Atthecryof”Guard！”notasoulappeared；thesentrywasnottobefound。Atlength，afterasearch，heturnedupinthewrongplace，lookingconfused，andconfessedthathehadbeenasleep，butawakenedbythesoundofashot。Bythistimeanumberofnon-commissionedofficershadarrived，whohadbeenalarmedbythepistol-shotandthecryof”Guard！”Thesentrywasputunderarrest。Asearchwasmadeeverywhere，butnotraceofthethiefcouldbefound。Onmakinganexaminationofthepremises，wefoundadirtyshirtthatthethiefhadinhishurryleftbehindhim；thiswasevidentlyintendedtoreceivethespoilinlieuofabag。Icouldnotfindthetraceofabullet-markeitherupontheplanksorupontheVenetianblinds，therefore，Iconsideredthatthethiefmusthavebeenhit，orifmissed，theballmusthavepassedoutashepushedtheblindsasidewhenintheactofspringingthrough。
Isuspectedthesentry，whowasanEgyptianbelongingtothe”FortyThieves。”Hewasstrippedandexamined，buttherewasnowound。Alltheshirtswerealike，thereforetheshirtinmypossessionwasnoclue。Mywifehadbeenstartled，butshequicklyrecoveredherself；thesentrywasflogged，andtherethematterended；wehadnoLondondetectives。
CHAPTERVI。
THESTART。
December11——Thefirstdivisionofthefleet，composedofeightvessels，hadstarted，accordingtomypreviousarrangement，on1stinst。
Everythirdorfourthdayanotherdivisionfollowedtheadvance，untilonthe11thIbroughtuptherear，andcompletedthedeparturewithtwenty-sixvessels，includingtheNo。10steamerandmydiahbeeah。Thewindwasfairfromthenorth。
TheextensiveandneatstationofTewfikeeyahwascompletelydismantled。
Theironmagazinesandtheircontentswerenowsafelystowedinthevariousships，andwerealreadyontheirvoyagetowardsGondokoro。Thehorseswereshippedandthestableshadbeenpulleddown，andthewoodcutupforfuel。Thelongrowsofwhitetentshadvanished，andlittleremainedofthestationexceptafewrowsofdesertedhuts。Itseemedextraordinarythatsolargeaplacecouldbepackedupandstowedawayamongthefifty-ninevesselsofthefleet。
TheEnglishshipwrightshadconstructedthreeveryusefulboats，eachexactlythesamesize，about16ft。x5ft。；thuswehadatotalofsevensmallboatstoassistintheexplorationsoftheobstructedriver。
IlefttheShillookcountryatpeace。DjiafferPachahadpaidmuchattentiontothesonsofQuatKareatKhartoum，andtheKhedive，inreplytomyrepresentations，hadappointedhimchiefofthecountryinplaceofthepretenderJangy。ThegovernorofFashodahadbeencondemnedtodisgrace。IleftahandsomepresentfortheoldkingQuatKare，andwedepartedexcellentfriends。TheEnglishpartyhadbeenreducedbythedepartureofMr。Wood，Dr。Gedge，andtwoservants。
WehadbeendeeplygrievedbythesadnewsofthedeathofDr。Gedge，atKhartoum，afewdaysbeforewebrokeupthestationofTewfikeeyah。Thisunfortunategentlemanwasagreatlosstotheexpedition，ashewasnotonlymychiefmedicalofficer，butcombinedthescientificattainmentsofabotanistandnaturalist。
Ihadmadeeverypreparationforcuttingthroughthesudd，andwewerewellpreparedwithmanyhundredsharpbill-hooks，switching-hooks，bean-hooks，sabres，&c。Ihadalsosomehundredminers’spades，shovels，&c。，incaseitmightbenecessarytodeepentheshallows。WhilethewholeEnglishpartywerefullofspiritanddeterminedtosucceed，I
regrettosaytherewasageneralfeelingofdisappointmentamongtheEgyptiantroopsincludingofficersthattheexpeditionwasonceagaininfullsailtowardsthesouth。TheirheartswereeitheratKhartoum，orsighingfortheflesh-potsofEgypt。IhadlostmanymenfromsicknessduringoursojournatTewfikeeyah，andthemenweredisheartenedanddepressed。ThisfeelingwasincreasedbytheunfortunaterecurrenceofthefastofRamadan，duringwhichmonththeMohammedanswillneithereat，drink，norsmokefromsunrisetillsunset。TheKoranexemptsthemfromtheobservanceofthisperniciousfastwhenonalongjourney，butmypeoplepreferredtokeepitreligiously，asitwouldbeaplausibleexcuseforneglectingwork。
TheNilewasfullandunusuallyhigh；thiswasinfavourofthevoyage，assuccessdependeduponourcrossingtheshallowsduringtheflood；itwas，therefore，necessarytopushonwithallspeedsoastoreachtheshallowswhichhadbeenimpassablelastApril，beforetherivershouldfall。
Itwillnowbenecessarytorefertomyoriginaljournal，asitwouldbedifficulttoconveyanideaofthevoyagebyageneraldescription。A
fewhoursafterstarting，on11thDecember1870，Ifindthisentry：——”Thankgoodness，weareoff，andingoodtime，astheriverisexceedinglyhigh，althoughithasalreadyfallenaboutfiveinchesfromitsmaximum。Mr。Higginbothamhasbeenillforalongtime。
Lieutenant-ColonelAbd-el-Kader，myfirstaide-de-camp，althoughanexcellentofficer，isalmostuselessfromill-health；thusthewholeworkfallsonmyselfandJulianLieutenantBakerpersonally，andhadI
notdriventheofficersforwardfromsunrisetosunset，weshouldnothavebeenoffforanothertwomonths。Thesemiserablepeopledonotunderstandenergy，andtheRamadanincreasestheirincapacity。”December12——At2。30A。M。，wewerehailedwhentenminuteswithintheBahrGiraffe，bytwonoggursvesselsindistress。Stoppedthesteamerimmediately，andthenheardthattheNo。15noggur，theirconsort，hadsunkindeepwater，closetothisspot。”Atday-breakIsearchedtheriver，anddiscoveredthewreckineighteenfeetdepthofwater。Twogooddiversworkedforabouttwohours，andrecoveredthreemusketsandseveralcoppercookingpotsbelongingtothesoldiers。Thestoryofthereiscaptainis，thatshesprangaplankatabout4A。M。，sixdaysago，whileundersailwithalightwind，andshefilledandsankimmediately，themenhavingbarelytimetosavethemselves。Unfortunately，shehadonboard，inadditiontoonehundredurdepsofcorn450bushels，asectionofoneofSamuda’ssteellifeboats；thiswasplaceduponthecorn，beforethemast，buthavinganair-tightcompartment，itmusthavefloatedawayinthedarkwithoutbeingnoticed。”Thestoryofthereisisfalse；therecanbenodoubtthatthecrewandsoldierswerefastasleep，andthevesselwasrunintobyoneofherconsorts。Hadthepeoplebeenawake，theleastmovementofthehelmwouldhaverunthevesselhighanddryinthisnarrowriver，asthebanksareflooded，andshewasclosetotheside。Asthecollisionoccurred，thepeople，suddenlyawakenedfromsleep，wereseizedwithpanic，andonlythoughtofsavingthemselves；thusthenoggurliesinthree-fathomwater，andtheinvaluablesectionofalifeboatislost。
Theworryanddisappointment，togetherwiththelossofproperty，occasionedbythesepeople，isbeyondalldescription。Everymandeteststheexpedition。Theboatsarenearlyalloldandrotten，andwithsuchwretchedmaterialIhavetoconductthisfleetwith30，000l。worthofproperty。Idreadtheprobablelossofsomevesselladenwithsectionsofthelakesteamers，inwhichcasetheexpeditionwouldberuinedinspiteofallmycare。ItrustthatthefloatingportionofthelifeboatmaybepickedupbysomeofAgad’svesselsintherear。”Leavingthehopelesswreck，wecontinuedthevoyageat10。50A。M。，incompanywiththetwonoggurs，withabrisknorthwind。At5。20P。M。，westoppedataforesttocollectfirewood。”December14——Startedat7。30A。M。Thermometer，Fahrenheit，at6A。M。，67degrees；noon，85degrees。Thisisthelowesttemperaturewehavehad。”Passedanumberofourvessels，onehavingbrokenheryard。At12。5
stoppedataforesttofillupwithwood。Whilelookingforwood，asoldierfoundadeadelephantwithtusksthatweighedabout120lbs。I
gavehimapresentoffivedollars，alsoonedollartoSaatforhavingrecoveredfromthesunkenvesselthecookingpotsandmuskets。”Windverystrongfromnorth。Thenorthwindalwayscommencesatabout7
A。M。andincreasesinpowerasthesunrises。Itsinkstogetherwiththesettingsun。Althoughthecountryisallthatwecouldwish，thereisnogame。Thewater-marksuponthetreesshowthatthemaximumoftheriverhasbeenafootaboveitspresentlevel。”December16——SuleimanEffendi’sdiahbeeahwithsixhorsespassedthismorning；heleftincompanywithus，asdidalsothenewnoggurthatpassedusyesterdaymorning；thustheremustbegrossnegligenceonthepartofthetwenty-onevesselsstillremainingintherear。Thermometer，6A。M。，69degrees；noon，88degrees。Weshotsevenguinea-fowl。”December17——Iseefourvesselsaboutsixmilesaheadthatareonlynowmakingsail！thustheyhavebeenstoppingfortwodays。IntheafternoonthetwodiahbeeahsoftheEnglishmencameup，andgaveustheterriblenewsthatoneofthevesselshadsunknearthemouthoftheriverSobatonthedayofourdeparturefromTewfikeeyah；thisvesselwasladenwithportionsofthe38-tonsteamer。”Iimmediatelyorderedsteamtobegotup，andat4。20P。M。westartedtoreturn120milestothewreck。ItappearsthatRaoufBey，withmanyothervessels，wasincompanywiththelostnoggur。Toworkinthiscountryissimplyheart-breaking；thematerialisutterlyworthless，boats，officers，andmenareallalike。Thelossofinvaluabletimeisruinous，andtheignoranceofthepeopleissuchthattheycandonothingbythemselves；thusImustbeeverywhereandsuperintendeverythingpersonally。”Theboatmensaytheratsdragouttheragswithwhichthevesselsarecaulkedfromwithin，thusoccasioningsuddenanddangerousleaks；butinsuchacase，whydoesnotthecaptainrunhisvesselashoretopreventsinking?”Beforestarting，IdespatchedaletterbyavesseltoSuleimanEffendiatthesudd，withorderstocommenceclearingthechannelwithoutlossoftime。”At7。40P。M。madeoutalightahead，andshortlyafterwardswemetRaoufBey’sdiahbeeahtiedtothebankalongsideofAchmetEffendi，thebimbashi’svessel。RaoufBeycameonboardandconfirmedthebadnews。
Theydescribethesunkenvesselaslyingwithherstemaboutafootbelowthesurface，buthersternisinverydeepwater。Igaveordersforsteamtobeupatdaylight，andwehaltedforthenight，asitisdangeroustotraveldownstreamwithasteamerinthisnarrowwindingriver。”December18——Startedat6。25A。M。Then，68degrees；noon，81degrees。
AtnoonwemetColonelTayibAghaandtwelvevessels。Iorderedthreeofthesevesselstoturnbackimmediatelytothewreck，asIamdeterminedtoraiseher，ifpossible。”At12。37P。M。wereachedthespotwherewehadpassedthefirstwreckintheBahrGiraffe。Atexactly2P。M。wereachedtheNilejunction。At6。50P。M。wedistinguishedthemastofthewreckabovewater，almostoppositetheSobatjunction，onthewestsideoftheriver。HavingpassedthewreckwereachedouroldstationTewfikeeyahat7。30P。M。
HerewefoundanumberofShillooks，withQuatKare’scounsellor，Abdullah，whowereguardingaquantityofcornthatIhadleftintheking’scharge，asourvesselsweretooheavilyladentocarryit。”December19——Thermometer，6A。M。，64degrees；noon，79degrees。IsentAbdullahwithorderstotheking，QuatKare，tocollectallhispeoplewiththeirambatchcanoestoassistusinraisingthewreck。”TheShillookshavealreadytakenpossessionofouroldstation，andhavedivideditintolotsforplanting。”December20——Thermometerat6A。M。66degrees；noon，78degrees；thewaterinthegoolahcooler，59degrees。Thewindblowsagalefromthenorthdaily。”IhavejustheardthatRaoufBeyandthetwocolonels，TayibAghaandAchmetEffendi，togetherwithabout400men，actuallyabandoned，notonlythewreckedvesselandherinvaluablecargo，buttheyalsoleftasectionofoneofthelifeboatsuponthemudbankoftheriverandforsookit。Suchconductisincredible，andcouldonlybefoundinthiscountry。”At3。15P。M。，thesteamerhavingreplenishedherwood，westartedandarrivedatthewreckat4。35P。M。AfteracarefulexaminationwepassedthenightatthehighgroundneartheSobatjunction。”Thesectionofthelifeboatisnolongeronthemud，butIhavenodoubtithasbeensecuredbythegovernorofFashoda，togetherwiththeyardandsail。Thisentailsthenecessityofmysendinghimaletterseventymilesdistanttoorderthereturnoftheboatsectionimmediately。