Chap. LXXVIT. SLOW PROGRESS. 
195 
bitants of the islands opposite our encampment, that 
he was obliged to stay here several days; but in 
order to satisfy me, he made us move on a little. 
However, we only proceeded for about the distance of 
a mile, leaving this steep rocky bank behind us, the 
ground remaining stony, clad with nothing but 
small stunted trees. Here we encamped again near 
the border of the green shore, where alone the soil 
was soft enough to admit the pegs, opposite a long 
sandbank, which was the resort of numerous flocks 
of white waterfowl. Of course this sort of progress 
did not exactly suit my wishes, and in order to 
soothe my discontent, El Bakay, soon after we had 
encamped, paid me a long visit, in order to cheer me 
up, telling me that he had heard that there really 
had been, as I conjectured myself, a letter from Haj 
Beshir, with my parcel, and enumerating those of his 
pupils, or telamid, whom he wanted to send along 
with me. 
There being no stated market-place all along this 
river, the buying of provisions is sometimes accom- 
panied with a great deal of trouble ; and although 
the only produce of this district is rice, that article 
is never to be obtained in a prepared state. Nothing 
but k6kesh, that is to say, rice in the husk, is pro- 
curable ; and this is a circumstance not to be over- 
looked by Europeans who attempt the navigation of 
this river, as they must always be prepared to lose 
some time in getting ready and cleaning their rice. 
I here bought the neflfeka of this kind of rice for two 
o 2 
