The Steamer Is Hard And Fast, Although She Has Discharged
Everything, And She Must Be Literally Dug Out Of The Passage."
March 9.-From Feb.
11 to this date we had toiled through every species
of difficulty. The men had cut one straight line of canal through a
stiff clay for a distance of 600 yards. Many were sick, some had died;
there appeared to be no hope. It was in vain that I endeavoured to cheer
both officers and men with tales and assurances of the promised land
before them, should they only reach the Nile. They had worked like
slaves in these fetid marshes until their spirits were entirely
broken, - the Egyptians had ceased to care whether they lived or died.
The enormous quantity of machinery, iron sections of steamers, supplies,
&c., had actually been discharged from fifty-eight vessels. The river
had fallen still lower, and upon the quickly sun-baked surface I made a
road, and having set up my waggons, I conveyed the great mass of cargo
across the land by a short cut, and thus reached my long line of
vessels, and reloaded them after great labour. The waggons were then
taken to pieces and re-shipped. It would be wearying to give the journal
of every incident during this trying period, but from the description
already given, the fatigue and anxiety may be imagined. Thank God, I
seemed to bear a charmed life. From morning till night I was exploring
in a small boat through mud and marsh, but I was completely fever-proof.
My wife was also well. Lieutenant Baker and Mr. Higginbotham had
suffered frequently from fever, but these energetic officers rendered me
most important service. While I was ahead exploring, sounding, and
planning out the route, Lieutenant Baker was commanding and directing
the steamer, which appeared more like a huge stranded whale among the
rushes than an object adapted for the navigation of this horrible
country. I had a first-rate crew on my diahbeeah, and some picked men of
the "Forty Thieves" who always accompanied me. The best and most devoted
man that I have ever seen was a corporal of the "Forty Thieves" named
Monsoor. This man was a Copt (Christian descendant of the true
Egyptians); he was rather short, but exceedingly powerful; he swam and
dived like an otter, and never seemed to feel fatigue. He was always in
good health, very courageous, and he accompanied me like my own shadow;
he seemed to watch over me as a mother would regard an only child. In
fact, this excellent man appeared to have only one thought and object.
I had been as usual exploring far ahead of the toiling and labouring
fleet, when, after pulling our little boat with the aid of fourteen men
for several hours over a great mass of high floating grass, we suddenly
emerged upon open water. We at once took to our boat, and hoisted the
sprit-sail. The men stowed themselves as ballast in the bottom.
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