”Itwas，ofcourse，necessarytokeepseveraltallant-hillsinalinewiththatuponwhichtheantelopewasstanding，andtostoopsolowthatIcouldonlyseethehornsoftheanimaluponthesky-line。Insomeplacesitwasnecessarytocrawlupontheground；thiswastryingwork，onaccountofthesharpstumpsoftheburntherbagewhichpunishedthehandsandknees。Thefinecharcoaldustfromtherecentfirewasalsoatrouble，asthewindblewitintotheeyes。Thewatermarkupontheant-hillswasabouteighteeninchesabovethebase，provingtheheightoftheannualfloods；andavastnumberofthelargewaterhelix，thesizeofaman’sfist，layscatteredovertheground，destroyedandpartiallycalcinedbythelateprairiefire。”Thesunwasveryhot，andIfoundcrawlingsogreatadistancealaboriousoperation；myeyeswerenearlyblindedwithperspirationandcharcoaldust；buteverynowandthen，asIcarefullyraisedmyhead，Icoulddistinguishthehornsoftheantelopeintheoriginalposition。AtlengthIarrivedatthebaseofthelastant-hillfromwhichImusttakemyshot。”Therewereafewtuftsoflowscrubgrowingonthesummit；totheseI
　　climbed，anddiggingmytoesfirmlyintoaninequalityinthesideofthehill，Iplantedmyelbowswellonthesurface，mycapbeingconcealedbythesmallbushesandtuftsofwitheredgrass。Theantelopewasstandingunconsciouslyabout170yards，or，asIthenconsidered，about180yardsfromme，perfectlymotionless，andmuchresemblingafigurefixeduponapedestal。Thebroadsidewasexposed，thusitwouldhavebeenimpossibletohavehadamoreperfectopportunityafteralongstalk。Havingwaitedinapositionforaminuteortwo，tobecomecoolandtoclearmyeyes，Iaimedathisshoulder。AlmostasItouchedthetrigger，theantelopesanksuddenlyuponitsknees，inwhichpositionitremainedforsomesecondsonthesummitoftheant-hill，andthenrolleddowntothebase，dead。Isteppedtheexactdistance，169paces。Ihadfiredratherhigh，asthebullethadbrokenthespinealittleinfrontoftheshoulder-blade。Itwasaverybeautifulanimal，afinebull，ofthesamekindthatIhadkilledon1stApril。Thisantelopewasaboutthirteenhandshighattheshoulder，theheadlong，thefaceandearsblack，alsothetopofthehead；thebodybrightbay，withastripeofblackaboutfifteeninchesinwidthextendingobliquelyacrosstheshoulder，downboththeforeandthehindlegs，andmeetingattherump。
　　Thetailwaslong，withatuftoflongblackhairattheextremity。Thehornsweredeeplyannulated，andcurvedbackwardstowardstheshoulders。”Thiswasaverylargeanimal，thatwouldhaveweighedquitethirtystonewhengralloched。Myboatman，whohadbeenwatchingthesport，immediatelydespatchedamanforassistancetothediahbeeah。Ienjoyedthebeautyofthisanimal：thehideglistenedlikethecoatofawell-groomedhorse。”Ididnotreachthediahbeeahuntil6p。m。；wethenstartedwithoutdelay，andreachedthefleetatmidnight，atthejunctionoftheditchthroughwhichwehadpreviouslyarrivedatthemainriver。”April4——Thevesselsarepassingwithgreatdifficultyovertheshallowentranceoftheditch。”April5——Allthevesselshavepassed。At6p。m。wesucceeded，aftermuchlabour，ingettingthelastofthesteamersthrough。Thisaccomplished，andhavingthestreaminourfavour，wepassedalonginacompactlineforaboutamileandahalf，theditchthatwehadopenedbeingclearandingoodorder。”April6——Anothersoldierdied。Thispoormanwasthecompanionofhimwho，afewdaysago，prophesiedhisownendwhenhelosthisfriend。
　　Curiouslyenough，hediedashewaspassingthespotwherehisfriendwasburied，andwehadtoburyhiminthesameant-hill。TheEgyptiantroopsareveryunhealthy。Whentheyfirstjoinedtheexpedition，theywereanexceedinglypowerfulbodyofmen，whosePHYSIQUEImuchadmired，althoughtheirMORALEwasoftheworsttype。Ithinkthateverymanhaslostatleastastoneinweightsincewecommencedthisdreadfulvoyageinchaos，ortheSloughofDespond。”Theboatsreachedthesmalllake，andcontinuedtheirvoyagethroughthechannel，andanchoredforthenightatthenorthernextremityofthefive-milelake。Wecatchdeliciousfishdailywiththecasting-net；thebestaretheNileperch，thatrunsfromapoundtofourorfivepounds，andaspeciesofcarp。Oneofmyboatmenisaprofessionalfishermanwhounderstandsthecasting-net，butheistheonlymanwhocanuseit。”April7——Thechannelisagainblockedup；allhandsclearingintothenextlake。Anothersoldierdied——makingatotalofnine；withtwosailorsandaboy——totaltwelve。”April8——PassedintolakeNo。2，andbytheafternoonreachedlakeNo。
　　3，wherewefoundouroldchannelblockedup。Isetmentoworktoopenthepassage，butthereisnochanceofitscompletionuntilaboutnoonto-morrow。Sincewepassedthislakeachangehastakenplace，theobstructionthroughwhichwecutachannelhasentirelybrokenup。Largeraftsofabouttwoacreseachhavedriftedasunder，andhavefloatedtotheendofthelake。Itisthusimpossibletopredictwhatthefuturemayeffect。Therecanbenodoubtthatthewholeofthiscountrywasatsomeformerperiodalake，whichhasgraduallyfilledupwithvegetation。Thedryland，whichisonlyexposedduringthehotseason，istheresultofthedecayofvegetablematter。Theashesofthegrassthatisannuallyburnt，bydegreesformasoil。Weareevennowwitnessingtheoperationthathasformed，andisstillincreasing，thevasttractofalluvialsoilthroughwhichwehavepassed。Thereisnotastonenorevenasmallpebbleforadistanceoftwohundredmiles；thecountryissimplemud。”April9——Passedtheoldchannelat11。45a。m。，aftermuchlabour，andwefoundthelongfive-milecuttingprettyclear，withtheexceptionoftwoorthreesmallobstructions。At5。30p。m。wereachedtheBahrGiraffe，fromwhichextremelynarrowchannelwehadfirstcommencedourdifficultworkofcuttingthroughmanymilesofcountry。”Whocouldbelievethechange?Someevilspiritappearstoruleinthishorribleregionofeverlastingswamp。Awaveofthedemon’swand，andanincrediblechangeappears！ThenarrowandchokedBahrGiraffehasdisappeared；insteadofwhichariverofahundredyards’widthofclearrunningwatermeetsusatthejunctionofourcutting。AsfarastheeyecanreachtotheE。S。E。，thereisasuccessionoflargeopensheetsofwaterwhereafewdaysagowesawnothingbutaboundlessplainofmarshgrass，withoutonedropofwatervisible。Thesesheetsofwatermarkthecourseofariver，buteachlakeisseparatedbyadamoffloatingvegetation。Thevolumeofwaterisveryimportant，andastreamisrunningattherateofthreemilesanhour。Nevertheless，althoughinopenwater，wenowfindourselvesprisonersinaspeciesoflake，aswearecompletelyshutinbyaseriousdamofdenseraftsofvegetationthathavebeenborneforwardandtightlycompressedbythegreatforceofthisnewriver。Itissimplyridiculoustosupposethatthisrivercaneverberenderednavigable。Oneortwovessels，ifalone，wouldbeutterlyhelpless，andmightbeentirelydestroyedwiththeircrewsbyasuddenchangethatwouldbreakupthecountryandinclosetheminatrapfromwhichtheycouldneverescape。”Wepassedthenightatanchor。Manyhippopotamiaresnortingandsplashinginthenewlakes。”April10——Afterahardday’slabour，aportionofthefleetsucceededincuttingthroughthemostseriousdam，andwedescendedouroldrivertothedubba，ordrymound，wherewehadfirstdiscoveredvestigesofthetraders。TheNo。10steamerarrivedintheevening。Theriveriswiderthanwhenwelastsawit，butismuchobstructedbysmallislands，formedofraftsofvegetationthathavegroundedintheirdescent。I
　　fearwemayfindtheriverchokedinmanyplacesbelowstream。Nodependencecaneverbeplaceduponthisaccursedriver。ThefabulousStyxmustbeasweetripplingbrook，comparedtothishorriblecreation。
　　Aviolentwindactinguponthehighwavingplainofsugar-canegrassmaysuddenlycreateachange；sometimesislandsaredetachedbythegambolsofaherdofhippopotami，whoseruderamblesduringthenight，breaknarrowlanesthroughthefloatingplainsofwater-grass，andseparatelargemassesfromthemainbody。”Thewaterbeingpentupbyenormousdamsofvegetation，mixedwithmudandhalf-decayedmatter，formsachainoflakesatslightly-varyinglevels。Thesuddenbreakingofonedamwouldthuscauseanimpetuousrushofstreamthatmighttearawaymilesofcountry，andentirelychangetheequilibriumofthefloatingmasses。”April11——Isentasailingvesselaheadtoexaminetheriver，withordersthatsheshoulddipherensignincaseshemetwithanobstruction。ThankGod，allisclear。Ithereforeorderedthesteamerstoremounttheirpaddles。”Westartedat10p。m。”April12——At11。30p。m。wemetfiveofGhatta’s[*]boatsboundfortheWhiteNile。Thesepeopledeclaredtheirintentionofreturning，whentheyheardthedeplorableaccountoftheriver。
　　[*Footnote：oneoftheprincipalKhartoumivoryandslave-traders]”At2a。m。wearrivedatouroldposition，closetoourformerwoodstationintheforest。”April13——Startedat11。30a。m。Theriverhasfallenthreefeetsincewewerehere，andthecountryisnowdry。Mr。BakerandIthereforewalkedaportionofthewayuponthebanksasthediahbeeahslowlydescendedthestream。Thereweregreatnumbersofwildfowl；alsohippopotami，andbeingprovidedwithbothshotgunsandheavyrifleswemadeaverycuriousbagduringtheafternoon，thatinEnglandorScotlandwouldhavebeendifficulttocarryhome；weshotandsecuredtwohippopotami，onecrocodile，twenty-twogeese，andtwentyducks。”At7p。m。wearrivedatthestationofKutchukAli。Isentforthevakeel，oragent，commandingthecompany，towhomIthoroughlyexplainedthesystemandsuppressionoftheslavetrade。Heseemedveryincredulousthatitwouldactuallybeenforced；butIrecommendedhimnottomaketheexperimentofsendingcargoesofslavesdowntoKhartoum，ashehaddoneinpreviousyears。Heappearedtobeveryconfidentthatbecausehisemployer，KutchukAli，hadbeenpromotedtotherankofsandjak，withthecommandofagovernmentexpedition，noinquirywouldbemadeconcerningtheactsofhispeople。NogreaterproofcouldbegivenoftheinsincerityoftheSoudanauthoritiesinprofessingtosuppresstheslavetrade，thanthefactthatDjiafferPacha，thegovernor-generaloftheSoudan，hadgiventhecommandofanexpeditiontothissameKutchukAli，whowasknownasoneoftheprincipalslave-tradersoftheWhiteNile。”April14——Oneofmyblacksoldiersdeserted，butwascaptured。Wealsocaughtasailorwhohaddesertedtotheslave-huntersduringourpassageuptheriver，butaswereturnedunexpectedlyhewasdiscovered。Thecolonel，RaoufBey，reportedthismorningthatseveralofficersandsoldiershadactuallypurchasedslavesto-dayfromKutchukAli’sstation；thus，theKhedive’stroops，whoareemployedundermycommandtosuppresstheslavetrade，wouldquicklyconverttheexpeditionintoaslavemarket。Iatonceorderedtheslavestobereturned，andissuedstringentinstructionstotheofficers。”Isawthisafternoonanumberofnewly-capturedslavewomenandgirlsfetchingwaterundertheguardofascoundrelwithaloadedmusket。I
　　knowthatthestationisfullofslaves；butthereismuchdiplomacynecessary，andatpresentIdonotintendtovisittheircamp。”April15——Topreventfurtherdesertions，itwasnecessarytoofferanexampletothetroops。Ithereforecondemnedthedeserterwhowascapturedyesterdaytobeshotatnoon。”Atthebuglecall，thetroopsmusteredonparadeinfulluniform。Theprisonerinironswasbroughtforwardandmarchedroundthehollowsquare，accompaniedbymuffleddrums。”Thesentencehavingbeendeclared，afterashortaddresstothemen，theprisonerwasledout，andthefiringpartyadvanced。Hewasafineyoungmanofabouttwentyyearsofage，anativeofPongo，whohadbeentakenasaslave，andhadbecomeasoldieragainsthiswill。”Therewasmuchallowancefordesertionunderthecircumstances，andI
　　wasmovedbythemanlywayinwhichhepreparedfordeath。Hecasthiseyearound，buthefoundneithersympathynorfriendsinthehardfeaturesoftheofficersandmen。Theslave-trader’speoplehadturnedoutingreatnumbers，dressedintheirbestclothes，toenjoythefunofamilitaryexecution。Thefiringpartywasready；theprisonerkneltdownwithhisbacktowardsthem，ataboutfivepacesdistant。Atthatmomentheturnedhisfacewithabeseechingexpressiontowardsme；buthewasorderedimmediatelytolookstraightbeforehim。