Travels in Nubia / By the late John Lewis Burckhardt. Published by the Association for promoting the discovery of the interior parts of Africa. With maps, &c.

  • Johann Ludwig Burckhardt
Date:
1819
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Travels in Nubia / By the late John Lewis Burckhardt. Published by the Association for promoting the discovery of the interior parts of Africa. With maps, &c. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    and flocks are found here, which form the principal stock of provisions for the towns of Nouba. Among the birds of this country are the Taghtit, the Nouby* * * § parrots, and others of equal beauty. The great, chief makes this province his principal residence. “ I was once,” says Selim el Assouany, “ in company with this chief, and we passed along narrow canals shaded by trees growing on both banks. It is said that crocodiles never hurt people in this country, and I have seen persons swim across many of the branches of the river.” f Next follows Sefdykal.J a district of narrow banks, similar to the lower end of the country. Here are fine islands, and at the distance of less than two days journey, about thirty cities, containing good buildings, with churches and monasteries. Here grow dates and vines ; there are gardens and fields, with large meadows, in which live camels of a reddish colour and noble race.' The great chief frequently comes here, because, on the south, this district borders upon Ddngola, their (principal) city and seat of government. From Dongola to Assouan are fifty days journey.§ Ibn Selim then, continues to describe Dongola, and says, that they make the ceilings of their sitting rooms of the wood of the Sant and Sadj trees,|| the latter of which are brought down by the Nile in large smoothed beams, but nobody knows from whence they come. “ I have myself,” says Selim, “ seen traces of an Arabic origin on several of them.” The distance from Dongola to the nearest limits of Aloa, is greater than that from Dongola to Assouan.** The number of cities, and villages, and islands, and cattle, and date-trees, and Mokel trees, and fields, and vine plantations, met with in this district, is double of what is on the side towards the Moslim dominions. In these parts are large islands, several days in length, mountains inhabited by wild beasts and lion9, and tracts where the traveller is liable to suf- fer from thirst. The Nile takes a turn for many days in the direction from sun rise to sun set, and the person who ascends travels in the same direction as the one who descends the river.f f It is in these quarters that the turnings of the Nile lead towards the mines called Shenka, at a place named Shenkvr,{{ from whence issued El Aoury, who conquered these countries, till he met his ultimate fate. Many hippopotami are found here. From these * See note 12. + I have stated the same fact in various parts of my journals. J See note 13. § This is over-rated; but I have reason to believe, that the bend of the Nile will, on exa- mination, be found much greater than is laid down in the maps. |] See note 14. See note 15. ** This again is over-rated, ft Thus if a be ascending and b descending, they will proceed in the same direction if the turn be as follows :