Thenightwascold，andthemoonclearandbright。Everyonewaswrappedupinwarmblankets，andIwassosoundasleep，thatIcannotdescribemoreuntilIwassuddenlyawokebyatremendoussplashingquiteclosetothediahbeeah，accompaniedbythehoarsewildsnortingofafurioushippopotamus。Ijumpedup，andimmediatelyperceivedahippowhichwasapparentlyabouttoattackthevessel。Themaindeckbeingcrowdedwithpeoplesleepingbeneaththeirthickmosquitocurtains，attachedtothestairsofthepoop-deck，andtotherigginginalldirections，rendereditimpossibletodescend。Iatoncetoreawaysomeoftheties，andawakenedthesleepypeople。Myservant，Suleiman，wassleepingnexttothecabindoor。Icalledtohimforarifle。BeforetheaffrightedSuleimancouldbringtherifle，thehippopotamusdashedatuswithindescribablefury。Withoneblowhecapsizedandsankthezincboatwithitscargoofflesh。Inanotherinstantheseizedthedingyinhisimmensejaws，andthecrashofsplinteredwoodbetokenedthecompletedestructionofmyfavouriteboat。BythistimeSuleimanappearedfromthecabinwithanunloadedguninhishandandwithoutammunition。Thiswasaverygoodman，buthewasneveroverburdenedwithpresenceofmind；hewasshakingsofearfullywithnervousness，thathissenseshadentirelyabandonedhim。Allthepeoplewereshoutingandendeavouringtoscarethehippo，whichattackeduswithoutceasingwithablindfurythatIhaveneverwitnessedinanyanimalexceptabull-dog。
　　BythistimeIhadprocuredariflefromthecabin，wheretheywerealwayskeptfixedinarow，loadedandreadyforaction，withbagsofbreechloadingammunitiononthesameshelf。
　　Themovementsoftheanimalweresorapidashechargedandplungedalternatelybeneaththewaterinacloudoffoamandwave，thatitwasimpossibletoaimcorrectlyatthesmallbutfatalspotuponthehead。
　　Themoonwasextremelybright，andpresently，ashechargedstraightatthediahbeeah，IstoppedhimwithaNo。8Reillyshell。Tomysurprise，hesoonrecovered，andagaincommencedtheattack。
　　Ifiredshotaftershotathimwithoutapparenteffect。Thediahbeeahrockedaboutuponthewavesraisedbytheeffortsofsolargeananimal；
　　thismovementrenderedtheaimuncertain。Atlength，apparentlybadlywounded，heretiredtothehighgrass；therehelaybythebank，atabouttwenty-fiveyards’distance，snortingandblowing。
　　Icouldnotdistinguishhim，asmerelytheheadwasabovewater，andthiswasconcealedbythedeepshadowthrownbythehighgrass。Thinkingthathewoulddie，Iwenttobed；butbeforethisItooktheprecautiontoarrangeawhitepapersightuponthemuzzleofmyrifle，withoutwhich，nightshootingisveryuncertain。
　　Wehadfallenasleep；butinabouthalfanhourwewereawokebyanothertremendoussplash，andoncemorethismadbeastcamechargingdirectlyatusasthoughunhurt。Inanotherinstanthewasatthediahbeeah；butImethimwithaballinthetopofhisheadwhichsenthimrollingoverandover，sometimesonhisback，kickingwithhisfourlegsabovethesurface，andagainproducingwaveswhichrockedthediahbeeah。Inthishelplessmannerherolledforaboutfiftyyardsdownthestream，andweallthoughthimkilled。
　　Toouramazementherecovered，andweheardhimsplashingashemovedslowlyalongtheriverthroughthehighgrassbytheleftbank。Thereheremainedsnortingandblowing，andasthelightofthemoonwasofnoserviceinthedarkshadowsofthehighgrass，wewaitedforaconsiderabletimeandthenwenttobed，withtherifleplacedinreadinessondeck。
　　InashorttimeIheardloudersplashing。Iagaingotup，andI
　　perceivedhimabouteightyyardsdistant，walkingslowlyacrosstheriverintheshallows。Havingafairshotattheshoulder，IfiredrightandleftwiththeNo。8Reillyrifle，andIdistinctlyheardthebulletsstrike。Heneverthelessreachedtherightbank，whenhepresentlyturnedroundandattemptedtore-crosstheshallow。Thisgavemeagoodchanceattheshoulder，ashisbodywasentirelyexposed。Hestaggeredforwardattheshot，andfelldeadintheshallowflatoftheriver。
　　Hewasnowpastrecovery。Itwasverycold：thethermometerwas54
　　degreesFahrenheit，andtheblanketswereveryagreeable，asoncemoreallhandsturnedintosleep。
　　OnthefollowingmorningImadeapost-mortemexamination。Hehadreceivedthreeshotsintheflankandshoulder；fourinthehead，oneofwhichhadbrokenhislowerjaw；anotherthroughhisnosehadpasseddownwardandcutoffoneofhislargetusks。Ineverwitnessedsuchdeterminedandunprovokedfuryaswasexhibitedbythisanimal——heappearedtoberavingmad。Hisbodywasamassoffrightfulscars，theresultofcontinualconflictswithbullsofhisownspecies；someofthesewoundswerestillunhealed。Therewasonescarabouttwofeetinlength，andabouttwoinchesbelowthelevelofthesurfaceskin，upontheflank。Hewasevidentlyacharacteroftheworstdescription，butwhosemadnessrenderedhimcalloustoallpunishment。Icanonlysupposethattheattackuponthevesselswasinducedbythesmelloftherawhippopotamusflesh，whichwashunginlongstripsabouttherigging，andwithwhichthezincboatwasfilled。Thedeadhippopotamusthatwasfloatingasternlashedtothediahbeeahhadnotbeenmolested。
　　Weraisedthezincboat，whichwasfortunatelyunhurt。Thedingyhadlostamouthful，asthehippopotamushadbittenoutaportionoftheside，includingthegunwaleofhardwood；hehadmunchedoutapieceliketheportofasmallvessel，whichhehadaccomplishedwiththesameeaseasthoughithadbeenasliceoftoast。
　　IsenttheboattotheEnglishshipwrightsforrepair，andthesecapitalworkmenturneditoutinafewdaysnearlyasgoodasnew。
　　Thesuccessofthedamwasmostcomplete。Theriverrosesoastooverflowthemarshes，whichenabledustopushallthevesselsupthechannelwithoutthenecessityofdeepeningitbyspadelabour。”March14——ShouldwesucceedinreachingGondokorowithoutseriousloss，itwillbethegreatestpossibletriumphoverdifficulties，whichnoonecanunderstandwhohasnotwitnessedthenecessitiesofthejourney。”Adiahbeeaharrivedinthelake，breakingheryardinasuddenshiftofwind，andgivingamanafallfromaloft，whichwasfatal。”Thesteamerandfleetarecomingthroughthesuddasfastasthetroopsclearthechannel。”March15——Thesteamerarrivedinthelakeat3。30P。M。”March16——Thermometer，6A。M。，61degrees；noon，82degrees。Elevenvesselsenteredthelakelastnight。Thewindhasbeenveryvariableforthelastfewdays，andthetruenorthwindappearstohavedesertedus；
　　theabsenceofafairbreezedelaysussadlyinpushingthroughthenarrowchannelsagainstthestream。”DysenteryandscurvyareprevalentamongtheEgyptians。FourEgyptiansoldiersandtwoSoudanishavedeserted。Wherethesewretchedfoolsintendtowanderisquiteaspeculation；——theyappeartohaveyieldedtoatemptationtorunawayuponthefirstdrylandthattheyhaveseenformonths。”Thefleetassembledinthelake。TheEgyptiantroopscutapassageforfiftyyardsthroughasuddinachannelthroughwhichthefleetmustpass，asthereisashallowthatwillpreventthemfromtakingthemaincourseofthelake。”To-morrowthewholeforcewillturnoutandcuttheremainingportionofabout300yards；therewillthenbenodifficultyexceptasuddofaboutthreequartersofamilebetweenthelakeandtheWhiteNile。”March17——Wecutthroughthesudd，andallthevesselsenteredthebroadwatersofthelakeandanchoredintheeveningoppositesomenativehuts，closetothechannelthatwemustopento-morrow。Thesehutsarethefirsthabitationsthatwehaveseenformorethantwomonths；——theyarenowdesertedbythefrightenedfishermenwhohadoccupiedthem。”March18——Thediahbeeahledthewayat7。30A。M。throughthechannelthatisclosedbygrassandthePistiaStratiotes。At10。15wearrivedintheWhiteNile。Thereisplentyofwaterthroughouttheclosedchannel，buttherewassomeheavyworktoclearthevegetation。”March19——AllthevesselscamethroughintotheWhiteNile，andtherewasgreatrejoicingthroughoutthefleet。Atlengththemenreallybelievedthatacountryofdrylandmightliebeforethem，andthattheyweredeliveredfromthehorriblechaosor’SloughofDespond’inwhichtheyhadnowlabouredforsixtydays。”Iservedoutnewtow-ropestothefleet，andorderedNo。13transporttodischargeanddividehercargoamongothervessels，andtotakeonboardthirtysoldierstoaccompanythesteamerto-morrow。Weremountedthesteamer’spaddlesandtautenedalltheriggingofthediahbeeah；
　　mendedsails，andthoroughlyrepairedforastartto-morrow。No。31
　　beingarottenvessel，Iorderedhercargotobedividedamongthelighterboats。Igavestringentorderstotheofficerstoprotectallammunitionandbalesofgoodswithgalvanizedironplatesincaseofrain。”March20——Allthevesselsgotawayby9A。M。witharattlingbreeze。
　　Thesteamerstartedat10。8A。M。，butwasdelayedonehourandtwentyminutesbyherstupidlydraggingthenoggerashoreinroundingasharpcorner。”At5。15P。M。wearrivedataforestonthewestbank。At6。45P。M。westopped，asIwasafraidwemightpassthestationofWat-el-Shambiinthedark。”March21——At8。25A。M。westarted。Threenativescametothevesselandreportedthezareebatobecloseahead。”Iservedoutfifteenroundsofsniderammunitionpermantothe’FortyThieves，’thusfillinguptheirpouchestothirtyrounds。Thebanksarenowdry，andabouttwofeetsixinchesabovetheriver’slevel。Thecountryisasusualflat，butcoveredwithforestonthewest。Cattlenumerous，andbellowinginalldirections。”At9。15A。M。wearrivedatWat-el-Shambi。Theforestisdistantfromtheriver，thereforeat10westartedwithlightsouth-eastwind，andat10。30wereturnedtoagoodstationforcuttingfuelintheforestaboutfourmilesbelowWat-el-Shambi。”ThefewrepresentativesofAliAmouri，thetraderatthelatterstation，declaredthattheycouldnotsupplyuswithcattle，theybeinghardupforprovisionsthemselves。Theirlooksbeliedtheexcuse。Windsouthallday，butchangedtonorthat6。30P。M。TheboatoftheFrenchtrader，JulesPoncet，thathadaccompaniedthefleet，arrivedintheevening。”Anumberofnatives，starknaked，andsmearedwithwoodashes，cameasusualtobegforcorn。Ihavegivenstrictordersthatonnoaccountshallcornbeexchangedinpurchasesfromthenatives——otherwiseoursupplywillbestolenwholesale。ThisorderwasbrokenthroughbyMustaphaAli，whothereforereceivedahundredlashes，asIwasdeterminedtoenforceobedience。”March22——Muchlightningandwindfromthesouthduringthenight。I
　　fearrain。AtdaybreakwefoundRaoufBey’svesselcloseup，andmanyothersnear。Thenorthwindoflastnightmusthaveaidedthem。Thenativescameinsomenumbers。”March23——Allhandsyesterdayandto-daybusiedincuttingwoodforsteamer。”March24——PoorJusef，oneofthehorsekeepers，died。”March25——Started，withthesteamertowinganoggurandmydiahbeeahwithaboutfiftyhours’fuelonboard，at12。50P。M。”TherehasbeenwholesaletheftofstoresonNo。50noggur。Icaughtandpunishedthecaptainintheactofsellingourammunitiontotheslavetraders’peopleintheirzareeba。”March26——Wetravelledthroughoutlastnight；thestreamisnearlythreemilesperhour。Welostanhourlasteveningintakingwoodfromthenoggurintow，assheleaksdangerously。Itooksixmenandtheireffectsfromher，andplacedthemonthesteamer，assheisquiteunsafe。