Djiaffer Pacha had paid much
attention to the sons of Quat Kare at Khartoum, and the Khedive, in
reply to my representations, had appointed him chief of the country in
place of the pretender Jangy. The governor of Fashoda had been condemned
to disgrace. I left a handsome present for the old king Quat Kare, and
we departed excellent friends. The English party had been reduced by the
departure of Mr. Wood, Dr. Gedge, and two servants.
We had been deeply grieved by the sad news of the death of Dr. Gedge, at
Khartoum, a few days before we broke up the station of Tewfikeeyah. This
unfortunate gentleman was a great loss to the expedition, as he was not
only my chief medical officer, but combined the scientific attainments
of a botanist and naturalist.
I had made every preparation for cutting through the sudd, and we were
well prepared with many hundred sharp bill-hooks, switching-hooks,
bean-hooks, sabres, &c. I had also some hundred miners' spades, shovels,
&c., in case it might be necessary to deepen the shallows. While the
whole English party were full of spirit and determined to succeed, I
regret to say there was a general feeling of disappointment among the
Egyptian troops (including officers) that the expedition was once again
in full sail towards the south. Their hearts were either at Khartoum, or
sighing for the flesh-pots of Egypt. I had lost many men from sickness
during our sojourn at Tewfikeeyah, and the men were disheartened and
depressed. This feeling was increased by the unfortunate recurrence of
the fast of Ramadan, during which month the Mohammedans will neither
eat, drink, nor smoke from sunrise till sunset. The Koran exempts them
from the observance of this pernicious fast when on a long journey, but
my people preferred to keep it religiously, as it would be a plausible
excuse for neglecting work.
The Nile was full and unusually high; this was in favour of the voyage,
as success depended upon our crossing the shallows during the flood; it
was, therefore, necessary to push on with all speed so as to reach the
shallows which had been impassable last April, before the river should
fall.
It will now be necessary to refer to my original journal, as it would be
difficult to convey an idea of the voyage by a general description. A
few hours after starting, on 11th December 1870, I find this
entry: - "Thank goodness, we are off, and in good time, as the river is
exceedingly high, although it has already fallen about five inches from
its maximum. Mr. Higginbotham has been ill for a long time.
Lieutenant-Colonel Abd-el-Kader, my first aide-de-camp, although an
excellent officer, is almost useless from ill-health; thus the whole
work falls on myself and Julian (Lieutenant Baker) personally, and had I
not driven the officers forward from sunrise to sunset, we should not
have been off for another two months. These miserable people do not
understand energy, and the Ramadan increases their incapacity.
"December 12. - At 2.30 A.M., we were hailed when ten minutes within the
Bahr Giraffe, by two noggurs (vessels) in distress. Stopped the steamer
immediately, and then heard that the No. 15 noggur, their consort, had
sunk in deep water, close to this spot.
"At day-break I searched the river, and discovered the wreck in eighteen
feet depth of water. Two good divers worked for about two hours, and
recovered three muskets and several copper cooking pots belonging to the
soldiers. The story of the reis (captain) is, that she sprang a plank
at about 4 A.M., six days ago, while under sail with a light wind, and
she filled and sank immediately, the men having barely time to save
themselves. Unfortunately, she had on board, in addition to one hundred
urdeps of corn (450 bushels), a section of one of Samuda's steel
lifeboats; this was placed upon the corn, before the mast, but having an
air-tight compartment, it must have floated away in the dark without
being noticed.
"The story of the reis is false; there can be no doubt that the crew and
soldiers were fast asleep, and the vessel was run into by one of her
consorts. Had the people been awake, the least movement of the helm
would have run the vessel high and dry in this narrow river, as the
banks are flooded, and she was close to the side. As the collision
occurred, the people, suddenly awakened from sleep, were seized with
panic, and only thought of saving themselves; thus the noggur lies in
three-fathom water, and the invaluable section of a lifeboat is lost.
The worry and disappointment, together with the loss of property,
occasioned by these people, is beyond all description. Every man detests
the expedition. The boats are nearly all old and rotten, and with such
wretched material I have to conduct this fleet with 30,000l. worth of
property. I dread the probable loss of some vessel laden with sections
of the lake steamers, in which case the expedition would be ruined in
spite of all my care. I trust that the floating portion of the life boat
may be picked up by some of Agad's vessels in the rear.
"Leaving the hopeless wreck, we continued the voyage at 10.50 A.M., in
company with the two noggurs, with a brisk north wind. At 5.20 P.M., we
stopped at a forest to collect firewood.
"December 14. - Started at 7.30 A.M. Thermometer, Fahrenheit, at 6 A.M.,
67 degrees; noon, 85 degrees. This is the lowest temperature we have
had.
"Passed a number of our vessels, one having broken her yard. At 12.5
stopped at a forest to fill up with wood.
