Navigation. . 31

" In the midst of this oppressive monotony it was a

relief for the eye to rest on a few clumps of trees away to the south-west. The trip itself had hitherto been made, if slowly, at all events without any interruption. Now, however, began our troubles, floating grass getting entangled between the paddles, which had every now and then to be cleared, or else the whole waterway becoming obstructed by floating masses which required more or

less effort either to break through or remove. Hence the rate of progress varied greatly, thus considerably increasing the difficulties of my survey. " About three o'clock we met the first real grass barrier, which, however, was surmounted in the course of twenty minutes, during which the ropes of the boats in tow snapped several times. Later followed other loose accu- mulations, which, though easily removed, still caused much delay; one more compact mass especially took fully an hour to be mastered. At sunset we cast anchor, to

give the Embdba time to overhaul us.

"Early next day, the 22nd February, I resumed my observations, while the puffing and snorting engine con- tinued its struggles with the grassy obstructions. Now, for the first time, we noticed a stretch of woodlands near the left bank, followed later by another on the same side, while on the opposite bank two solitary trees served as clear landmarks for my calculations. Beyond the Ghaba Jer Dekka, a little grove close to the river, the stream meanders incessantly through the monotonous plains, nowhere relieved by a single conspicuous object. Here the floating obstructions thickened ; but towards noon we unexpectedly reached a good broad waterway, and after another sharp bend a large Maiyeh (backwater) was

passed on the right, soon followed on the left by a large tree, grouped round which were a few Negro huts.

" Our experienced pilot now drew my attention to the new barriers which had been formed since his last trip, and which required considerable efforts to set aside. Those, on the other hand, which have once been pierced are always more easily overcome, though they may have

partly closed up again. But although the way was thus to some extent cleared by our vessel, the Ismailia, the JEmbdba, with the boats in tow, found great difficulty in

getting through the sedgy masses in our wake.