ismailia-第7节

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as　I　considered　this　arrangement　might　excite　an　esprit　de　corps；　and
would　in　the　event　of　discontent　prevent　a　coalition。

The　men　having　been　well　chosen　were　fine　examples　of　physique；　and
being　armed　with　the　snider　rifle　and　carefully　drilled；　such　a　body　of
picked　troops　would　form　a　nucleus　for　further　development；　and　might
become　a　dependable　support　in　any　emergency。　This　corps　was　commanded
by　an　excellent　officer；　my　aide…de…camp；　Lieut。…Colonel　Abd…el…Kader；
but　owing　to　the　peculiar　light…fingered　character　of　the　men；　I　gave　it
the　name　of　〃The　Forty　Thieves。〃

Eventually　the　corps　became　a　model　of　morality；　and　was　distinguished
for　valour　and　fidelity　throughout　the　expedition。

Six　months'　rations　were　on　board　for　all　hands；　in　addition　to　the
general　stores　of　corn；　and　cases；　bales；　&c。；　innumerable。

On　the　8th　February；　1870；　the　bugles　announced　the　departure。　The
troops　hurried　on　board　their　respective　transports　according　to　the
numbers　painted　on　their　sides　and　sails。　The　official　parting　was
accomplished。　I　had　had　to　embrace　the　governor；　then　a　black　pacha；　a
rara　avis　in　terris；　and　a　whole　host　of　beys；　concluding　the　affecting
ceremony　with　a　very　fat　colonel　whom　my　arms　could　not　properly
encircle。

A　couple　of　battalions　lined　the　shore；　the　guns　fired　the　usual　salute
as　we　started　on　our　voyage；　the　flotilla；　composed　of　two　steamers；
respectively　of　thirty…two　and　twenty…four　horsepower；　and　thirty…one
sailing　vessels；　with　a　military　force　of　about　800　men；　got　away　in
tolerable　order。　The　powerful　current　of　the　Blue　Nile　quickly　swept　us
past　Khartoum；　and　having　rounded　the　point；　we　steamed　up　the　grand
White　Nile。　The　wind　blew　very　strong　from　the　north；　thus　the　entire
fleet　kept　pace　with　the　steamers；　one　of　which　was　towing　my　diahbeeah；
and　the　other　that　of　the　colonel；　Raouf　Bey。　Thank　God　we　were　off；
thus　all　intrigues　were　left　behind；　and　the　future　would　be　under　my
own　command。

On　reference　to　my　journal；　I　find　the　following　entry　upon　8th
February；　1870：

〃Mr。　Higginbotham；　who　has　safely　arrived　at　Berber　with　the　steel
steamers　in　sections　for　the　Albert　N'yanza；　will；　I　trust；　be　provided
with　vessels　at　Khartoum；　according　to　my　orders；　so　as　to　follow　me　to
Gondokoro　with　supplies；　and　about　350　troops　with　four　guns。

〃My　original　programmeagreed　to　by　his　Highness　the　Khedive；　who
ordered　the　execution　of　my　orders　by　the　authoritiesarranged　that
six　steamers；　fifteen　sloops；　and　fifteen　diahbeeahs；　should　leave　Cairo
on　10th　June；　to　ascend　the　cataracts　to　Khartoum；　at　which　place
Djiaffer　Pacha　was　to　prepare　three　steamers　and　twenty…five　vessels　to
convey　1；650　troops；　together　with　transport　animals　and　supplies。

〃The　usual　Egyptian　delays　have　entirely　thwarted　my　plans。　No　vessels
have　arrived　from　Cairo；　as　they　only　started　on　29th　August。　Thus；
rather　than　turn　back；　I　start　with　a　mutilated　expedition；　without　a
SINGLE　TRANSPORT　ANIMAL。〃

Having　minutely　described　the　White　Nile　in　a　former　work；　〃The　Albert
N'yanza；〃　I　shall　not　repeat　the　description。　In　103　hours　and　ten
minutes'　steaming　we　reached　Fashoda；　the　government　station　in　the
Shillook　country；　N。　lat。　9　degrees　52　minutes；　618　miles　by　river　
from　Khartoum。

This　town　had　been　fortified　by　a　wall　and　flanking　towers　since　I　had
last　visited　the　White　Nile；　and　it　was　garrisoned　by　a　regiment　of
Egyptian　soldiers。　Ali　Bey；　the　governor；　was　a　remarkably　handsome　old
man；　a　Kurd。　He　assured　me　that　the　Shillook　country　was　in　excellent
order；　and　that　according　to　the　instructions　received　from　the　Khedive
he　had　exerted　himself　against　the　slave　trade；　so　that　it　was
impossible　for　vessels　to　pass　the　station。

Fashoda　was　well　situated　for　this　purpose；　as　it　completely　dominated
the　river；　but　I　much　doubted　my　friend's　veracity。

Having　taken　on　board　a　month's　rations　for　all　hands；　we　started；　and；
with　a　strong　breeze　in　our　favour；　we　reached　the　Sobat　junction　on
16th　February；　at　12。30　p。m。

There　we　took　in　fresh　water；　as　that　of　the　Sobat　is　superior　to　the
White　Nile。　At　this　season　the　river　was　about　eight　feet　below　the
level　of　the　bank。　The　water　of　the　Sobat　is　yellowish；　and　it　colours
that　of　the　White　Nile　for　a　great　distance。　By　dead　reckoning　I　made
the　Sobat　junction　684　miles　by　river　from　Khartoum。

When　I　saw　the　Sobat；　in　the　first　week　of　January　1863；　it　was
bank…full。　The　current　is　very　powerful；　and　when　I　sounded　in　various
places　during　my　former　voyage；　I　found　a　depth　of　twenty…six　to
twenty…eight　feet。　The　volume　of　water　brought　to　the　Nile　by　this　river
is　immense；　and　the　power　of　the　stream　is　so　superior　to　that　of　the
White　Nile；　that　as　it　arrives　at　right　angles；　the　waters　of　the　Nile
are　banked　up。　The　yellow　water　of　the　Sobat　forms　a　distinct　line　as　it
cuts　through　the　clear　water　of　the　main　river；　and　the　floating　rafts
of　vegetation　brought　down　by　the　White　Nile；　instead　of　continuing
their　voyage；　are　headed　back；　and　remain　helplessly　in　the　backwater。
The　sources　of　the　Sobat　are　still　a　mystery；　but　there　can　be　no　doubt
that　the　principal　volume　must　be　water　of　mountain　origin；　as　it　is
coloured　by　earthy　matter；　and　is　quite　unlike　the　marsh　water　of　the
White　Nile。　The　expeditions　of　the　slave…hunters　have　ascended　the
river　as　far　as　it　is　navigable。　At　that　point　seven　different　streams
converge　into　one　channel；　which　forms　the　great　river　Sobat。　It　is　my
opinion　that　some　of　these　streams　are　torrents　from　the　Galla　country；
while　others　are　the　continuation　of　those　southern　rivers　which　have
lately　been　crossed　by　the　slave…hunters　between　the　second　and　third
degrees　of　N。　latitude。

The　White　Nile　is　a　grand　river　between　the　Sobat　junction　and　Khartoum；
and　after　passing　to　the　south　of　the　great　affluent　the　difference　in
the　character　is　quickly　perceived。　We　now　enter　upon　the　region　of
immense　flats　and　boundless　marshes；　through　which　the　river　winds　in　a
labyrinth…like　course　for　about　750　miles　to　Gondokoro。

Having　left　the　Sobat；　we　arrived　at　the　junction　of　the　Bahr　Giraffe；
thirty…eight　miles　distant；　at　11　a。m。　on　17th　February。　We　turned　into
the　river；　and　waited　for　the　arrival　of　the　fleet。

The　Bahr　Giraffe　was　to　be　our　new　passage　instead　of　the　original　White
Nile。　That　river；　which　had　become　so　curiously　obstructed　by　masses　of
vegetation　that　had　formed　a　solid　dam；　already　described　by　me　in　〃The
Albert　N'yanza；〃　had　been　entirely　neglected　by　the　Egyptian
authorities。　In　consequence　of　this　neglect　an　extraordinary　change　had
taken　place。　The　immense　number　of　floating　islands　which　are　constantly
passing　down　the　stream　of　the　White　Nile　had　no　exit；　thus　they　were
sucked　under　the　original　obstruction　by　the　force　of　the　stream；　which
passed　through　some　mysterious　channel；　until　the　subterranean　passage
became　choked　with　a　wondrous　accumulation　of　vegetable　matter。　The
entire　river　became　a　marsh；　beneath　which；　by　the　great　pressure　of
water；　the　stream　oozed　through　innumerable　small　channels。　In　fact；　the
White　Nile　had　disappeared。　A　vessel　arriving　from　Khartoum　in　her
passage　to　Gondokoro　would　find；　after　passing　through　a　broad　river　of
clear　water；　that　her　bow　would　suddenly　strike　against　a　bank　of　solid
compressed　vegetationthis　was　the　natural　dam　that　had　been　formed　to
an　unknown　extent：　the　river　ceased　to　exist。

It　may　readily　be　imagined　that　a　dense　spongy　mass　which　completely
closed　the　river　would　act　as　a　filter：　thus；　as　the　water　charged　with
muddy　particles　arrived　at　the　dam　where　the　stream　was　suddenly
checked；　it　would　deposit　all　impurities　as　it　oozed　and　percolated
slowly　through　the　tangled　but　compressed　mass　of　vegetation。　This
deposit　quickly　created　mud…banks　and　shoals；　which　effectually　blocked
the　original　bed　of　the　river。　The　reedy　vegetation　of　the　country
immediately　took　root　upon　these　favourable　conditions；　and　the　rapid
growth　in　a　tropical　climate　may　be　imagined。　That　which　had　been　the
river　bed　was　converted　into　a　solid　marsh。

This　terrible　accumulation　had　been　increasing　for　five　or　six　years；
therefore　it　is　impossible　to　ascertain　or　even　to　speculate　upon　the
distance　to　which　it　might　extend。　The　slave…traders　had　been　obliged　to
seek　another　rout；　which　they　had　found　via　the　Bahr　Giraffe；　which
river　had　proved　to　be　merely　a　branch　of　the　White　Nile；　as　I　had
suggested　in　my　former　work；　and　not　an　independent　river。

I　was　rather　anxious　about　this　new　route；　as　I　had　heard　conflicting
accounts　in　Khartoum　concerning　the　possibility　of　navigating　such　large
vessels　as　the　steamers　of　thirty…two　horse…power　and　a　hundred　feet
length　of　deck。　I　was　provided　with　guides　who　professed　to　be
thoroughly　acquainted　with　the　river；　these　people　were　captains　of
trading　vessels；　who　had　made　the　voyage　frequently。

On　18th　February；　at　10　A。M。；　the　rear　vessels　of　the　fleet　arrived；　and
at　11。40　A。M。；　the　steamers　worked　up　against　the　strong　current
independently。　Towing　was　difficult；　owing　to　the　sharp　turns　of　the
river。　The　Bahr　Giraffe　was　about　seventy　yards　in　width；