The fruit of this palm is about the size of a cocoa-nut,
and when ripe it is of a bright yellow, with an exceedingly rich
perfume of apricots; it is very stringy, and, although eaten by
the natives, it is beyond the teeth of a European. The Arabs cut
it into slices, and boil it with water until they obtain a strong
syrup. Subsequently I found this palm in great quantities near
the equator.
At Abou Harraz I discharged my camels, and endeavoured to engage
a boat to convey us to Khartoum, thus to avoid the dusty and
uninteresting ride of upwards of a hundred miles along its flat
and melancholy banks; but there was not a vessel of any kind to
be seen upon the river, except one miserable, dirty affair, for
which the owner demanded fourteen hundred piastres for a passage.
We accordingly procured camels, and started, intending to march
as rapidly as possible.
"June 2, 1862.--We packed the camels in the morning and started
them off to Rufaar. We followed at 2.30 P.M. as the natives
declared it was half a day's journey; but we did not arrive until
8.30 P.M. having marched about twenty-one miles. The town is
considerable, and is the head-quarters of our old friend, the
great Sheik Achmet Abou Sinn; he is now absent, but his son Ali
is at home.
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