34 BANKS OF WHITE NILE. [chap. i. 
a village of mixed Arabs on the East- bank— 
anchored. 
21 st Dec. —All day busy clearing decks, caulk¬ 
ing ship, and making room for the camels on the 
noggors, as this is the village to which I had previously 
sent two men to select camels and to have them in 
readiness for my arrival. The men have been selecting 
SAveethearts instead; thus I must wait here to-morrow, 
that being the “Soog” or market day, when I shall 
purchase my camels and milch goats. The banks of 
the river very uninteresting, flat, desert, and mimosa 
bush. The soil is not so rich as on the banks of the 
Blue Nile—the dhurra (grain) is small. The Nile is 
quite two miles wide up to this point, and the high- 
water mark is not more than five feet above the present 
level. The banks shelve gradually like the sands at 
low tide in England, and quite unlike the perpendicular 
banks of the Blue Nile. Busy at gunsmiths work. 
The niglits and mornings are now cold, from 60 to 62 
Fahr. Johann makes me very anxious : I much fear 
lie cannot last long, unless some sudden change for the 
better takes place. 
22 cl Dec— Selected two fine camels and shipped 
them in slings with some difficulty. Bought four 
oxen at nine herias each (l 5s.); the men delighted 
at the work of slaughtering, and jerking the meat for 
