”Iattemptedtoseekapassageahead，butitwasquiteimpossibleforthesmallestrowingboattopenetratethedensevegetation。”Anadvancebeingimpossible，Iorderedthesteamerandtwodiahbeeahstoreturndowntheriverabouteightymilestoouroldwooding-placeatthelastforest，aswearenearlyoutoffuel。Wethuslosetimeandtrouble，butthereisnohelpforit。Forsomedaystherehasbeennowind，exceptuncertainbreathsfromthesouth。Unlessachangeshalltakeplace，Ihavenoideahowthefleetwillbeabletocomeupagainstthestream。”March2——At6。30a。m。wegotunderwayandrandownstreamateightmilesanhourtowardsouroldwooding-place。Sawafewbuffaloes。At1p。m。wepassedonleftbankabranchoftheriver。At3。30sightedthetallyardsofthefleetinthedistance。At4。30wearrivedattheextremesouthernlimitoftheforest，andmetRaoufBeywiththesteamerandtwenty-fivevessels，withagoodsupplyofwood。Thetroopswereingoodhealth，butoneunfortunatemanhadbeencarriedoffbyacrocodilewhilesittingonthevesselwithhislegshangingovertheside。”March3——Fillingupwithwoodfromtheforest。”March4——SentthesteamerbacktothestationofKutchukAli，thetrader，toprocuresomecattleforthetroops。Inthisneighbourhoodthereisdrylandwithmanyvillages，buttheentirecountryhasbeenpillagedbyKutchukAli’speople——thenativesmurdered，thewomencarriedoff，&c。”RaoufBeycountedthebodiesofeighteennativeswhohadbeenshotnearthetrader’scamp。YesterdayIwenttoanativevillage，andmadefriendswiththepeople，someofwhomcamedowntoourboats；theycomplainedbitterlythattheyweresubjecttopillageandmassacrebythetraders。Theseso-calledtradersarethepeopleofKutchukAli，THE
　　OFFICEREMPLOYEDBYTHEGOVENOR-GENERALOFTHESOUDANtocommandhisexpeditiontotheBahrGazal！”Filledupwithalargesupplyofwoodreadytostarttomorrow。”March5——Greatgoodfortune！Afinenorthwindforthefirsttimeduringmanydays。Allthevesselssailingwell。Westartedat7a。m。SawaBalenicepsRex[*]；thisisthesecondoftheserarebirdsthatIhaveseen。
　　[*Footnote：Thewhale-headedstork，orBalenicepsRex，isonlymetwithintheimmenseswampsoftheWhiteNile。Thisbirdfeedsgenerallyuponwatershellfish，forwhichnaturehasprovidedamostpowerfulbeakarmedwithahookattheextremity。”At1p。m。，asweweresteamingeasily，Ihappenedtobeasleeponthepoop-deck，whenIwassuddenlyawakenedbyashock，succeededalmostimmediatelybythecry，`Theship’ssinking！’Ahippopotamushadchargedthesteamerfromthebottom，andhadsmashedseveralfloatsoffherstarboardpaddle。Afewsecondslaterhechargedourdiahbeeah，andstrikingherbottomabouttenfeetfromthebow，hecuttwoholesthroughtheironplateswithhistusks。Therewasnotimetolose，asthewaterwasrushinginwithgreatforce。Fortunately，inthislandofmarshandfloatinggrass，therewereafewfeetoftolerablyfirmgroundrisingfromthedeepwater。Runningalongside，allhandswerehardatworkdischargingcargowithgreatrapidity，andbalingoutwitheveryconceivableutensil，untilweobtainedassistancefromthesteamer，whoselargehandpumpandnumerousbucketsatlengthsofarovercametherushofwater，thatwecoulddiscovertheleaks。”Wenowfoundtwocleanholespunchedthroughtheironasthoughdrivenbyasharppickaxe。Somehourswereoccupiedinrepairingthedamagebyplasteringwhiteleaduponsomethickfelt；thiswasplacedovertheholes，andsmallpiecesofplankbeinglaidoverthefelt，theyweresecuredbyanuprightpieceoftimbertightenedwithwedgesfromacross-beam。Theleakswerethuseffectuallyandpermanentlystopped。”Bysunsetallwascompletedandthevesselreloaded；butIsenttwenty-eightboxesofsniderammunitiononboardthetender。Thismiserablewoodtenderhassprungheryardsothatshecannotcarrysail。
　　Thedaywasentirelylosttogetherwithafinenorthwind。”March，6——Briskwindfromthenorth。Startedat5。45a。m。，butat7
　　a。m。somethinghappenedtotheengine，andthesteamerstoppeduntileight。Afterfrequentstoppages，owingtothesharpbendsinthenarrowriver，wearrivedatthespotwherewehadformerlyopenedthedam；
　　therethecurrentranlikearapid。”March7——Muchdifficultyinascendingtheriver，butuponarrivalatthedrygroundcalledthe’dubba’，wefoundtheNo。8steamerandthewholefleetassembled，withtheexceptionofsixthatareinsight。”March8——Theothervesselsarrived；Ihavethusthirty-foursail，includingthetwosteamers。Theentirecountryisswamp，coveredwithimmenselyhighwater-grass，beneathwhichthedepthisconsiderable。ThereputedmainchanneloftheriverissupposedtocomefromS。W。，thisisonlydenotedbyastreamthreeorfourfeetbroad，concealedbyhighgrass，andinplaceschokedbythePistiaStratiotes。Thesesurfaceplants，whichresemblefloatingcabbageswithfinethreadyroots，likeahumanbeardofsixteeninchesinlength，formdensemasseswhichareverydifficulttoclear”Ourguidesareuseless，aswecannotdependupontheircontradictorystatements。Weareinadeplorableposition——thewholefleetinacul-de-sac；theriverhasdisappeared；anunknowndistanceofapparentlyboundlessmarshliesbeforeus；thereisnowood，andthereisnopossibilityofmovingwithoutcuttingachannel。”Ihaveorderedthirtyvesselstoforminline，singlefile，andtocutacanal。”March。9——Themenworkedfamously，butImuchfeartheywillbelaidupwithfeverifkeptatsuchanunhealthytask。To-dayaforceof700
　　mencutaboutamileandahalf。Theyareobligedtoslashthroughwithswordsandknives，andthentopulloutthegreaterportionofthegrassandvegetabletrash；thisispiledlikeartificialbanksoneithersideuponthethickfloatingsurfaceofvegetation。Itookasmallboatandpushedonforamileandahalf。Ifoundaverynarrowstream，likeasmallbrook，whichgavehopesoflighterlabourforto-morrow。Ishallthereforetrytoforcethesteamerthrough。Thirty-twomenreportedonthesicklistthisevening。”March10——Afinenorthwindforabouthalfanhour，whenitsuddenlychoppedroundtotheS。E。Wecutonfarahead，sothatIwasabletopushonthesteamersandthewholefleetforadistanceofaboutfivemiles。Ihadatouchoffever。”March11——Frightfulstinkingmorass。Allstoppedatablackmuddypondintheswamp。Theriverisaltogetherlost。Wehavetocutapassagethroughthemorass。Hardworkthroughouttheday。Onesoldierdiedofsunstroke。Nogroundinwhichtoburyhim。”ItisacuriousbutmostpainfulfactthattheentireWhiteNilehasceasedtobeanavigableriver。Theboundlessplainsofmarshareformedoffloatingraftsofvegetationcompressedintofirmmassesbythepressureofwaterduringfloods。Soseriousisthisobstacletonavigation，thatunlessanewchannelcanbediscovered，ortheoriginalNilebereopened，thecentreofAfricawillbeentirelyshutoutfromcommunication，andallmyprojectsfortheimprovementofthecountrywillberuinedbythisextraordinaryimpediment。”March12——IthinkIcantracebytelescopethefringeoftallpapyrusrushthatshouldbetheborderoftheWhiteNile；butthismaybeadelusion。ThewindisS。W。，deadagainstus。Manymenaresickowingtothedailyworkofclearingachannelthroughthepoisonousmarsh。ThisistheMahommedanfestivaloftheHadj，thereforethereislittleworkto-day。”March13——Measured460yardsofapparentlyfirmmarsh，throughwhichweplumbedthedepthbylongpolesthrusttothebottom。”Flowingwaterbeingfoundbeneath，Iorderedtheentireforcetoturnoutandcutachannel，whichImyselfsuperintendedintheadvanceboat。”By6p。m。thecanalwascompleted，andthewindhavingcomeroundtothenorth，wesailedthroughthechannelandenteredafinelakeabouthalfamilewide，followedbythewholefleetwithbuglesanddrumssoundingtheadvance，thetroopsvainlyhopingthattheirworkwasover。
　　Thesteamersareaboutamilebehind，andIhaveorderedtheirpaddlestobedismountedtoenablethemtobetowedthroughthehighgrassinthenarrowchannel。”March14——At6a。m。Istartedandsurveyedthelakeinasmallrowingboat，andfounditentirelyshutinandseparatedfromanothersmalllakebyamassofdenserottenvegetationabouteightyyardsinwidth。I
　　calledallhands，andcleareditinfifty-fiveminutessufficientlytoallowthefleettopassthrough。Uponanexaminationofthenextlake，I
　　found，tomyintensedisappointment，thatnotonlywasitclosedin，buttherewasnooutletvisibleevenfromthemast-head。Notadropofwaterwastobeseenahead，andtheentirecountrywasaperfectchaos，wherethespiritofGodapparentlyhadnotyetmoveduponthewaters。Therewasneitherearthnorclearwater，noranysolidresting-placeforahumanfoot。Nowandthenasolitarybitternrosefromthemarsh，but，beyondafewwater-rails，therewerenootherbirds。Thegrasswasswarmingwithsnakes，andalsowithpoisonousantsthatattackedthemen，andgreatlyinterferedwiththework。”Itiseasiertoclearapassagethroughthegreengrassthanthroughtherottenvegetation。Theformercanberolledinheapssoastoformbanks，itisthensecuredbytyingittothestronggrassgrowingbehindit；therottenstuffhasnoadherence，andachannelclosesupalmostasfastasitismade，thusourlabourdoesnopermanentgood。IamingreatanxietyaboutMr。Higginbotham；itwillbeimpossibleforhimtoproceedbythisroute，shouldhearrivewithacomparativelysmallforceandheavily-ladenvessels。”Asthechannelclosessorapidly，Imustwaituntilthesteamerscanformacompactlinewiththefleet。”TheblacktroopshavemorespiritthantheEgyptians，buttheyarenotsousefulinclearingchannels，astheyarebadswimmers。Theydiscoveredto-dayamuddyspotwheretheyhadagreathuntforfish，andsucceededincapturingwiththeirhandsabout500poundsweightoftheProlypterus，someofwhichwereabovefourpounds。WecaughtforourselvesanumberofverydeliciousboultiPercaNiloticawithacasting-net。”March15——Havingprobedthemarshwithlongpoles，Ifounddeepwaterbeneath，whichdenotedthecourseofthesub-vegetalstream。Allhandsatwork，andbytheeveningwehadcutachannel300yardsinlength。
　　Themarshswarmswithsnakes，oneofwhichmanagedtoenterthecabinwindowofthediahbeeah。Thetwosteamers，nowfarastern，havebecomechokedbyageneralbreakupandalterationoftheirportionoftheworld。ThesmalllakeinwhichIleftthemisnolongeropenwater，buthasbecomeadensemapsofcompressedvegetablerafts，inwhichthesteamersarejammedasthoughfrozeninanice-driftintheArcticregions！Thereismuchworkrequiredtoclearthem。Theonlychanceofprogresswillbetokeeptheentirefleetincompactlinesoastopushthroughanewchannelasquicklyasitismade。Ishallsendbackthewoodtender，ifpossible，fromthisspotwithalettertostopMr。
　　HigginbothamshouldhebesouthoftheSobat，asitwillbeimpossibleforhimtoproceeduntilnextseason。Manyofthemenaresickwithfever，andifthishorriblecountryshouldcontinue，theywillallsicken。”March16——Iwentbackinarowingboat，accompaniedbyLieutenantBaker，tothetwosteamerswhichwefoundstuckfastinthedriftrafts，thathadclosedinuponthen。Manymenaresick——allaredispirited；andtheyworkedbadly。Havingworkedallday，wereturnedat6。30p。m。，tomydiahbeeah，havingthegoodfortunetoshootsevenducksbyafamilyshotuponamudbankonthewayhome。”Ifoundthatthemainbodyunderthecolonel，RaoufBey，hadcompletedthechannelabout900yardslongtolakeNo。3。Iorderedsailtobemadeimmediately，andafterfivehours’hardwork，asthechannelwasalreadybeginningtoclose，wearrivedintheopenlakeat11。15p。m。，inwhichwefoundthefleetatanchor。”March17——Thelakeisabout21/2mileslong，andvariesfrom150to300yardsinwidth，withameandepthoftenfeet。Isentmenaheadintheboattoexploretheexit；theynowreportittobeclosedbyasmalldam，afterwhichweshallenteranotherlake。Thunderandcloudsthreateninginthesoutheast。”Abouthalf-an-hourbeforesunsetIobservedtheheadofahippopotamusemergefromthebankofhighgrassthatfringedthelake。Mytroopshadnomeat——thusIwouldnotlosetheopportunityofprocuring，ifpossible，asupplyofhippopotamusbeef。ItookaReillyNo。8