MEASUEEMENTS OF WHITE NILE AND BAHAE TL GAZAL. 321 
^^The graves are deep^ and the bodies are plaeed prostrate; a 
slight covering is placed about the ears and loins. On the inter- 
ment of the father of a family^ his pipe^ tobacco,, and bowl in which 
his meals were served^ are placed upon his grave^ and there undis- 
turbed they remain. The burial of a chief is attended by the whole 
community ; quantities of bullocks^ sheep^ and goats are slaugh- 
tered upon the occasion, A person dying of small pox is thrown 
into the river. Men killed in battle are left on the field,, but the 
wounded are carried off. The Nouaer believe in no after life,, nor 
in God^ neither in good nor evil spirits. They believe that the 
spirits of the deceased visit them^ and dreams are their converse. 
Thus the fear of the dead prevents them robbing orphans. 
During this recital,, the nugger came up : she had experienced a 
disaster — however,, soon remedied. Making over a portion of the 
contents of his game-bag, the crew lacking provisions, Petherick 
ordered sail to be made to the favourable breeze that was springing 
up, and the boats were quickly under way. Steadily we glided on 
without a stoppage until sunset on April 23rd, when the wind 
failed. In a few hours it rose with great force, but from the north. 
A lull at noon on the 24th, then a light steady breeze wafted us 
near to the entrance of the Bahar il Gazal. Anchored here, as 
Petherick wished to remain a day or two to take observations. 
April 27 til . — Petherick and myself had worked very hard, taking 
observations, ascertaining the width of river, and rate of current, 
depth, &c. ; and it appeared that the volume of water in the bed of 
the White River, prior to its junction with the Bahar il Gazal, 
amounted to eight thousand two hundred and eighty cubic feet per 
second. The contributions of the Bahar il Gazal, by measurements 
21 
