New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-06-16

punches "a he went along. The country is thickly
settled, and our road was animated with natives,
passing back and forth.
About noon, we saw in advance, on the eastern
bank Of the Nile, bold, bluff ridge, crowned with
large square building. This the people pointed
out to US as the location of Old DoHgola. As we
approached nearer, long line of mud building,
appeared along the brow Of the hill, whose north
ern slope was numbered with ruins. We left the
caravan-track and rode down to the ferry-place
at the river, over long stretch Of abandoned
fields, where the cotton was almost choked out
with grass, and the beans and lentils were grow
ing wild in punches. 6rst took grateful bath
in the river, and then crossed in the ferrybOat to
the old town. The hill upon which it is built
terminates abruptly in precipice of red sand
stone rock, about 100 feet in hight. -Four enor-
nous frag nents have been broken Off and lie as
they fell, on the edge Of the water. A steep path
through drifts of sliding yellow sand leads around
the cliffs, up to the dwellings. found the ascent
labOnous, as the wini, which had veered to the
west, was as hot as the day before; but boat
man and one Of my camel-men seized hand each
and hauled me sp most conveniently. At the
summit, all was ruins in5erminabe lines of walls
broken down, and streets filed up with sand.
went first to the Kasr, or Palace, which stands on
the highest part Of the hill. 1t is about forty
feet in hight, having two stories and broad Eoun-
dation wall, and is built mostly of burnt brick and
sandstone. 1t % the palace of the former Dom
golese Kings, and a more imposing building than
one would expect to find in such a place. Near
the entrance is an arched passage, leading down
to some subterranean chambers, which | did not
explore. A broad fight of stone steps assembled
to The second story, in which are many chambers
and passages. The walls are covered with Arabic
inscriptions, written in the plaster while it was
vet moist. The hall of audience had once pave
ment of marble, several blocks of which still re-
MAN, and the ceiling is supported IN the center
by three shafts of granite, taken from some old
Egyptian ruin. The floors are covered with tiles
of burnt brick, but the palm-logs which support
them have given way in many places, rendering
ones footing insecure. Behind the hall of au
dience is a passage, with a niche, in each side of
which is also an ancient pillar of granite.
descended to the roofof the Palace, which is fiat
and paved with stones. The view was most re-
markable. The hight on which Old DOngOla
is built, falls off on all sides, inland as well as
toward the river, so that to the east oyerlooks
wide extent of desert-low hills of rcd sand,
stretching away to a dim, hot horizon. To the
north, the hill sOped gradually to the Nile, CO.
vered with the ruins of old buildings. Northeast,
hardly visible through the sandy haze, rose high,
l.. Lie An
summit. To the south and east the dilapdated
city covered the top Of the hill-a mass OF ashy'
gray walls of mud and stone, for the most part
roohess and broken down, while the doors, courts
and alleys between them were half chOked up
with the loose sand blown in from the desert.
The grayeyards of the former inhabitants extend
ed for more than a mile through the sand, over
the dreary hills behind the town. Among them
were a great number of conical pointed struc-
lures of clay and stones, from twenty to thirty
feet in hight. The camel-men said they were the
tombs of rOSsOol-prophets or holy men.
counted twenty -fve in that portion of the Gem
etery which was visible. The whole view was one
of entire and absolute desc alton, heightened the
more by the clouds of sand which filled the air,
and which, in their whitening heat, seemed to be
raining ruin upon the land
| aftcrward walked through the city, and was
surprised to find many large, strong houses of
stones and burnt brick with spacious rooms, the
walls of which were 'plastered and whitewashed.
The lintels of the doors and windows were stone,
the roofs in many places, where they still re-
manned, covered with tiles, and every thing gave
evidence of a rich and powerful city. Now, pro-
badly not more than one-ifth Of the houses are
inhabited. Here and there the people have spread
a roofing of mats over the open walls, and nestled
themselves in the sand. saw several such places,
the doors, or rather entrances to which, were
at the bottoms of loose sand.hils that constantly
slid down and filed the dingy dwellings. In my
walk met but one or two persons, but rs we re-
turned again to the river, saw sgroup Of Dongo-
lese women on the highest part of the cliff. They
were calling in shnll tones and waving their hands
to some persons in the ferry-boat in the river be-
low. and needed no fancy to represent the daugh-
tiers of Old Dongola lamenting over its fall.
Our road, the next morning, lay near the river,
through tracks of thick halfeh, four or five feet
high. We constantly passed the ruins of villages
and the naked frames Of abandoned sakias. The
soil was exceedingly rich, as the exuberant growth
Of halleh proved, but for miles and miles there
was no sign Of life. The tyranny Of the Turks has
depopulated one of the iairest districts Of Nuba.
The wind blew violently from the north, and the
sandy haze and gray yapor in the air became so
dense that | could scarcely distinguish the OPP
posite bank Of the Nile. The river was covered
with white caps, and broke on the beach below
with a wintry roar. As we journeyed along
through the wild green grass and orchards of sent,
passing broken walls and the traces of old water
courses, | could have believed myself travelling
through some deserted landscape Of the North. |
was chilled with the strong wind which roared IN
the sont and made my beard whistle under my
noise like wisp of dry grass. Several ships
passed US, scuddng up stream under bare poles,
and one, which had single reef shaken out OF her
large sail, dashed BY Ike a high-pressure steamer