The Route Was
Upon The River's Margin, Due East, Through A Sandy Copse Of
Thorny Mimosas Which Fringed The River's Course For About A
Quarter Of A Mile On Either Side; Beyond This All Was Desert.
The Atbara had a curious appearance; in no part was it less than
400 yards in width, while in many places this breadth was much
exceeded.
The banks were from twenty-five to thirty feet deep:
these had evidently been over-flowed during floods, bnt at the
present time the river was dead; not only partially dry, but so
glaring was the sandy bed, that the reflection of the sun was
almost unbearable.
Great numbers of the dome palm (Hyphoene Thebaica, Mart.) grew
upon the banks; these trees are of great service to the Arab
tribes, who at this season of drought forsake the deserts and
flock upon the margin of the Atbara. The leaves of the dome
supply them with excellent material for mats and ropes, while the
fruit is used both for man and beast. The dome palm resembles the
palmyra in the form and texture of its fan-shaped leaves, but
there is a distinguishing peculiarity in the growth: instead of
the straight single stem of the palmyra, the dome palm spreads
into branches, each of which invariably represents the letter Y.
The fruit grows in dense clusters, numbering several hundred, of
the size of a small orange, but of an irregular oval shape; these
are of a rich brown colour, and bear a natural polish as though
varnished.
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