This Immensely Long And Thick
Grass, Resembling Sugar-Canes, Was Exactly The Material That We
Required.
It was this gratis that created natural obstructions, and
would therefore assist us in our artificial obstruction or dam.
The
sailors of the fleet worked in divisions under separate officers.
On March 13, all the preparations were completed for the work of filling
in the dam. Great piles of solid balls of clay, of about 40 lbs. each,
had been arranged in convenient places to stop up any leaks that should
occur.
I stood on one of the stranded boats only a few yards from the row of
piles. The men were all in their places. The buglers and drummers stood
upon another vessel ready to give the signal.
At the first bugle, every two men lifted the sacks of sand and clay. At
once all the drums and bugles then sounded the advance, and 500 heavy
sacks were dropped into the row of piles, and firmly stamped down by the
men. The troops now worked with intense energy. It was a race between
the Soudanis and the Egyptians; this was labour to which the latter were
accustomed in their own country. The sailors worked as vigorously as the
troops; piles of fascines and clay balls were laid with extraordinary
rapidity, while some stamped frantically and danced upon the entangled
mass, all screaming and shouting in great excitement, and the bugles and
drums kept up an incessant din. A long double line of men formed a
transport corps, and passed a never-failing supply of fascines to the
workers who stood in the water and kneaded firmly the adhesive mass.
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