ismailia-第8节

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river。　The　Bahr　Giraffe　was　about　seventy　yards　in　width；　and　at　this
season　the　banks　were　high　and　dry。　Throughout　the　voyage　on　the　White
Nile　we　had　had　excellent　wild…fowl　shooting　whenever　we　had　halted　to
cut　fuel　for　the　steamers。　One　afternoon　I　killed　a　hippopotamus；　two
crocodiles；　and　two　pelicans；　with　the　rifle。　At　the　mouth　of　the　Bahr
Giraffe　I　bagged　twenty…two　ducks　at　a　right　and　left　shot　with　a　No。
10…shot　gun。

As　the　fleet　now　slowly　sailed　against　the　strong；　current　of　the　Bahr
Giraffe；　I　walked　along　the　hank　with　Lieutenant　Baker；　and　shot　ten　of
the　large　francolin　partridge；　which　in　this　dry　season　were　very
numerous。　The　country　was　as　usual　flat；　but　bearing　due　south　of　the
Bahr　Giraffe　junction；　about　twelve　miles　distant；　is　a　low　granite
hill；　partially　covered　with　trees；　this　is　the　first　of　four　similar
low　hills　that　are　the　only　rising　points　above　the　vast　prairie　of　flat
plain。

As　we　were　walking　along　the　bank　I　perceived　an　animal　ascending　from
the　river；　about　two　hundred　yards　distant；　where　it　had　evidently　been
drinking：　we　immediately　endeavoured　to　cut　off　its　retreat；　when　it
suddenly　emerged　from　the　grass　and　discovered　a　fine　lion　with　large
shaggy　mane。　The　king　of　beasts；　as　usual；　would　not　stand　to　show　fight
in　the　open；　but　bounded　off　in　the　direction　of　the　rocky　hills。

It　will　be　necessary　to　give　a　few　extracts　from　my　journal　to　convey　an
exact　idea　of　the　Bahr　Giraffe。　The　river　was　very　deep；　averaging　about
nineteen　feet；　and　it　flowed　in　a　winding　course；　through　a　perfectly
flat　country　of　prairie；　diversified　with　forest　all　of　which；　although
now　dry；　had　the　appearance　of　being　flooded　during　the　rainy　season：

〃February　23。Steamed　from　6　A。M。　till　7　P。M。　Vast　treeless　marshes　in
wet　seasonnow　teeming　with　waterfowl：　say　fifty　miles　accomplished
to…day　through　the　ever…winding　river。　The　wood　from　the　last　forest　is
inferior；　and　we　have　only　sufficient　fuel　for　five　hours　left　upon　the
steamer。　The　diahbeeah　in　tow　carries　about　twenty　hours'　fuel：　thus；
should　we　not　arrive　at　some　forest　in　twenty…five　hours；　we　shall　be
helpless。

〃The　river　was　exceedingly　narrow　about　fifteen　miles　from　our　starting
point　this　morning。　The　stream　was　strong　but　deep；　flowing　through　the
usual　tangled　grass；　but　divided　into　numerous　small　channels　and
backwaters　that　render　the　navigation　difficult。

〃In　this　spot　the　river　is　quite　bank…full；　and　the　scattered　native
villages　in　the　distance　are　in　swamps。　The　innumerable　high　white
ant…hills　are　the　only　dry　spots。

〃February　24。Started　at　6　A。M。　Everybody　eaten　up　by　mosquitoes。　At　9
A。M。　the　steamer　smashed　her　starboard　paddle：　the　whole　day　occupied　in
repairing。　Saw　a　bull　elephant　in　the　marshes　at　a　distance。　Horrible
treeless　swamps　swarming　with　mosquitoes。

〃February　25。Started　at　7　A。M。　At　10　A。M。　arrived　at　a　very　narrow　and
shallow　portion　of　this　chaotic　river　completely　choked　by　drift
vegetation。　All　hands　worked　hard　to　clear　a　passage　through　this
obstruction　until　2。30；　when　we　passed　ahead。　At　4　P。M。　we　arrived　at　a
similar　obstacle；　the　water　very　shallow；　and　to…morrow　we　shall　have　to
cut　a　passage　through　the　high　grass；　beneath　which　there　is　deeper
water。　I　ordered　fifty　swords　to　be　sharpened　for　the　work。　We　counted
seventy　elephants　in　the　distance；　but　there　is　no　possibility　of
reaching　them　through　the　immense　area；　of　floating　vegetation。

〃February　26。Hard　at　work　with　forty　men　cutting　a　canal　about　150
yards　long　through　the　dense　mass　of　compressed　vegetation。

〃February　27。Working　hard　at　canal。　The　fleet　has　not　arrived；　thus　we
are　short…handed。

〃February　28。The　canal　progresses；　the　men　having　worked　well。　It　is　a
curious　collection　of　trash　that　seriously　impedes　navigation。　The　grass
resembles　sugar…canes；　this　grows　from　twenty　to　thirty　feet　in　length；
and　throws　out　roots　at　every　joint；　thus；　when　matted　together；　its
roots　still　increase；　and　render　the　mass　a　complete　tangle。　During　the
wet　season　the　rush　of　water　tears　off　large　rafts　of　this　floating
water…grass；　which　accumulate　in　any　favourable　locality。　The　difficulty
of　clearing　a　passage　is　extreme。　After　cutting　out　a　large　mass　with
swords；　a　rope　is　made　fast；　and　the　raft　is　towed　out　by　hauling　with
thirty　or　forty　men　until　it　is　detached　and　floated　down　the　stream。
Yesterday　I　cut　a　narrow　channel　from　above　stream　in　the　hope　that　the
rush　of　water　would　loosen　the　mass　of　vegetation。　After　much　labour；　at
12。30　p。m。　the　whole　obstruction　appeared　to　heave。　There　was　soon　no
doubt　that　it　was　moving；　and　suddenly　the　entire　dam　broke　up。　Immense
masses　were　carried　away　by　the　rush　of　water　and　floated　down　the
river；　these　will；　I　fear；　cause　an　obstruction　lower　down　the　stream。

〃We　got　up　steam；　served　out　grog　to　all　the　men；　and　started　at　2　P。M。
In　half…an…hour's　steaming　we　arrived　at　another　block　vegetation。　In
one　hour　and　three…quarters　we　cleared　a　passage；　and　almost　immediately
afterwards　we　arrived　at　the　first　piece　of　dry　ground　that　we　have　seen
for　days。　This　piece　of　firm　land　was　a　few　feet　higher　than　the　maximum
rise　of　the　river；　and　afforded　about　half　an　acre。　We　stopped　for　the
night。

〃March　1。Started　at　6。30　A。M。；　the　river　narrowing　immediately；　and
after　a　run　of　half　a　mile　we　found　ourselves　caught　in　a　trap。　The
river；　although　fourteen　feet　deep；　had　entirely　disappeared　in　a
boundless　sea　of　high　grass；　which　resembled　sugar…canes。　There　was　no
possibility　of　progress。　I　returned　to　our　halting…place　of　last　night
in　a　small　rowing…boat；　and　examined　it　thoroughly。　I　found　marks　of
occupation　by　the　slave…traders；　about　three　months　old。　Among　the
vestiges　were　the　remains　of　fires；　a　piece　of　a　lucifer…match　box；　a
number　of　cartridge　casesthey　had　been　firedand　a　piece　of　raw　hide
pierced　with　bullets；　that　had　evidently　been　used　as　a　target。

〃I　shot　two　geese　and　five　plover；　and　returned　to　our　vessel。　My
opinion　is　that　the　slave…hunters　have　made　a　razzia　inland　from　this
spot；　but　that　our　guide；　Bedawi；　has　led　us　into　a　wrong　channel。

〃I　attempted　to　seek　a　passage　ahead；　but　it　was　quite　impossible　for
the　smallest　rowing　boat　to　penetrate　the　dense　vegetation。

〃An　advance　being　impossible；　I　ordered　the　steamer　and　two　diahbeeahs
to　return　down　the　river　about　eighty　miles　to　our　old　wooding…place　at
the　last　forest；　as　we　are　nearly　out　of　fuel。　We　thus　lose　time　and
trouble；　but　there　is　no　help　for　it。　For　some　days　there　has　been　no
wind；　except　uncertain　breaths　from　the　south。　Unless　a　change　shall
take　place；　I　have　no　idea　how　the　fleet　will　be　able　to　come　up　against
the　stream。

〃March　2。At　6。30　a。m。　we　got　under　way　and　ran　down　stream　at　eight
miles　an　hour　towards　our　old　wooding…place。　Saw　a　few　buffaloes。　At　1
p。m。　we　passed　on　left　bank　a　branch　of　the　river。　At　3。30　sighted　the
tall　yards　of　the　fleet　in　the　distance。　At　4。30　we　arrived　at　the
extreme　southern　limit　of　the　forest；　and　met　Raouf　Bey　with　the　steamer
and　twenty…five　vessels；　with　a　good　supply　of　wood。　The　troops　were　in
good　health；　but　one　unfortunate　man　had　been　carried　off　by　a　crocodile
while　sitting　on　the　vessel　with　his　legs　hanging　over　the　side。

〃March　3。Filling　up　with　wood　from　the　forest。

〃March　4。Sent　the　steamer　back　to　the　station　of　Kutchuk　Ali；　the
trader；　to　procure　some　cattle　for　the　troops。　In　this　neighbourhood
there　is　dry　land　with　many　villages；　but　the　entire　country　has　been
pillaged　by　Kutchuk　Ali's　peoplethe　natives　murdered；　the　women
carried　off；　&c。

〃Raouf　Bey　counted　the　bodies　of　eighteen　natives　who　had　been　shot　near
the　trader's　camp。　Yesterday　I　went　to　a　native　village；　and　made
friends　with　the　people；　some　of　whom　came　down　to　our　boats；　they
complained　bitterly　that　they　were　subject　to　pillage　and　massacre　by
the　traders。　These　so…called　traders　are　the　people　of　Kutchuk　Ali；　THE
OFFICER　EMPLOYED　BY　THE　GOVENOR…GENERAL　OF　THE　SOUDAN　to　command　his
expedition　to　the　Bahr　Gazal！

〃Filled　up　with　a　large　supply　of　wood　ready　to　start　tomorrow。

〃March　5。Great　good　fortune！　A　fine　north　wind　for　the　first　time
during　many　days。　All　the　vessels　sailing　well。　We　started　at　7　a。m。　Saw
a　Baleniceps　Rex＇*＇；　this　is　the　second　of　these　rare　birds　that　I　have
seen。　

＇*Footnote：　The　whale…headed　stork；　or　Baleniceps　Rex；　is　only　met　with
in　the　immense　swamps　of　the　White　Nile。　This　bird　feeds　generally　upon
water　shellfish；　for　which　nature　has　provided　a　most　powerful　beak
armed　with　a　hook　at　the　extremity。）

〃At　1　p。m。；　as　we　were　steaming　easily；　I　happened　to　be　asleep　on　the
poop…deck；　when　I　was　suddenly　awakened　by　a　shock；　succeeded　almost
immediately　by　the　cry；　‘The　ship's　sinking！'　A　hippopotamus　had　charged
the　steamer　from　the　bottom；　and　had　smashed　several　floats　off　her
starboard　paddle。　A　few　seconds　later　he　charged　our　diahbeeah；　and
striking　her　bottom　about　ten　feet　from　the　bow；　he　cut　two　holes
through　the　iron　plates　with　his　tusks。　There　was　no　time　to　lose；　as
the　water　was　rushing　in　with　great　force。　Fortunately；　in　this　land　of
marsh　and　floatin