ismailia-第25节

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I　always　slept　with　a　pistol　under　my　pillow；　therefore；　I　gently
grasped　the　revolver　in　my　hand；　and　endeavoured　quietly　to　get　out　of
my　noisy　bed。

The　wretched　piece　of　furniture　gave　the　most　alarming　creak；　this　was
immediately　succeeded　by　a　sound　in　the　next　room　of　the　sudden　closing
of　a　box；　and　the　movement　of　some　person。　I　could　not　be　sure　that　it
was　not　Lady　Baker；　who　had　perhaps　required　something　from　a　box；　and
did　not　wish　to　disturb　me。　This　was　not　likely；　and　I　felt　that　no　time
must　be　lost；　as　my　bedstead　had　given　the　alarm。　I　therefore　sprang　out
of　bed　and　rushed　through　the　open　doorway；　just　in　time　to　see　some
person　jump　through　the　Venetian　blinds　on　the　river　side　of　the　house。

To　cry　out　〃Who's　there？〃　and　to　fire　a　shot　was　the　work　of　an　instant；
and　jumping　after　him　in　pursuit　I　found　myself　in　darkness；　and　no　one
visible　outside　my　house。　Where　was　the　sentry？　Nowhere！

At　the　cry　of　〃Guard！〃　not　a　soul　appeared；　the　sentry　was　not　to　be
found。　At　length；　after　a　search；　he　turned　up　in　the　wrong　place；
looking　confused；　and　confessed　that　he　had　been　asleep；　but　awakened　by
the　sound　of　a　shot。　By　this　time　a　number　of　non…commissioned　officers
had　arrived；　who　had　been　alarmed　by　the　pistol…shot　and　the　cry　of
〃Guard！〃　The　sentry　was　put　under　arrest。　A　search　was　made　everywhere；
but　no　trace　of　the　thief　could　be　found。　On　making　an　examination　of
the　premises；　we　found　a　dirty　shirt　that　the　thief　had　in　his　hurry
left　behind　him；　this　was　evidently　intended　to　receive　the　spoil　in
lieu　of　a　bag。　I　could　not　find　the　trace　of　a　bullet…mark　either　upon
the　planks　or　upon　the　Venetian　blinds；　therefore；　I　considered　that　the
thief　must　have　been　hit；　or　if　missed；　the　ball　must　have　passed　out　as
he　pushed　the　blinds　aside　when　in　the　act　of　springing　through。

I　suspected　the　sentry；　who　was　an　Egyptian　belonging　to　the　〃Forty
Thieves。〃　He　was　stripped　and　examined；　but　there　was　no　wound。　All　the
shirts　were　alike；　therefore　the　shirt　in　my　possession　was　no　clue。　My
wife　had　been　startled；　but　she　quickly　recovered　herself；　the　sentry
was　flogged；　and　there　the　matter　ended；　we　had　no　London　detectives。



CHAPTER　VI。

THE　START。

December　11。The　first　division　of　the　fleet；　composed　of　eight
vessels；　had　started；　according　to　my　previous　arrangement；　on　1st　inst。
Every　third　or　fourth　day　another　division　followed　the　advance；　until
on　the　11th　I　brought　up　the　rear；　and　completed　the　departure　with
twenty…six　vessels；　including　the　No。　10　steamer　and　my　diahbeeah。　The
wind　was　fair　from　the　north。

The　extensive　and　neat　station　of　Tewfikeeyah　was　completely　dismantled。
The　iron　magazines　and　their　contents　were　now　safely　stowed　in　the
various　ships；　and　were　already　on　their　voyage　towards　Gondokoro。　The
horses　were　shipped　and　the　stables　had　been　pulled　down；　and　the　wood
cut　up　for　fuel。　The　long　rows　of　white　tents　had　vanished；　and　little
remained　of　the　station　except　a　few　rows　of　deserted　huts。　It　seemed
extraordinary　that　so　large　a　place　could　be　packed　up　and　stowed　away
among　the　fifty…nine　vessels　of　the　fleet。

The　English　shipwrights　had　constructed　three　very　useful　boats；　each
exactly　the　same　size；　about　16　ft。　x　5　ft。；　thus　we　had　a　total　of
seven　small　boats　to　assist　in　the　explorations　of　the　obstructed　river。

I　left　the　Shillook　country　at　peace。　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。　While　looking　for　wood；　a
soldier　found　a　dead　elephant　with　tusks　that　weighed　about　120　lbs。　I
gave　him　a　present　of　five　dollars；　also　one　dollar　to　Saat　for　having
recovered　from　the　sunken　vessel　the　cooking　pots　and　muskets。

〃Wind　very　strong　from　north。　The　north　wind　always　commences