the　water　was　rushing　in　with　great　force。　Fortunately；　in　this　land　of
  marsh　and　floating　grass；　there　were　a　few　feet　of　tolerably　firm　ground
  rising　from　the　deep　water。　Running　alongside；　all　hands　were　hard　at
  work　discharging　cargo　with　great　rapidity；　and　baling　out　with　every
  conceivable　utensil；　until　we　obtained　assistance　from　the　steamer；
  whose　large　hand　pump　and　numerous　buckets　at　length　so　far　overcame　the
  rush　of　water；　that　we　could　discover　the　leaks。
  〃We　now　found　two　clean　holes　punched　through　the　iron　as　though　driven
  by　a　sharp　pickaxe。　Some　hours　were　occupied　in　repairing　the　damage　by
  plastering　white　lead　upon　some　thick　felt；　this　was　placed　over　the
  holes；　and　small　pieces　of　plank　being　laid　over　the　felt；　they　were
  secured　by　an　upright　piece　of　timber　tightened　with　wedges　from　a
  cross…beam。　The　leaks　were　thus　effectually　and　permanently　stopped。
  〃By　sunset　all　was　completed　and　the　vessel　reloaded；　but　I　sent
  twenty…eight　boxes　of　snider　ammunition　on　board　the　tender。　This
  miserable　wood　tender　has　sprung　her　yard　so　that　she　cannot　carry　sail。
  The　day　was　entirely　lost　together　with　a　fine　north　wind。
  〃March；　6。Brisk　wind　from　the　north。　Started　at　5。45　a。m。；　but　at　7
  a。m。　something　happened　to　the　engine；　and　the　steamer　stopped　until
  eight。　After　frequent　stoppages；　owing　to　the　sharp　bends　in　the　narrow
  river；　we　arrived　at　the　spot　where　we　had　formerly　opened　the　dam；
  there　the　current　ran　like　a　rapid。
  〃March　7。Much　difficulty　in　ascending　the　river；　but　upon　arrival　at
  the　dry　ground　（called　the　'dubba'）；　we　found　the　No。　8　steamer　and　the
  whole　fleet　assembled；　with　the　exception　of　six　that　are　in　sight。
  〃March　8。The　other　vessels　arrived；　I　have　thus　thirty…four　sail；
  including　the　two　steamers。　The　entire　country　is　swamp；　covered　with
  immensely　high　water…grass；　beneath　which　the　depth　is　considerable。　The
  reputed　main　channel　of　the　river　is　supposed　to　come　from　S。W。；　this　is
  only　denoted　by　a　stream　three　or　four　feet　broad；　concealed　by　high
  grass；　and　in　places　choked　by　the　Pistia　Stratiotes。　These　surface
  plants；　which　resemble　floating　cabbages　with　fine　thready　roots；　like　a
  human　beard　of　sixteen　inches　in　length；　form　dense　masses　which　are
  very　difficult　to　clear
  〃Our　guides　are　useless；　as　we　cannot　depend　upon　their　contradictory
  statements。　We　are　in　a　deplorable　positionthe　whole　fleet　in　a
  cul…de…sac；　the　river　has　disappeared；　an　unknown　distance　of　apparently
  boundless　marsh　lies　before　us；　there　is　no　wood；　and　there　is　no
  possibility　of　moving　without　cutting　a　channel。
  〃I　have　ordered　thirty　vessels　to　form　in　line；　single　file；　and　to　cut
  a　canal。
  〃March。　9。The　men　worked　famously；　but　I　much　fear　they　will　be　laid
  up　with　fever　if　kept　at　such　an　unhealthy　task。　To…day　a　force　of　700
  men　cut　about　a　mile　and　a　half。　They　are　obliged　to　slash　through　with
  swords　and　knives；　and　then　to　pull　out　the　greater　portion　of　the　grass
  and　vegetable　trash；　this　is　piled　like　artificial　banks　on　either　side
  upon　the　thick　floating　surface　of　vegetation。　I　took　a　small　boat　and
  pushed　on　for　a　mile　and　a　half。　I　found　a　very　narrow　stream；　like　a
  small　brook；　which　gave　hopes　of　lighter　labour　for　to…morrow。　I　shall
  therefore　try　to　force　the　steamer　through。　Thirty…two　men　reported　on
  the　sick　list　this　evening。
  〃March　10。A　fine　north　wind　for　about　half　an　hour；　when　it　suddenly
  chopped　round　to　the　S。E。　We　cut　on　far　ahead；　so　that　I　was　able　to
  push　on　the　steamers　and　the　whole　fleet　for　a　distance　of　about　five
  miles。　I　had　a　touch　of　fever。
  〃March　11。Frightful　stinking　morass。　All　stopped　at　a　black　muddy　pond
  in　the　swamp。　The　river　is　altogether　lost。　We　have　to　cut　a　passage
  through　the　morass。　Hard　work　throughout　the　day。　One　soldier　died　of
  sunstroke。　No　ground　in　which　to　bury　him。
  〃It　is　a　curious　but　most　painful　fact　that　the　entire　White　Nile　has
  ceased　to　be　a　navigable　river。　The　boundless　plains　of　marsh　are　formed
  of　floating　rafts　of　vegetation　compressed　into　firm　masses　by　the
  pressure　of　water　during　floods。　So　serious　is　this　obstacle　to
  navigation；　that　unless　a　new　channel　can　be　discovered；　or　the　original
  Nile　be　reopened；　the　centre　of　Africa　will　be　entirely　shut　out　from
  communication；　and　all　my　projects　for　the　improvement　of　the　country
  will　be　ruined　by　this　extraordinary　impediment。
  〃March　12。I　think　I　can　trace　by　telescope　the　fringe　of　tall　papyrus
  rush　that　should　be　the　border　of　the　White　Nile；　but　this　may　be　a
  delusion。　The　wind　is　S。W。；　dead　against　us。　Many　men　are　sick　owing　to
  the　daily　work　of　clearing　a　channel　through　the　poisonous　marsh。　This
  is　the　Mahommedan　festival　of　the　Hadj；　therefore　there　is　little　work
  to…day。
  〃March　13。Measured　460　yards　of　apparently　firm　marsh；　through　which
  we　plumbed　the　depth　by　long　poles　thrust　to　the　bottom。
  〃Flowing　water　being　found　beneath；　I　ordered　the　entire　force　to　turn
  out　and　cut　a　channel；　which　I　myself　superintended　in　the　advance　boat。
  〃By　6　p。m。　the　canal　was　completed；　and　the　wind　having　come　round　to
  the　north；　we　sailed　through　the　channel　and　entered　a　fine　lake　about
  half　a　mile　wide；　followed　by　the　whole　fleet　with　bugles　and　drums
  sounding　the　advance；　the　troops　vainly　hoping　that　their　work　was　over。
  The　steamers　are　about　a　mile　behind；　and　I　have　ordered　their　paddles
  to　be　dismounted　to　enable　them　to　be　towed　through　the　high　grass　in
  the　narrow　channel。
  〃March　14。At　6　a。m。　I　started　and　surveyed　the　lake　in　a　small　rowing
  boat；　and　found　it　entirely　shut　in　and　separated　from　another　small
  lake　by　a　mass　of　dense　rotten　vegetation　about　eighty　yards　in　width。　I
  called　all　hands；　and　cleared　it　in　fifty…five　minutes　sufficiently　to
  allow　the　fleet　to　pass　through。　Upon　an　examination　of　the　next　lake；　I
  found；　to　my　intense　disappointment；　that　not　only　was　it　closed　in；　but
  there　was　no　outlet　visible　even　from　the　mast…head。　Not　a　drop　of　water
  was　to　be　seen　ahead；　and　the　entire　country　was　a　perfect　chaos；　where
  the　spirit　of　God　apparently　had　not　yet　moved　upon　the　waters。　There
  was　neither　earth　nor　clear　water；　nor　any　solid　resting…place　for　a
  human　foot。　Now　and　then　a　solitary　bittern　rose　from　the　marsh；　but；
  beyond　a　few　water…rails；　there　were　no　other　birds。　The　grass　was
  swarming　with　snakes；　and　also　with　poisonous　ants　that　attacked　the
  men；　and　greatly　interfered　with　the　work。
  〃It　is　easier　to　clear　a　passage　through　the　green　grass　than　through
  the　rotten　vegetation。　The　former　can　be　rolled　in　heaps　so　as　to　form
  banks；　it　is　then　secured　by　tying　it　to　the　strong　grass　growing　behind
  it；　the　rotten　stuff　has　no　adherence；　and　a　channel　closes　up　almost　as
  fast　as　it　is　made；　thus　our　labour　does　no　permanent　good。　I　am　in
  great　anxiety　about　Mr。　Higginbotham；　it　will　be　impossible　for　him　to
  proceed　by　this　route；　should　he　arrive　with　a　comparatively　small　force
  and　heavily…laden　vessels。
  〃As　the　channel　closes　so　rapidly；　I　must　wait　until　the　steamers　can
  form　a　compact　line　with　the　fleet。
  〃The　black　troops　have　more　spirit　than　the　Egyptians；　but　they　are　not
  so　useful　in　clearing　channels；　as　they　are　bad　swimmers。　They
  discovered　to…day　a　muddy　spot　where　they　had　a　great　hunt　for　fish；　and
  succeeded　in　capturing　with　their　hands　about　500　pounds　weight　of　the
  Prolypterus；　some　of　which　were　above　four　pounds。　We　caught　for
  ourselves　a　number　of　very　delicious　boulti　（Perca　Nilotica）　with　a
  casting…net。
  〃March　15。Having　probed　the　marsh　with　long　poles；　I　found　deep　water
  beneath；　which　denoted　the　course　of　the　sub…vegetal　stream。　All　hands
  at　work；　and　by　the　evening　we　had　cut　a　channel　300　yards　in　length。
  The　marsh　swarms　with　snakes；　one　of　which　managed　to　enter　the　cabin
  window　of　the　diahbeeah。　The　two　steamers；　now　far　astern；　have　become
  choked　by　a　general　break　up　and　alteration　of　their　portion　of　the
  world。　The　small　lake　in　which　I　left　them　is　no　longer　open　water；　but
  has　become　a　dense　maps　of　compressed　vegetable　rafts；　in　which　the
  steamers　are　jammed　as　though　frozen　in　an　ice…drift　in　the　Arctic
  regions！　There　is　much　work　required　to　clear　them。　The　only　chance　of
  progress　will　be　to　keep　the　entire　fleet　in　compact　line　so　as　to　push
  through　a　new　channel　as　quickly　as　it　is　made。　I　shall　send　back　the
  wood　tender；　if　possible；　from　this　spot　with　a　letter　to　stop　Mr。
  Higginbotham　should　he　be　south　of　the　Sobat；　as　it　will　be　impossible
  for　him　to　proceed　until　next　season。　Many　of　the　men　are　sick　with
  fever；　and　if　this　horrible　country　should　continue；　they　will　all
  sicken。
  〃March　16。I　went　back　in　a　rowing　boat；　accompanied　by　Lieutenant
  Baker；　to　the　two　steamers　which　we　found　stuck　fast　in　the　drift　rafts；
  that　had　closed　in　upon　then。　Many　men　are　sickall　are　dispirited；　and
  they　worked　badly。　Having　worked　all　day；　we　returned　at　6。30　p。m。；　to
  my　diahbeeah；　having　the　good　fortune　to　shoot　seven　ducks　by　a　family
  shot　upon　a　mud　bank　on　the　way　home。
  〃I　found　that　the　main　body　under　the　colonel；　Raouf　Bey；　had　completed
  the　channel　about　900　yards　long　to　lake　No。　3。　I　ordered　sail　to　be
  made　immediately；　and　afte