176 UGANDA AND THE EGYPTIAN SOUDAN.

deliciously clear pure water. The Waou is a swift river, full of crocodiles ; it was eighty yards broad where we crossed, the current was two knots an hour, and the banks were twenty feet above the water ; but, though it often gets bankful, it does not overflow its banks in this neighbourhood. This river is navigable for a long distance into the interior, and would be useful for small steamers which could come direct here from Khartoum. There is a most pleasing view up and down the river at the ferry, for near its margin are beautiful woods of large trees, providing admirable timber, which is largely used for boat-building purposes. Gessi Pasha has established a large boat-building yard here, and is sending down ivory in the boats to Meshera-er-Eek, from which place they can be towed down to Khartoum by the steamers. The boats will sell in Khartoum for $200 or more, and as they only cost about $80 to build, it is a good profit. In the river-bed a great deal of plumbago is found, which is used to cover the walls of the huts both inside and out. Large numbers of freshwater oyster-shells were seen here. We crossed the river in a good ferry-boat ; Gessi Pasha has caused boats to be placed at nearly every crossing-place of all the streams between Djour Ghattas and Dem Suleiman, so that instead of dug-outs and ambatch rafts there were good solid boats, for which we were very grateful.