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If no other work was on hand, I practised them at the target, or they were treated to a few hours' drill. Sometimes I took them fishing: this was always a great amusement, as the expedition was well furnished with nets. There was a small lake near my station that abounded in fish. One of my sailors belonging to the diahbeeah was a professional fisherman, descended from a race of this calling.
I ordered three noggurs to be prepared, together with one small diahbeeah, to pass the troops across the river at 2 A.M. All troops and sailors were to take two days' provisions. I had determined to push straight for the Bari islands, south of Regif hill. Should I be able to procure the supply of corn that I expected, it would at once checkmate the conspiracy.
I had a first-rate crew on my diahbeeah, and some picked men of the "Forty Thieves" who always accompanied me. The best and most devoted man that I have ever seen was a corporal of the "Forty Thieves" named Monsoor. He was always in good health, very courageous, and he accompanied me like my own shadow; he seemed to watch over me as a mother would regard an only child.
"January 23.-I took the diahbeeah a mile and a quarter up the river, while the fleet was being squeezed through our spongy channel. "January 24.-Yesterday the five vessels that were left behind by Raouf Bey arrived, and the fleet assembled. "I am in great anxiety about Tayib Agha who has twelve vessels with him, none of which are yet in sight.
We steamed thirteen hours from Tewfikeeyah, with the tender and diahbeeah in tow, and reached the old sudd about twelve miles beyond the Bahr Giraffe junction. The water below the sudd was quite clear from floating vegetation, as it had been filtered through this extraordinary obstruction. I will not fatigue the reader by a description of this voyage. We were as usual in a chaos of marshes.
"About half-an-hour before sunset I observed the head of a hippopotamus emerge from the bank of high grass that fringed the lake. My troops had no meat thus I would not lose the opportunity of procuring, if possible, a supply of hippopotamus beef. I took a Reilly No. 8 breechloader, and started in the little dingy belonging to the diahbeeah.
"There is no rest by night or day for our people, who are preyed upon by clouds of mosquitoes, which attack like bulldogs. "March 27. All hands hard at work clearing the ditch. Wind S.E. fresh. The diahbeeah, as usual, leads the way, followed by No. 10 steamer, and the whole fleet in close line.
The two rooms were separated by a partition with a doorway, but no door. I had not resided in a house since I first occupied the diahbeeah, ten months ago, as the vessel was more convenient. On the 29th November, at about four A.M., I was awakened by a noise in the adjoining room. My bedstead was exactly opposite the partition doorway; that of my wife was on the other side of the room.
The river is now about fifty yards wide, but I am getting nervous about the depth; the water is very shallow in some of the bends, and I fear there will be great difficulty in getting through with the steamers and heavy vessels. My diahbeeah, which is of iron, although roomy, is exceedingly light, and only requires two feet three inches of water. We have been fifty-one days from Khartoum.
By the time we had cut up this large animal and secured the flesh, the sun was so low that I considered it would be better to fasten the other hippo by a rope attached to the hind legs, and tow it bodily astern of the diahbeeah. It could then be divided on the following day. In this manner we returned to our anchorage at the tail of the lake, close to the entrance of the new channel.
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