ruins, as at the village where we halted to-day, which we did at about noon, we found a very large and well-fashioned burnt brick, which the peasants said was brought from one of these mountains.  The whole of the country through which we have passed for four days contains no cultivable land on this side of the river, except on its margin; but in compensation for this sterility, the islands in this part of the river, which are numerous, very large, and very beautiful, are without a superior for luxuriance of vegetation.  Every day when we have come to the river to halt and refresh ourselves, we found one or more in view.  At this last station I was lucky enough to purchase a small kid at the enormous price of twelve piasters, the first meat we had eaten for four days.  Applied at night a poultice of dates to my eyes, which were much inflamed by today’s march, and found some relief from the remedy.  At about three hours after midnight we again resumed our travel, and marched till an hour before noon of to-day, the 5th of Zilkade expecting to arrive at the place where the road quits the river, and plunges into the great eastern desert of Africa; but the weather becoming close and very hot, and the camels fatigued, we halted to repose them and ourselves on the bank of the river.  Shortly after our arrival two of the camels of the caravan died.  Our route still lay through plains and over hills of rock and sand, which come down to the river’s edge, but the river, as usual, presented a continual succession of beautiful islands.

The death of the two camels having alarmed the conductor of the caravan for the others, we stayed in this place till the middle of the second day after to repose and refresh them previous to entering the desert.  During our stay here I engaged a man to swim over to the island opposite, to purchase some durra flour and dates.  He could, however, obtain only some dates.  I was obliged, in consequence, to reconcile myself to entering the desert short of provisions.  I had made provision in Berber for fifteen days, being assured that in twelve days we should have passed the desert, and arrive at the villages on the bank of the Nile four days march above Assuan.  The unexpected retardments of our march from Berber had, however, made us nine days in arriving at the place where the road turns into the desert.  On the 7th of the moon, at about two hours before sunset, we quitted our halting-place, and after only one hour’s march by the border of the river came to a place where the Nile suddenly turns off toward the south-west.[73] At this place the guide told us we were to fill our waterskins, and to quit the river for the desert.

We stayed here till the afternoon of the 8th of the moon.