There is a general resemblance, in domestic customs, among all the peoples who inhabit the borders of the Nile from Assuan to Sennaar.  They differ, however, somewhat in complexion and character.  The people of the province of Succoot are generally not so black as the Nubian or the Dongolese.  They are also frank and prepossessing in their deportment.  The Dongolese is dirty, idle, and ferocious.  The character of the Shageian is the same, except that he is not idle, being either an industrious peasant or a daring freebooter.  The people on the third cataract are not very industrious, but have the character of being honest and obliging.  The people of Berber are by far the most civilized of all the people of the Upper Nile.  The inhabitants of the provinces of Shendi and Halfya are a sullen, scowling, crafty, and ferocious people; while the peasants of Sennaar inhabiting the villages we found on our route, are a respectable people in comparison with those of the capital.  Throughout the whole of these countries there is one general characteristic, in which they resemble the Indians of America, namely, courage and self-respect.  The chiefs, after coming to salute the Pasha, would make no scruple of sitting down facing him, and converse with him without embarrassment, in the same manner as they are accustomed to do with their own Maleks, with whom they are very familiar.  With the greatest apparent simplicity they would frequently propose troublesome questions to the Pasha, such as, “O great Sheck, or O great Malek; (for so they called the Pasha) what have we done to you, or your country, that you should come so far to make war upon us?  Is it for want of food in your country that you come to get it in ours?” and others similar.

On the 14th of the moon Shawal, Cogia Achmet returned to Sennaar, bringing with him about two thousand prisoners as slaves, consisting almost entirely of women and children.  The events of his expedition were related to me as follows:  He marched rapidly for ten days in a direction about south-west of Sennaar, (the capital) without resistance, through a well-peopled country, without meeting with any opposition till he came to the mountains of Bokki, inhabited by Pagans, the followers of the chief who had rejected the Pasha’s letter.  They were posted on a mountain of difficult access; but their post was stormed, and after a desperate struggle, they found that spears and swords, though wielded by stout hearts and able hands, were not a match for fire-arms.  They fled to another mountain, rearward of their first position.  They were again attacked by cannon and musketry, and obliged to fly toward a third position:  in their flight, they were in part hemmed in by the cavalry of Cogia Achmet, and about fifteen hundred of them put to the sword.  Those who escaped took refuge in a craggy mountain, inaccessible to cavalry.  Cogia Achmet, believing he had made a sufficient proof to them that resistance on their part was unavailing, and the troops having suffered great distress by reason of the almost continual rains, after sweeping the villages of these people of all the population they could find in them, resumed his march for Sennaar.  On their return, they had to ford several deep streams, at this season running from the mountains, and both horse and man were almost worn out before they reached Sennaar.