1837. ] Ed-duRccyet-Merawe7z-Wad<zR Halfah. 189 The land about Ed-dukayet is rich, but only a small portion of it is under cultivation. It continues good to E1 Kerayib. Our journey to-day was 6 hours.

July 6. At E1 Kerayib the senna-plant is indigenous, very luxuriant, and in great abunalallce. If properly cultivated, it might aXord a great profit to the grower.

At 5 P.M. I resumed my journey, and in s hours 20 minutes arrived at Abdum, a small village situate(l o)posite Meraweh. The distance from Berber to Eel-dukAyet was 54 hours 25 mins. Or about 137 miles, in a general W.N.W. direction. From Ed-dukayet to Abdiim, S.W*, 14 miles. The expense of each camel from Berber to Meraweh was 15 piastres [3s.].

July 7. At daybreak I crossed the Nile to Meraweh, which may have a population of about 700. I remained here until the evening of the 14th, when, having procured a boat, I returned to lSonkolah, where I arrived in the morning of the 221le1. On the 05th I took my (leparture from New Donkolall) and, after a detention for camels of a few days at Hafir, I arrived at Wadi Halfah on the 16th of Augusts 1837.

Tv the foregoing paper I beg to append a few observations on the practicability of exploring the sources of the White Nile with a small steam-vessel. If an expedition left Cairo in the month of July in a steamer with a draught of water not exceeding 2 feet it might, with a little care, pass all the cataracts betsveen Cairo and Khartum. At hlgh Nile the cataract of Essuan (lisappears and becomes a rapid. The second cataract is a succession of rapids from Wadi Halfah to the third cataract at Hannek, which latter is most improperly called a cataract, since even at low Nile there is hardly any fall, and not so much as to attract notice. The fourth and fifth cataracts I haw-e not seen; ljut, from inquiries 1 made, I learnt that they would form no obstacle, and the sisth is passed without the least difficulty.

. In passing all the cataracts it would be judicious to have the steamer preceded ly a pilot-boat, sounding as it procee(lc(ln to prevent any accidellt to the former. I lmlentioned the subject to Mr. Perring, an eminent civil engineer in the employment of Mohammed 'Ali Pasha, and from his knowledge of the Nile and its peculiarities, he very kindly- made a dravving of a steamer which he calculated to be adapted for a steam expedition. He recommended a boat of light sheet-iron, 70 feet long on the water-line 16 feet beam, and 8 feet deep, including the keel, and which would not, with all requisite stores on boaral, draw more than 2 feet of water. The power to be two twelve-herse oscillating high-pressure engines, and the fuel to be used wood or charcoal.

If a steam expedition left Calro in July, it would have time to get to Berber by September, where it should reluain until the