The”Dutchman”wasthebestrifleIevershotwith，andwasquiteinvaluablethroughouttheexpedition。
Ihadservedoutamonth’srationstothemen，andmylastinstructionstoRaoufBeyweretolookwellafterLivingstone，andprovideforhiscomfortshouldheappearduringmyabsence。
On22ndJanuary，1872，westartedat8a。m。，whenItookleaveofmygoodfriendandexcellentengineer-in-chief，Mr。EdwinHigginbotham。I
littlethoughtthatweshouldnevermeetagain。
Thewindwaslightandvariable，andmydiahbeeahsoonovertooktheheaviervessels。Intheeveningwealljoinedandconcentratedourforcesattherockyravine，withthedetachmentthatprotectedthecattle。
Onthefollowingday，the23rdJanuary，weallstartedinexcellentspirits。Thesoldiersknewthecountry，andeveryoneappearedtosharetheenjoymentofadventure。Thepeoplehadlearnttodependuponmyguidance，andalthoughtheinteriorofthecountrywasunknowntothem，theywerequitecontentedthatIhadhadapersonalexperienceofthefarsouth，andtheyweresafeinmyhands。
Thestreamwasverypowerful，andthewindwassovariablethatitwasnecessarytotowthevessels。Thiswouldhavebeeneasyworkiftheriverhadbeendeepinallparts，butunfortunatelythewaterwasratherlow，andmanyextensivesandbanksnecessitatedlongdetours。
Themenwerethenobligedtowadehip-deep，andtotowthevesselsroundthebanks。
Ineversawthepeopleinsuchhighspirits。Theywerenotcontentedwithawalkingpace，buttheyracedwitheachother，splashingthroughthewater，andhurryingroundthepointsofthesand-banks，untiltheyoncemorereacheddryground。Theneventhewomenandboysjumpedashore，andlayingholdofthetow-rope，joinedthemeninsinging；andrunningforwardalongthehardbanktheymadethediahbeeahsurgethroughthewater。
Thisfunhadcontinuedforsomehours，andIrejoicedthatallheartsseemedtohaveatlengthunitedinthework。Ihadnofanaticswithme。
Theblackofficerswereexcellentfellowsnowthattheywererelievedfromacertaininfluenceathead-quarters。Abd-el-Kaderwasastrueasgold。MonsoorwasaChristian，——andmy”FortyThieves”werestanch，bravefellowswhowouldgothroughfire。
AliNedjarwas，asusual，revellinginstrengthandactivity，andwasnowforemostintheworkoftowingthediahbeeah。
Asuddenbendintheriverhadcausedasmallsand-bank。Itwasnecessarytodescendfromthehighshoretotowthevesselroundthepromontory。
Men，women，andchildren，jumpeddownandwadedalongtheedgeofthebank。
Asthediahbeeahturnedthesharppoint，Inoticedthatthewaterwasexceedinglydeepclosetothesand-bank，andthestreamwasrunninglikeamillrace。
Fearingsomeaccidenttothechildren，Iorderedallwhocouldnotswimtocomeonboardthediahbeeah。Atthattimethebowofthevesselwasactuallytouchingthesand，butthestern，havingswungoutinthestream，mighthavebeenaboutfifteenfeetfromtheedgeofthebankinverydeepwater。
Whentheorderwasgiventocomeonboard，manyofthepeople，intheebullitionofspirits，leaptheedlesslyintothewateramidships，insteadofboardingthevesselbytheforepart，whichtouchedthesand。
Theseweredraggedonboardwithconsiderabledifficulty。
TheboySaatwouldhavebeendrownedhadnotMonsoorsavedhim。Intheconfusion，whenseveralwerestrugglinginthewater，InoticedAliNedjar，whocouldnotswim，battlingfranticallywithhishandsinsuchamannerthatIsawthepoorfellowhadlosthishead。Hewasnotthreefeetfromthevessel’sside。
Myfourlife-buoyswerehungonopenhooksatthefourcornersofthepoop-deck；thus，withoutonemoment’sdelay，Idroppedabuoyalmostintohishands。Thisheimmediatelyseizedwithbotharms，andI，ofcourse，thoughthewassafe：thebuoynaturallycantedupashefirstclutchedit，and，insteadofholdingon，tomyastonishmentherelinquishedhisgrasp！
Thenextmomentthestrongcurrenthadhurriedthebuoyantsafeguardfaraway。Aredtarbooshfollowedthelife-buoy，floatingnearitonthesurface……AliNedjarwasgone！——drowned！Heneverroseagain……
Iwasdreadfullyshockedatthelossofmygoodsoldier——hehadbeenmuchbelovedbyusall。Wecouldhardlybelievethathewasreallygoneforever。Whowouldnowleadthesonginthemoonlightnights?orbethefirstineveryrace?
Ihadquicklythrowneverylife-buoyintotheriver，asHowarti，Mohammed，andothersofthebestswimmershadvainlyplungedafterAli，andwerenowsearchingfruitlesslyforhisbody，carriedawaybythepowerfulcurrent。Theboatwassentafterthemimmediately，andtheywerebroughtonboard。
Themirthofthediahbeeahhadvanished；thegeneralfavouritehadsosuddenlydisappearedfromamongus，thatnoonespoke，Thewomensatdownandcried。
Hisknapsackandriflewerebroughttome，andalisthavingbeentakenofhisclothesandammunition，Icuthisname，”Ali，”uponthestockofhissnider，whichIreservedforthebestmanIshouldbeabletoselect。Therewasnobetterepitaphforsogoodasoldierthanhisnameengravedonhistrustyrifle。
Thateveningeveryonewassad，andmypeopleallrefusedtheirfood……
Onthefollowingday，thewindandstreambeingadverse，wehadmuchtroubleinavoidingthesand-banks，andourprogresswassoslowthatweonlyreachedthebaseoftherockyhillRegiaf。HereIresolvedtowaitfortheheaviervessels，whichwerefarbehind。
Thenativeswerenowfriendly，andonthe25thJanuary，LieutenantBakeraccompaniedmetothesummitofRegiaftotakeobservationsofcompassbearingsofallthevariousmountainsandprominentpointsofthecountry。
AtthewesternbaseofRegiafthereisaverycuriousrocksupporteduponapedestal，thatformsagigantictable。
Thisgreatslabofsyeniteisoneofmanythathavedetachedandfallenastheoriginalmountaindecomposed。
Iobtainedmymeasuringtapefromthediahbeeah，whichgavethefollowingresults：——
Feet。Inches。
Lengthofslab。454
Breadthofslab。458
Thicknessofslab。49
Heightfromground。105
Circumferenceofclaypedestal690
Thisrockmusthavechancedtofalluponamassofextremelyhardclay。
Thedenudationoftheslopingsurface，causedbytheheavyrainsofmanycenturies，mustbeequaltothepresentheightoftheclaypedestal，asalltheexteriorhasbeenwashedawayandthelevelreduced。Theclaypedestalistheoriginalearth，which，havingbeenprotectedfromtheweatherbythestoneroof，remainsintact。
TheBarisseemedtohavesomereverenceforthisstone，andweweretoldthatitwasdangeroustosleepbeneathit，asmanypeoplewhohadtriedtheexperimenthaddied。
Ibelievethissuperstitionissimplytheresultofsomeoldlegendsconcerningthedeathofapersonwhomayhavebeenkilledinhissleep，byastonethatprobablydetachedandfellfromtheundersurfaceoftheslab。
Iexaminedtherockcarefully，andfoundmanypiecesthatgavewarningofscalingoff。Severallargeflakes，eachweighingsomehundredweight，laybeneaththetablerock，-upontheundersurfaceofwhichcouldbedistinctlytracedthemouldofthedetachedslab。
On27thJanuary，wearrivedwithallthevesselsatthefootofthecataracts，inN。lat。4degrees38’。Thisisaverylovelyspot，astherockyislandsarecoveredwithrich，greenforest；theverdurebeingperpetual，astherootsofthetreesarewellnourishedbywater。
OuroldfriendBeddenmetuswithanumberofhispeople，andcameonboardthediahbeeah。Heprofessedtobequitereadytoconveyourbaggagetothesouth，andIproposedthathispeopleshouldgoasfarasLobore，aboutsixtymilesfromthisspot，whereIknewwecouldprocurecarriers，asduringmyformerjourneythenativesofLoboreweretheonlypeoplewhocouldbedependedupon。
Beddenseemeddeterminedtohelpus，andIreallybelievedthatourluckhadarrivedatlast，andthatIshouldbeabletoconveythecarts，togetherwiththesteamer，tothenavigableportionoftheNileinN。
lat。3degrees32’。
Ideterminedtobeveryciviltothegreatsheik，Bedden；Ithereforearrangedwithhimthattheworkshouldbeentirelyinhishands，andthatheshouldrepresentthegovernmentasmyvakeel。Atthesametime，Igavehimagrandcloakofpurpleandsilvertissue，togetherwithatinhelmet，andturbanofcobalt-blueserge；alsoalooking-glass，andaquantityofbeadsofvariouscolours。
Thecountrywasdriedup，andtherewasonlyscantherbageformylargeherdofcattle，thehalfofwhichIpromisedtogiveBeddenifhewouldcarryourbaggagetoLobore。
Thesheikreturnedtohisvillagetomakearrangementswithhispeopleforthejourney。
Somehoworother，ashetookleaveandmarchedoffinhisgrandcloakofsilverandpurple，Ihadcertainmisgivingsofhissincerity。
Althoughgreatnumbersofnativesthrongedthecountry，andcamedowntothevessels，therewasnotonewomanorchild。Theabsenceofwomenandchildrenisasuresignofevilintentions。Mywife，whoseexperiencewasequaltomyown，atonceexpressedhersuspicions。Hadthenativesbeenhonestandsincere，theirwomenwouldassuredlyhavecometovisitherfromsimplecuriosity。
Notonlywasthereanabsenceofwomenandchildren，butthecattlehadbeendrivenfromthecountry。Therewereseveralsmallcattlezareebaswithinhalfamileofthevessels，situateduponthehighground。Iwenttovisitthem，asthoughsimplystrollingformyamusement；thedungofcattlewasfresh，showingthatthezareebashadbeenoccupiedduringthepastnight，buttheherdhadevidentlybeendrivenfaraway。
Bedden’speoplehadneverbeenattackedbytheslave-traders，ashistribewasconsideredtoopowerful；hehadthereforenocauseforsuspicion。
Unfortunately，mypastexperienceoftheBarinativeshadprovedthatkindnesswasthrownawayuponthem，andthatnothingcouldbedonewiththemuntiltheirinferiorityhadbeenprovedbyforceofarms。
Beddenhadneversuffered。Hehadpromisedtoassist；butnopromiseofanativeisworthmorethanthebreathofhismouth。Ifhefailedmenow，theobjectofmyenterprisewouldbelost。Ishouldnotbeabletomove。
Allmycareandtroublewouldhavebeenthrownaway。
Iwasveryanxious；but，withoutmentioningmysuspicions，Iorderedalltheheavyvesselstocrossovertotheeastsideoftheriver，topreparefordisembarkingthecartsandgeneraleffects。
Onthefollowingmorningthesheik，Bedden，arrivedtovisitme，withmanyofhispeople。IhaderectedatentonshoreinwhichIcouldreceivehim。
Iwasstruckwithapeculiarchangeinhismanner，andafterashortconversationheaskedme，”WhyIhadsentthevesselstotheeastside?”
Irepliedthattheywouldbegintounloadandprepareforthejourney。”Whoisgoingtocarryallyourbaggage?”continuedBedden，asthoughtheideahadoccurredtohimforthefirsttime。
Iwasperfectlyaghastatthiscoolandprostratingquestion。Mysuspicionshadbeenwellfounded。
IexplainedtoBeddenthatIhadarrivedaccordingtohisexpressinvitation，givensometimebefore，whenhehadpromisedthathismenshouldconveymythingsasfarasLobore。Ipretendedthathisquestionhadnowbeenaskedsimplytoamuseme，andIbeggedhiminearnesttolosenotimeincollectinghispeople，asIshouldrequireatleast2，000carriers。