A SOUDAN DITTY. 399 ■which is made from wheat, is stronger, and has a pungent flavor. The people in general are remarkably temperate, but sailors and camel-men are often not content without arakee, a sort of weak brandy made from dates. I have heard this song sung so often that I cannot choose but recollect the words. It is in the Arabic jargon of Soudan :■ "El-toombak sheraboo dowaia, Oo el karafeen ed dowa il 'es-sufaia, Oo el arakee leglieetoo monna'ia, Om bilbil bukkoosoo burraia."

[Tobacco I smoke in the pipe ; and mareesa is a medicine to the sufaia ; (i. e. the bag of palm fibres through which it is strained), but arakee makes me perfectly contented, and then T will not even look at bilbil].

The third day after leaving Khartoum, I reached the mountains of G-erri, through which the Nile breaks his way in a narrow pass. Here I hailed as an old. acquaintance the island-hill of Rowyan (the watered, or unthirsty). This is truly a magnificent peak, notwithstanding its height is not more than seven hundred feet. Neither is Soracte high, yet it produces a striking effect, even with the loftier Apennines behind it. The Rowyan is somewhat similar to Soracte in form. There are a few trees on the top, which shows that there must be a deposit of soil above its barren ramparts, and were I a merchant of Khartoum I should build a summer residence there, and by means of hydraulics create a grove and garden around it. The akaba, or desert pass, which we were obliged to take in order to reach the river again, is six hours in length, through a wild, stony tract, covered with immense