He
succeeded in re-opening the White Nile to navigation in the following
season.
The Khedive had given this important order in consequence of letters
that I had written on 31st August, 1870, to the Minister of the
Interior, Cherif Pacha, and to his Highness direct on 8th October, 1871,
in which communications I had strenuously advocated the absolute
necessity of taking the work in hand, with a determination to
re-establish the river in its original navigable condition.
Ismail Ayoub Pacha had been working with a large force, and he had
succeeded in clearing, according to his calculations, one half of the
obstruction, which extended for many miles.
There was no engineering difficulty in the undertaking, which was simply
a matter of time and steady labour.
The immense force of the main stream, thus confined by matted and
tangled vegetation, would materially assist the work, as the clearing
was commenced from below the current.
The work would become lighter as the head of the sudd would be neared.
A curious accident had happened to Ismail Pacha by the sudden break-up
of a large portion of the sudd, that had been weakened by cutting a long
but narrow channel.
The prodigious rafts of vegetation were hurried before the stream like
ice-floes, and these masses having struck against a line of six noggurs,
the vessels were literally swept away and buried beneath the great
rafts, until they capsized and disappeared for ever in the deep channel.
Late in the evening Ismail Pacha took leave and returned in his steamer
to Khartoum. We had enjoyed a long conversation, and I felt sure that
the Soudan and Central Africa would quickly feel the benefit of Ismail
Ayoub Pacha's administration, as he combined great energy and
determination with nine years' experience of the requirements of his
province.
On 29th June the new steamer, the Khedive, rounded the point at full
speed with our diahbeeah in tow.
All the population of Khartoum thronged to the banks and the new quay to
witness the arrival of the extraordinary steamer that travelled without
paddles, and which had been constructed by the Englishmen at Ismailia
(Gondokoro).
The troops were in order, and as the Khedive drew alongside the quay we
were warmly welcomed by Ismail Ayoub Pacha with the usual formalities.
A few days latter, a steamer arrived from Fashoda with the three vessels
in tow belonging to Abou Saood, which had attempted to pass the
government station with more than 600 slaves on board, about 100 having
died of the small-pox since I had left the Bahr Giraffe. The small-pox
was still raging on board, therefore the vessels were taken to the north
bank of the Blue Nile and placed in quarantine.
