several turns almost at right angles with each other. This circumstance
brought the wind directly ahead in one of the bends and obliged us to
remain there till next morning. The country we saw to-day is not equal
to the territory of Succoot; the date trees, the villages, and the
cultivation are not so continued; and the view from the river is bounded
at a little distance from its banks by low rocky hills. Saw to-day
a singular mode of navigating the river; a man, who apparently was
traveling down the river with his whole family, had placed his youngest
wife and her two young children on a small raft made of bundles of
corn-stalks lashed together, he himself swam by its side to guide it,
while he kept his old wife a swimming and pushing it by the stern, and
in this way they proceeded down the river.

I have seen in this country small rafts made to carry one person, which
are very well contrived. Three or four large empty gourds are fastened
firmly to a small oblong frame made out of the branches of the date
tree, the whole not weighing two pounds. A man may go safely down or
across the river on this, either by fastening it to his breast and
swimming supported by it, or by riding on it astride; and when on shore
he can carry it with ease either in his hand or on his shoulder.

18th of Safa, In the morning found that the wind had changed a little
in our favor, got under way, but after sailing for about two hours the
winding of the river again brought it ahead. Put to shore and staid
there till the middle of the afternoon, when the wind again hauled a
little in our favor, and with some difficulty we got to windward of the
shore and proceeded up the river. The river here is about half a mile
broad, and makes several turns which somewhat retarded our progress.
We observed some rocks and shoals, and on arriving at a place where the
river is divided by a large rocky island, observed a boat aground, which