I Had A First-Rate Crew On My Diahbeeah, And Some Picked Men Of
The "Forty Thieves" Who Always Accompanied Me.
The best and most devoted
man that I have ever seen was a corporal of the "Forty Thieves" named
Monsoor.
This man was a Copt (Christian descendant of the true
Egyptians); he was rather short, but exceedingly powerful; he swam and
dived like an otter, and never seemed to feel fatigue. He was always in
good health, very courageous, and he accompanied me like my own shadow;
he seemed to watch over me as a mother would regard an only child. In
fact, this excellent man appeared to have only one thought and object.
I had been as usual exploring far ahead of the toiling and labouring
fleet, when, after pulling our little boat with the aid of fourteen men
for several hours over a great mass of high floating grass, we suddenly
emerged upon open water. We at once took to our boat, and hoisted the
sprit-sail. The men stowed themselves as ballast in the bottom. The wind
was strong from the north, and we travelled at about five miles per
hour, the lake expanding as we rounded a promontory until it attained a
width of about half a mile. Following the course of the lake for about
five miles, we found a river flowing directly into the long-sought
channel. Only one mile and a quarter from the lake, by this small river,
we entered the great White Nile!
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