New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-02-01

apes sported roisily from branch to branch, while
the morstrous bippopotami swan blowing and
srortiDg around the boats, and then with mighty
splashipg, plunged again to the bottom. Bat while
the beasts in these unvisited waters were 80 IA
nfiar, the few human natives Of the country
whom the voysgers saw were excessively timid.
Almost everywhere that the boat landed, they
fed, deserving their huts aad all their possessions
DR. Knoblecber bad great difficulty ia restraining
the Turkish bOatnen from destroying everything
whenever they reached one OF these oesetted
visges He could not prevent TURK from
hrirg in sheer wantonness hat Of reeds on one
Of the shiIlouk i.lands A poor boy sleeping 10 il
died Of his burps. Hardly could the missionary
manure The punishment Of the criminal from the
C,,,sin Of the expedition This one example
among many may suffice to explain the timid
distrustfol, and hostile attitude which many Of
she black tribes Of the country hold toward the
whites.
After fourteen days sailing the expedition
reached the land where the Shillouks have their
dwellings on the shores Of the river. Up TO there
they bad only seen them on the islands. They
are very numerous people, and according TO the
statements Of the BskkRra Arabs occupy about
1000 villages, which is probably exaggerated
The total number Of the Shillouks DR.. KnObecher
estimates at from two TO three millions. The ham,
lets are generally large and situated together.
The huts of reeds and clay, are built in great
quadrangles, regularly and almost neatly, with
oval ROOFS and even exhibit a certain architectu-
raj taste. 1t is remarkable that almost all the
black tribes build their hus in the same form, and
shat the abodes on the Niger and Senegal are the
same as on the Nile, though the different races
speak different languages aud have not the slight.
est Intercourse with each other
Since Kaka, the residence Of the Chief Of the
Shlouks, was attacked and plandered by the
Turks, he has established anew capital at place
called Tenab. Its site lies near the Nile aud is
most beautiful and fertile The climate, too,
seems not unwhoesome. This is proved by the
vigorous forms of the natives The Shillouks, well
a. the Gaas, belong to the finer race of negroes.
They neither have the deformed bodies nor the
apish pbysiognomies which characterize the ETH
opan race of Western Soudan. They are tall
and perhaps too slender, their forms being better
suited to swift running than to hard work. The
moral condition of this tribe is not bad Capital
crimes, such as murder, are judged by the Chief
or King. Breach of the marriage vow, which
happens rarely, is punished with death. The
men may have as many as six wives, according
to their property; these live in separate huts,
smoke tobacco and attend to domestic labors.-
The men work the dura fields, drive the fOcks to
pasture, 20 hunting and fishing, and spend the
greater part of their time out Of the house.
The expedition reached TO- north latitude with
out any other accident than violent whirlwInd
at noon on Nov. ls which broke the mast Of the
boat. Where trees were so abundant this could
occasion no embarrassment They anchored at
an island, cut tree and hewed out new mast.
The island was like a beautiful meadow, being
covered with a carpet Of luxuriant grass beneath
the shade of the lofty forest Among the rusbes
along the shore was a noisy republic of water
fowl, among which were the long-legged African
6tork and the sacred Ibis OF the Egyptians. I'm
der the shrl chorus of their voices resounded the
heavy bass of gigantic bullfrogs.
On Nov. % the expedition met with negroes
for the first time. At Grst the attempt to hold in
tercourse with them seemed likely to be failure.
The interpreter, Mohammed Aga black OF the
Dinka race, was sent back But soon after,
band armed with lances appeared on the left
shore, and finally little trade was accomplished
with them. The only objects for which the ne.
groes have yet Learned to feel q decided passion
are glass ornaments and utensils in the most va
ned forms and colors. For glassware these
Shlouks were willing to deliver number Of
oxen. Hardly was the bargain agreed to when
the blacks set out running with incredible speed
to bring up the beasts Their running is like
shat of the gazelle, in great leaps to which their
slender bodies and long legs are well adapted
When the cattle were delivered and the glass
ornaments paid over, some of the blacks gained
courage enough to come swimming around the
boat, the remainder chatting with the interpreter
till the oxen were slaughtered
The next day they stopped at large town
called Vav. The population showed no signs OF
fear The men were naked from top to toe the
women dressed with tOlerable propriety, in
sheep skin fastened at the shoulders aud reach
ing to the knees. The boats furnished themselves
with provisions of all sorts. and bought elephants
teeth, an article Of traffic which among the Shll-
leuks is monopolized by the King.
On Dec. 9. the travellers passed the mouth Of
the Zobat, one Of the most considerable OF the
Western branches Of the White Nile. The
breadth of this stream at the place where 1t
empties into the BohrelAbrad is about $50
feet. Its water has purer taste than that of the
Nile
The next day the boats passed forest OF
miuosas, in which herd of gircfies were feed
ing. These colossal creatures SD etched up their
heads in curiosity, so that they stood above the
tors ofthe trees. For time they gazed wonder
ipsly at the boats as they approached with full
sails. But as they got nearer and nearer one OF
the CRATES gave the signal for flight and win
mighty leaps the others followed. Not lar nom
the same place were eighteen elephants, ap'
..ren,l,. nncaced in nlnYing in the high grass-