breechloader，andstartedinthelittledingybelongingtothediahbeeah。Havingpaddledquietlyalongtheedgeofthegrassforacoupleofhundredyards，Iarrivednearthespotfromwhichthehippopotamushademerged。”Itisthegeneralhabitofthehippopotamiinthesemarshdistrictstolieinthehighgrassswampsduringtheday，andtoswimoramusethemselvesintheopenwateratsunset。”IhadnotwaitedlongbeforeIheardasnort，andIperceivedthehippopotamushadrisentothesurfaceaboutfiftyyardsfromme。Thisdistancewasalittletoogreatfortheaccuratefiringnecessarytoreachthebrain，especiallywhentheshotmustbetakenfromaboat，inwhichthereisalwayssomemovement。Ithereforeallowedtheanimaltodisappear，afterwhichIimmediatelyorderedtheboatforward，toremainexactlyoverthespotwherehehadsunk。Afewminuteselapsed，whenthegreatuglyheadofthehippopotamusappearedaboutthirtypacesfromtheboat，andhavingblownthewaterfromhisnostrils，andsnortedloudly，heturnedroundandseemedastonishedtofindthesolitarylittleboatsonearhim。Tellingthetwoboatmentositperfectlyquiet，soastoallowagoodsight，Iaimedjustbelowtheeye，andfiredaheavyshell，whichcontainedaburstingchargeofthreedrachmsoffine-grainedpowder。Theheaddisappeared。Alittlesmokehungoverthewater，andI
couldnotobserveothereffects。Thelakewasdeep，andaftervainsoundingforthebodywithaboathook，Ireturnedtothediahbeeahjustasitbecamedark。”March18——Aheavyshowerofrainfell，whichlastedforanhourandahalf。Whentherainceased，thedaycontinuedcloudywithvariablewind。
Thebodyofthehippopotamuswasdiscoveredatdaybreakfloatingnearus，thereforeallhandsturnedouttocuthimup，delightedattheideaoffreshmeat。Therewasaboutanacreofhighanddrygroundthatborderedthemarshinonespot；tothisthecarcaseofthehippopotamuswastowed。Iwasanxioustoobservetheeffectsoftheexplosiveshell，asitwasaninventionofmyownthathadbeenmanufacturedbyMr。
Reilly，[*]thegunmaker，ofLondon。Thisshellwascomposedofiron，coveredwithlead。Theinteriorwasacast-ironbottlesimilarinshapetoastonewareSeltzerwaterbottle；theneckformedanippletoreceiveapercussion-cap。Theentirebottlewasconcealedbyaleadencoating，whichwascastinamouldtofitaNo。8，ortwo-ouncerifle。
Theironbottlecontainedthreedrachmsofthestrongestgunpowder，andasimplecappresseddownuponthenipplepreparedtheshellforservice。
[*Footnote：Mr。Reilly，of502NewOxfordStreet，hasbeenmostsuccessfulinheavyrifles，withwhichhehassuppliedmeinbothmyAfricanexpeditions。]”Onanexaminationoftheheadofthehippopotamus，Ifoundthattheshellhadstruckexactlybeneaththeeye，wheretheboneplateisthin。
Ithadtraversedtheskull，andhadapparentlyexplodedinthebrain，asithadentirelycarriedawaythemassivebonethatformedthebackoftheskull。Thevelocityoftheprojectilehadcarriedthefragmentsoftheshellonwardsaftertheexplosion，andhadformedasortoftunnelwhichwasblackenedwithburntpowderforaconsiderabledistancealongthefleshoftheneck。Iwasquitesatisfiedwithmyexplosiveshell。”Thehippopotamushavingbeendividedamongthemen，IsentRaoufBeywithalargeforcetoassistthesteamers，whichstillremainfixedinthesamespot。”At2p。m。itpouredwithrainuntil9p。m。Everythingissoaking；andI
havegreatanxietyaboutourlargestoresofcorn。”March19——Fineday，butallcargo，stores，&c。，arewet。ThemiserablevesselsoftheSoudanarewithoutdecks，thusoneheavyshowercreatesmuchdamage。Themenarebusydryingtheirclothes，&c。Twosoldiersdied。Steamersfarasterninthesudd，regularlyfixed。”March20——Aboydied。Isentfreshmentotheassistanceofthesteamers，whichhavetobeliterallydugout。”March21——Yesterdayasthemenwerediggingoutthesteamers，whichhadbecomeblockedbythefloatingrafts，theyfeltsomethingstrugglingbeneaththeirfeet。Theyimmediatelyscrambledawayintimetoavoidthelargeheadofacrocodilethatbrokeitswaythroughthetangledmassinwhichithadbeenjammedandheldprisonerbytherafts。Theblacksoldiers，armedwithswordsandbill-hooks，immediatelyattackedthecrocodile，who，althoughfreedfromimprisonment，hadnotexactlyfallenintothehandsoftheRoyalHumaneSociety。Hewasquicklydespatched，andthateveninghisfleshgladdenedthecookingpotsoftheSoudaniregiment。”Iwasamusedwiththeaccountofthisadventuregivenbyvariousofficerswhowereeye-witnesses。Onestatedinreplytomyquestionastothelengthoftheanimal，`Well，sir，Ishouldnotliketoexaggerate，butIshouldsayitwasforty-fivefeetlongfromsnouttotail！’Anotherwitnessdeclaredittobeatleasttwentyfeet；butbyrigidcross-examinationIcametotheconclusionthatitdidnotexceedten。”Thesteamersandtender，havingbeenreleased，arrivedthismorning。At1p。m。westartedwithalightairfromthenortheast，andtravelledtill3。30p。m。alongthelake，whichnarrowedtothedimensionsofamoderateriver。Weatlengtharrivedatasuddwhichtheadvanceboatshadclearedforaboutsixtyyards。Havingemerged，wewereintroducedtoadeepbutextremelynarrowchannelflowingthroughtheusualenormousgrass。”Thewholefleetrangedinsinglelinetowidenthepassage。Wearenowabouttwelvemilesfromthedubba，orraiseddryground，neartowhichwefirstcommencedclearing。Wehaveactuallycutawayaboutsixmilesofvegetation。Nodependencewhatevercanbeplacedupontheguides：noplaceanswerstotheirdescriptions。Wehavenowbeenhardatworkforthirteendayswithathousandmen，duringwhichtimewehavetravelledonlytwelvemiles！”March22——WindS。W——foul。Thepeoplearealllazyanddespairing。
Clearedasudd。Iexploredaheadinasmallboat。Asusual，thecountryisasuccessionofsuddsandsmallopenpatchesofwater。Theworkisfrightful，andgreatnumbersofmymenarelaiddownwithfever；thusmyforceisphysicallydiminisheddaily，whilemorallythemenareheart-broken。Anothersoldierdied；butthereisnodryspottoburyhim。Weliveinaworldofswampandslush。LieutenantBakershotaBalenicepsRex。Thisdayweopenedabout600yards。”March23——Wehavebeenthroughoutthedayemployedintuggingthevesselsthroughthechannel。TheEgyptianshavequitelostheart。TheSoudanisarefarmorevaluableassoldiers；noneofthemareill，andtheyworkwithagoodwill。Iservethemoutaglassofgrogintheevening。Thefanaticalfellahswillnottouchspirits，thustheysuccumbtofeverandnervousnesswhenexhaustedbythechilloccasionedbyworkingthroughoutthedayinmudandwater。”March24——WindfreshfromtheS。W。Allthevesselsassembledlasteveninginasmalllake。Beforeusthereisasusualsimplyanarrowstreamclosedinbyvegetation。Iobservedmarksofthetraders’partieshavingbrokenthroughafewmonthsago。Thesepeopletravelwithoutmerchandise，butwithalargeforceofmen：thustheirvesselsareoflightdraughtofwater。Mysteamersandmanyoftheboatsrequirefourfeetsixinches。Everyvesselisheavilyladen，thustheyaredifficulttomanageunlessinopenanddeepwater。”Thereisto-dayaforestontheeast，abouttwomilesdistant，beyondtheswamp。Afterahardday’sworkwemadeabout1，400yards。”March25——WindfairandfreshfromtheN。E。Thishelpedustomakeaboutamilethroughthenarrowchannel，hemmedinbythickandhighgrass。Anothersoldierdied。Asusual，thispoorfellowwasanartilleryman。ThesemencamedirectfromCairowiththeirguns，andnotbeingacclimatized，theycannotresistthefever。TheEgyptiantroopsgiveinandloseallheart；butthereismuchallowancetobemadeforthem，asitisafearfulcountry，andfarbeyondmyworstexperience。
Thereisnoapparentbreaktotheboundlessmarshbeforeandbehindus，thisisaboutfifteenmileswide，asforesttreesandthetalldolapepalmscansometimesbedistinguisheduponthehorizon。”WhattheunfortunateHigginbothamwilldoIcannotconceive，asthereisnopossibilityofcommunicatingwithhim，andhewillgetintotherainyseason。”Anothersoldierdiedthisevening；hewasanexcellentman，whohadbeenemployedatthearsenalatCairo。Hisfriendandbosomcompanionwasafellowworkman，andhewassogrievedatthelossthathedeclaredheshouldnotlivebeyondafewdays。Therewasnodrygroundinwhichtodigagrave；itwasthereforenecessarytocutaholeinthebaseofawhiteant-hill，astheseBabel-liketowersweretheonlydryspotsthatroseabovetheflood。”Thisdeathisthesixthwithinthelastfewdays，exclusiveofoneboy。
Ithinkourblackdoctorassiststhemindepartingfromthislife，astheydieverysuddenlywhenheattendsthem。LikeDr。Sangrado，heisveryfondofthelancet，whichisusuallyfatalinthisclimate。Wemadeabouthalfamiletoday。”March26——WindfreshfromtheS。E。Theditchiscompletelyblockedupwithvegetation：thuswemadeonly250yards。Beforeus，asusual，isthehopelessseaofhighgrass，alongwhichisadarkstreakwhichmarksthecourseoftheditchthroughwhichweslowlyclearapassage。HowmanydaysormonthswemayrequiretoreachtheWhiteNileisaproblem。
Onehundredandfiftymenareonthesicklist；nearlyallofthemarefellahs。Uponmyowndiahbeeahsixsoldiersoutoftenaredownwithfever，inadditiontotwoofthesailors。Igavethemallashockwiththemagneticbattery，whichappearedtohaveawonderfuleffect；onefellow，whohadbeengroaningwithseverepainsinhisbackandlimbs，declaredthathewasinstantlyrelieved。ImadeagoodshotwiththeDutchmanataBalenicepsRex，atadistanceofupwardsof200yards。”Thereisnorestbynightordayforourpeople，whoarepreyeduponbycloudsofmosquitoes，whichattacklikebulldogs。”March27——Allhandshardatworkclearingtheditch。WindS。E——fresh。
Thediahbeeah，asusual，leadstheway，followedbyNo。10steamer，andthewholefleetincloseline。Mostofthemensufferfromheadache；
thisisowingtotheabsurdcovering，thefez，ortarboosh，whichisnoprotectionagainstthesun。”IntheeveningItookasmallboat，andinforty-oneminutes’polingandtuggingthroughthenarrowchannel，Isucceededinreachingalongnarrowlakeresemblingariver，about110yardswide。Themouthofoureffluentwas，forawonder，clearfromobstruction；Ireturnedwiththejoyfulnewstothefleetaftersunset。”March28——At7。30a。m。allhandsturnedouttoclearthechanneltothelake；thiswasabout500yardslong，andthediahbeeah，leadingtheway，enteredthelakeat11。30a。m。Unfortunatelyashallowchannelneartheentrancepreventedthesteamersfromentering，thusapassagehadtobeduginthetoughclaybeneaththem。Thewindstrongfromthesouth。I