are not unfrequently seen hereabouts.  We have met with no ruins of any ancient building of consequence on these rapids, except the ruins of a strong fort on the right bank of the river, and those of what was probably a Christian Monastery on the bank right opposite.  This place, I was told, is called “Kennis;” it is about thirty miles above Meroe.[25] We passed one small island, which the natives said was called also Meroe, as well as the site where we found the pyramids and temple below.  No indications of a considerable city are however to be found on this island, which is beside too small to have served for the emplacement of a city of consequence.  Khalil Aga, who swam over to this island, reported that he had seen there the ruins of brick houses, and many fragments of porcelain; of the latter there are immense quantities among all the ruined edifices found in this country.[26] The island of “Kendi” is large, and in some parts cultivated; it contains evident traces of brick buildings, among which we found fragments of ancient pottery and porcelain, but no ruins of any considerable building.

We stayed for three days as high up as the middle of the island of Kendi.  On the 6th of Jamisalawal the boats received orders to descend to the lower end of the island, in order to take the passage on its right hand side, that on the left being so shallow as not to be passed but with great difficulty.  We descended accordingly, and remained at its lower extremity till the thirteenth of the moon, which delay was occasioned by the absence of the Rais Bashi, who had gone up to examine and sound the passages through the remainder of the Third Cataract.  On the thirteenth, our boat and many others passed over to the right bank of the river, in order to be on the same side as was the camp of the Pasha,[27] and to have free communication with it.

The same day I received an order from the Pasha to come to the camp with my baggage.  I went accordingly and presented myself to his Excellency, and demanded to know his pleasure.  He replied, that it was his will that I should stay in the camp, and that he would immediately furnish me with the means of accompanying him in his intended march to Berber over the Desert.  Five days after, his Excellency broke up his camp, and proceeded about four leagues higher up the rapids, where the boats were found stopped by the impossibility of proceeding any farther, as the water was found to be too low to admit their passing.  I arrived at this place (opposite the upper end of the island of Kendi) on the same day with his Excellency, having left orders to my domestics to follow with my camels and baggage.  The next morning, finding that they had not arrived, and learning that it was the intention of the Pasha to commence his march to Berber that day, I mounted my horse to go and ascertain the reason why my camels had not arrived.  I learned, as I proceeded, that one of them had fallen under his load, and that it would be necessary to send back