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 form of the hips.  They are also larger than the cows of Egypt.

14th of Safa.  The wind did not spring up this morning till a late hour, and after continuing for about an hour and a half, fell calm.  We put to shore on the western bank of the river, where we passed the remainder of the day and the night.  The country continued fine and crowded with villages.  At this place, some of the boat’s company attempted to shoot a hippopotamus, who had shown himself several times during the day.  They succeeded only in slightly wounding him, after which he disappeared.  The people of the country say that there are twelve that frequent this place in the river, which contains here some low islands, well adapted to afford them food and concealment.

16th of Safa.  Parted from the land about two hours after sunrise, with a strong breeze.  After continuing an hour and a half the wind subsided into a calm, which obliged us to make for the shore.  We landed on a large island resembling those already mentioned, where we passed the remainder of the day and the night.  The country we had passed resembled that below, beautiful, and as fertile as land can be.