TRAVELS OF PONCET AND BREVEDENT

the northern end of Bonarti Island, and not far from Arko Island.

He describes these Islands as being full of palm-trees, senna, and

colo-quintida, i.e., the bitter apple. The governor of the district,

which was then in the Province of Fung and under the jurisdic-

tion of the king of Sennaar, lived at Arko, a town on the east bank of the Nile a few miles to the south of Moshi. After a stay

of eight days, M. Poncet pushed on to the town of Dongola, that

is. Old Dongola, and so passed out of the region of the Barabara,

which extends from Moshi, or perhaps Hannek, so far north as

Aswan. This portion of the Nile Valley was then, as it is now,

very pleasant, for the narrow strip of land on each side of the

river is very fertile, and in times of peace it is well watered by means of water-wheels turned by oxen. The glimpse which our

traveller gives us of the manners and customs of the inhabitants

is interesting. He tells us that silver was useless in the way of

trade, and that all business was carried on by barter. The bread was made of dkurra, from which the natives also made a " thick

beer very ill-tasted." The people were healthy and stronger than

Europeans and more robust. Their houses were low and made

of mud, and covered with the reeds of dhurra. Their horses were

well shaped, but were greatly fatigued by the saddles put upon

them, which were very high both before and behind. Men of

position went bare-headed and had their hair braided, and wore a

single garment, which consisted of a sort of mis-shapen vest with-

out sleeves ; they wore nothing on their legs and nothing on

their feet, except " a single sole made fast with latchets." The common people wore pieces of linen in which they wrapped them-

selves, and the children were almost naked. Some men carried

lances, the iron ends of which were hooked, and some had swords

that hung from their left arms. The morality of the Dongola folk

left, according to M. Poncet, much to be desired, for he says, " Oathes and blasphemies are very common amongst those stupid " people, who likewise are so debauch'd that they have neither " modesty, nor civility, nor religion. For altho' Mahometanism " is what at present they make profession of, yet they know no " more than the bare formulary of their profession of faith, which " they repeat on all occasions."

Father Brevedent, the companion of M. Poncet, was greatly

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