"January 30.-The fleet joined in sections during last night and to-day.
Set to work with the long-handled hoes, and cut a channel through the
shallows for fifty yards, and took the vessels forward.
"January 31.-Cut a channel through the shallows, but we could not get
the steamer along.
"February 1.-About 1,200 men at work cutting a channel and towing the
steamer and noggurs through. The diahbeeah and two noggurs passed ahead
for about a mile. We then stopped to await the steamer and other vessels
that were delayed by the powerful current.
"February 2.-Stopped all day waiting for the steamer about a mile ahead
of the noggurs. When we left the dubba, I had left a letter in a bottle,
addressed to Tayib Agha, to order him to come on without delay, and
deepen the channels we have cut, should it be necessary.
"February 3.-The steamer came up at 10 a.m. At 10.45 the diahbeeah made
sail, and after two miles was delayed by a small sudd. Care must be
taken to sail by the west branch of the two streams, as there is no
water in the east channel.
"For six miles we have had nothing but shallows. Even at this season
there is only a depth of four feet in many places, and a month hence the
river will be impassable.
"Tayib Agha's boats are in sight, about four miles distance, bearing
north. We cut through the small sudd, and in a quarter of a mile, we
arrived at an open water, very shallow: in many places only three feet
deep. Stopped for the fleet, and upon arrival of the steamer and others,
I had marked out the channel to be cleared. The men set to work
immediately. I then passed ahead with the diahbeeah for about a mile and
a half, the depth of water, as usual, varying, but often as low as four
feet. We were at length stopped at the confluence of two channels, each
shallow. The sun was setting, therefore we halted for the night. A
buffalo crossed the river about 200 yards ahead.
"February 4.-I took the dingy early in the morning and explored both
channels; that on the right has no water beyond a depth of about two
feet. The left is the true stream, but the depth in some places is only
three feet; thus there is more work for the men upon their arrival. Had
we arrived here a month earlier, we could have just passed the shallows,
as our vessels draw an average of a little over four feet. No vessels
should arrive here later than 1st of January; the entire river is a
ridiculous imposition; a month later, the bed will be nearly dry. A mile
ahead, both channels are closed by a sudd of vegetation, we must thus
await until the boats arrive. Altogether the entire journey by the Bahr
Giraffe is a painful absurdity, and my expedition will be fruitless in
all but geographical results unless the authorities of the Soudan will
clear the main channel of the White Nile.
"February 5.-None of the vessels arrived yesterday. I went back and
found them in a terrible fix, as the water is leaving us rapidly, and we
must cut a fresh channel through the sand, about one hundred yards long.
"February 6.-I took the diahbeeah a mile and a quarter ahead to a sudd,
passing over several shallows of only two feet eight inches, and three
feet, which will again cause great delay and labour. I returned to the
fleet and assisted in the tedious work of dragging the vessels over the
shallows. In the evening I returned to the diahbeeah, and having dragged
the dingy across the sudd, I explored the channel ahead for an hour, for
about three miles; passed over distressing shallows for a space of a
quarter of a mile ahead of the diahbeeah, after which I entered a deep,
narrow channel with very rapid current.
"It is quite impossible to say where we are as the professed guides seem
to know nothing of this horrible chaos, which changes its appearance
constantly. It is most harassing.
"February 7.-Last evening I brought the diahbeeah back to the fleet, so
as to push the work forward personally. The soldiers and officers hope
we shall return as failures, in the same manner as last year. I have,
therefore, informed them and Raouf Bey officially, that no boats shall
retreat, but that should the river run dry, they shall remain here until
the rise of the water during the next wet season, when they shall go on
to Wat-el-Shambi. This decision has frightened them, and they are
working to-day with better spirit.
"I unpacked and served out a hundred spades for digging channels; and I
have ordered them to commence to-morrow morning and dig out a straight
passage for the thirty one vessels that still remain in the shallows.
"February 8.-This is the date of departure last year from Khartoum; an
inconceivable madness had any one known the character of the river. All
hands as usual tugging, hauling, and deepening the river with spades and
hoes; but the more we dig, the faster the water runs out of the bed,
which threatens to leave us high and dry.
"February 9-The work as usual. All hands thoroughly disgusted. I am
obliged to lighten the vessels by discharging cargo in the mud. Our
waggons make excellent platforms for the luggage. Even with this
assistance we only drew seven vessels through the shallows into the true
river channel.
"To-morrow we must discharge more cargo.
"The anxiety of leading 1,600 men, and fifty-eight vessels with heavy
cargoes, through this horrible country is very distressing.
"When I shall have succeeded in dragging the vessels into the true
channel, I shall construct a dam in the rear, so as to retain the water
at a higher level.
