ambatch (Anemone mirabilis) is seldom
larger than a man’s waist, and as it tapers naturally
to a point, the canoe rafts are quickly formed by lashing
the branches parallel to each other, and tying the
narrow ends together.
3d Ja n .—The “ Clumsy’s ” yard having been lashed
with rhinoceros hide, fortunately holds together, although
sprung. Stopped this morning on the east
bank, and gathered a supply of wood. .On the west
bank Shillook villages as yesterday during the day’s