PONCEt's JOURNEt. 
the river, above this place, are in a lawless state, 
and plunder all the caravans that pass ; travellers 
are therefore obliged to take their course through 
the desert of Bahiouda. This desert, however, is 
less frightful than those of Libya, and not desti- 
tute of herbs and trees. After some days they 
arrived at Derrara, (Derri), on the banks of the 
Nile ; and some time after, at Guerri, (Gerri), 
they crossed that river. The goods and passen- 
gers were conveyed in boats, but the cattle were 
fastened with ropes, and made to swim over. 
After travelling through some fine forests of aca- 
cias, they arrived at the city of Sennaar, the situ- 
ation of which appeared enchanting. Poncet 
describes it as large, containing 100,000 souls. 
The houses are poorly built, though the flat roofs 
form agreeable terraces. The king's palace is 
surrounded with a lofty brick wall, but the edi- 
fices which compose it are not arranged with any 
degree of order or taste. The apartments, how- 
ever, are richly adorned with carpets. They 
were introduced to the king the day after their 
arrival. After passing through a spacious court, 
paved with a kind of delft ware, they found the 
monarch seated cross-legged on a very neat sofa, 
surrounded by about twenty old men. He him- 
self was only nineteen, well made, of a majestic 
stature, and, though black, had neither the thick 
lips nor flat nose usually found in the negro race. 
