The wind blew very strong from the north, thus the entire
fleet kept pace with the steamers, one of which was towing my diahbeeah,
and the other that of the colonel, Raouf Bey. Thank God we were off;
thus all intrigues were left behind, and the future would be under my
own command.
On reference to my journal, I find the following entry upon 8th
February, 1870: -
"Mr. Higginbotham, who has safely arrived at Berber with the steel
steamers in sections for the Albert N'yanza, will, I trust, be provided
with vessels at Khartoum, according to my orders, so as to follow me to
Gondokoro with supplies, and about 350 troops with four guns.
"My original programme - agreed to by his Highness the Khedive, who
ordered the execution of my orders by the authorities - arranged that
six steamers, fifteen sloops, and fifteen diahbeeahs, should leave Cairo
on 10th June, to ascend the cataracts to Khartoum, at which place
Djiaffer Pacha was to prepare three steamers and twenty-five vessels to
convey 1,650 troops, together with transport animals and supplies.
"The usual Egyptian delays have entirely thwarted my plans. No vessels
have arrived from Cairo, as they only started on 29th August. Thus,
rather than turn back, I start with a mutilated expedition, without a
SINGLE TRANSPORT ANIMAL."
Having minutely described the White Nile in a former work, "The Albert
N'yanza," I shall not repeat the description. In 103 hours and ten
minutes' steaming we reached Fashoda, the government station in the
Shillook country, N. lat. 9 degrees 52 minutes, 618 miles by river
from Khartoum.
This town had been fortified by a wall and flanking towers since I had
last visited the White Nile, and it was garrisoned by a regiment of
Egyptian soldiers. Ali Bey, the governor, was a remarkably handsome old
man, a Kurd. He assured me that the Shillook country was in excellent
order; and that according to the instructions received from the Khedive
he had exerted himself against the slave trade, so that it was
impossible for vessels to pass the station.
Fashoda was well situated for this purpose, as it completely dominated
the river; but I much doubted my friend's veracity.
Having taken on board a month's rations for all hands, we started; and,
with a strong breeze in our favour, we reached the Sobat junction on
16th February, at 12.30 p.m.
There we took in fresh water, as that of the Sobat is superior to the
White Nile. At this season the river was about eight feet below the
level of the bank.
