第6章

Havingtakenonboardamonth’srationsforallhands，westarted；and，withastrongbreezeinourfavour，wereachedtheSobatjunctionon16thFebruary，at12。30p。m。

Therewetookinfreshwater，asthatoftheSobatissuperiortotheWhiteNile。Atthisseasontheriverwasabouteightfeetbelowthelevelofthebank。ThewateroftheSobatisyellowish，anditcoloursthatoftheWhiteNileforagreatdistance。BydeadreckoningImadetheSobatjunction684milesbyriverfromKhartoum。

WhenIsawtheSobat，inthefirstweekofJanuary1863，itwasbank-full。Thecurrentisverypowerful，andwhenIsoundedinvariousplacesduringmyformervoyage，Ifoundadepthoftwenty-sixtotwenty-eightfeet。ThevolumeofwaterbroughttotheNilebythisriverisimmense，andthepowerofthestreamissosuperiortothatoftheWhiteNile，thatasitarrivesatrightangles，thewatersoftheNilearebankedup。TheyellowwateroftheSobatformsadistinctlineasitcutsthroughtheclearwaterofthemainriver，andthefloatingraftsofvegetationbroughtdownbytheWhiteNile，insteadofcontinuingtheirvoyage，areheadedback，andremainhelplesslyinthebackwater。

ThesourcesoftheSobatarestillamystery；buttherecanbenodoubtthattheprincipalvolumemustbewaterofmountainorigin，asitiscolouredbyearthymatter，andisquiteunlikethemarshwateroftheWhiteNile。Theexpeditionsoftheslave-huntershaveascendedtheriverasfarasitisnavigable。Atthatpointsevendifferentstreamsconvergeintoonechannel，whichformsthegreatriverSobat。ItismyopinionthatsomeofthesestreamsaretorrentsfromtheGallacountry，whileothersarethecontinuationofthosesouthernriverswhichhavelatelybeencrossedbytheslave-huntersbetweenthesecondandthirddegreesofN。latitude。

TheWhiteNileisagrandriverbetweentheSobatjunctionandKhartoum，andafterpassingtothesouthofthegreataffluentthedifferenceinthecharacterisquicklyperceived。Wenowenterupontheregionofimmenseflatsandboundlessmarshes，throughwhichtheriverwindsinalabyrinth-likecourseforabout750milestoGondokoro。

HavinglefttheSobat，wearrivedatthejunctionoftheBahrGiraffe，thirty-eightmilesdistant，at11a。m。on17thFebruary。Weturnedintotheriver，andwaitedforthearrivalofthefleet。

TheBahrGiraffewastobeournewpassageinsteadoftheoriginalWhiteNile。Thatriver，whichhadbecomesocuriouslyobstructedbymassesofvegetationthathadformedasoliddam，alreadydescribedbymein”TheAlbertN’yanza，”hadbeenentirelyneglectedbytheEgyptianauthorities。Inconsequenceofthisneglectanextraordinarychangehadtakenplace。TheimmensenumberoffloatingislandswhichareconstantlypassingdownthestreamoftheWhiteNilehadnoexit，thustheyweresuckedundertheoriginalobstructionbytheforceofthestream，whichpassedthroughsomemysteriouschannel，untilthesubterraneanpassagebecamechokedwithawondrousaccumulationofvegetablematter。Theentireriverbecameamarsh，beneathwhich，bythegreatpressureofwater，thestreamoozedthroughinnumerablesmallchannels。Infact，theWhiteNilehaddisappeared。AvesselarrivingfromKhartouminherpassagetoGondokorowouldfind，afterpassingthroughabroadriverofclearwater，thatherbowwouldsuddenlystrikeagainstabankofsolidcompressedvegetation——thiswasthenaturaldamthathadbeenformedtoanunknownextent：theriverceasedtoexist。

Itmayreadilybeimaginedthatadensespongymasswhichcompletelyclosedtheriverwouldactasafilter：thus，asthewaterchargedwithmuddyparticlesarrivedatthedamwherethestreamwassuddenlychecked，itwoulddepositallimpuritiesasitoozedandpercolatedslowlythroughthetangledbutcompressedmassofvegetation。Thisdepositquicklycreatedmud-banksandshoals，whicheffectuallyblockedtheoriginalbedoftheriver。Thereedyvegetationofthecountryimmediatelytookrootuponthesefavourableconditions，andtherapidgrowthinatropicalclimatemaybeimagined。Thatwhichhadbeentheriverbedwasconvertedintoasolidmarsh。

Thisterribleaccumulationhadbeenincreasingforfiveorsixyears，thereforeitisimpossibletoascertainoreventospeculateuponthedistancetowhichitmightextend。Theslave-tradershadbeenobligedtoseekanotherrout，whichtheyhadfoundviatheBahrGiraffe，whichriverhadprovedtobemerelyabranchoftheWhiteNile，asIhadsuggestedinmyformerwork，andnotanindependentriver。

Iwasratheranxiousaboutthisnewroute，asIhadheardconflictingaccountsinKhartoumconcerningthepossibilityofnavigatingsuchlargevesselsasthesteamersofthirty-twohorse-powerandahundredfeetlengthofdeck。Iwasprovidedwithguideswhoprofessedtobethoroughlyacquaintedwiththeriver；thesepeoplewerecaptainsoftradingvessels，whohadmadethevoyagefrequently。

On18thFebruary，at10A。M。，therearvesselsofthefleetarrived，andat11。40A。M。，thesteamersworkedupagainstthestrongcurrentindependently。Towingwasdifficult，owingtothesharpturnsoftheriver。TheBahrGiraffewasaboutseventyyardsinwidth，andatthisseasonthebankswerehighanddry。ThroughoutthevoyageontheWhiteNilewehadhadexcellentwild-fowlshootingwheneverwehadhaltedtocutfuelforthesteamers。OneafternoonIkilledahippopotamus，twocrocodiles，andtwopelicans，withtherifle。AtthemouthoftheBahrGiraffeIbaggedtwenty-twoducksatarightandleftshotwithaNo。

10-shotgun。

Asthefleetnowslowlysailedagainstthestrong，currentoftheBahrGiraffe，IwalkedalongthehankwithLieutenantBaker，andshottenofthelargefrancolinpartridge，whichinthisdryseasonwereverynumerous。Thecountrywasasusualflat，butbearingduesouthoftheBahrGiraffejunction，abouttwelvemilesdistant，isalowgranitehill，partiallycoveredwithtrees；thisisthefirstoffoursimilarlowhillsthataretheonlyrisingpointsabovethevastprairieofflatplain。

AswewerewalkingalongthebankIperceivedananimalascendingfromtheriver，abouttwohundredyardsdistant，whereithadevidentlybeendrinking：weimmediatelyendeavouredtocutoffitsretreat，whenitsuddenlyemergedfromthegrassanddiscoveredafinelionwithlargeshaggymane。Thekingofbeasts，asusual，wouldnotstandtoshowfightintheopen，butboundedoffinthedirectionoftherockyhills。

ItwillbenecessarytogiveafewextractsfrommyjournaltoconveyanexactideaoftheBahrGiraffe。Theriverwasverydeep，averagingaboutnineteenfeet，anditflowedinawindingcourse，throughaperfectlyflatcountryofprairie，diversifiedwithforestallofwhich，althoughnowdry，hadtheappearanceofbeingfloodedduringtherainyseason：——”February23——Steamedfrom6A。M。till7P。M。Vasttreelessmarshesinwetseason——nowteemingwithwaterfowl：sayfiftymilesaccomplishedto-daythroughtheever-windingriver。Thewoodfromthelastforestisinferior，andwehaveonlysufficientfuelforfivehoursleftuponthesteamer。Thediahbeeahintowcarriesabouttwentyhours’fuel：thus，shouldwenotarriveatsomeforestintwenty-fivehours，weshallbehelpless。”Theriverwasexceedinglynarrowaboutfifteenmilesfromourstartingpointthismorning。Thestreamwasstrongbutdeep，flowingthroughtheusualtangledgrass，butdividedintonumeroussmallchannelsandbackwatersthatrenderthenavigationdifficult。”Inthisspottheriverisquitebank-full，andthescatterednativevillagesinthedistanceareinswamps。Theinnumerablehighwhiteant-hillsaretheonlydryspots。”February24——Startedat6A。M。Everybodyeatenupbymosquitoes。At9

A。M。thesteamersmashedherstarboardpaddle：thewholedayoccupiedinrepairing。Sawabullelephantinthemarshesatadistance。Horribletreelessswampsswarmingwithmosquitoes。”February25——Startedat7A。M。At10A。M。arrivedataverynarrowandshallowportionofthischaoticrivercompletelychokedbydriftvegetation。Allhandsworkedhardtoclearapassagethroughthisobstructionuntil2。30，whenwepassedahead。At4P。M。wearrivedatasimilarobstacle；thewaterveryshallow；andto-morrowweshallhavetocutapassagethroughthehighgrass，beneathwhichthereisdeeperwater。Iorderedfiftyswordstobesharpenedforthework。Wecountedseventyelephantsinthedistance，butthereisnopossibilityofreachingthemthroughtheimmensearea，offloatingvegetation。”February26——Hardatworkwithfortymencuttingacanalabout150

yardslongthroughthedensemassofcompressedvegetation。”February27——Workinghardatcanal。Thefleethasnotarrived；thusweareshort-handed。”February28——Thecanalprogresses，themenhavingworkedwell。Itisacuriouscollectionoftrashthatseriouslyimpedesnavigation。Thegrassresemblessugar-canes；thisgrowsfromtwentytothirtyfeetinlength，andthrowsoutrootsateveryjoint；thus，whenmattedtogether，itsrootsstillincrease，andrenderthemassacompletetangle。Duringthewetseasontherushofwatertearsofflargeraftsofthisfloatingwater-grass，whichaccumulateinanyfavourablelocality。Thedifficultyofclearingapassageisextreme。Aftercuttingoutalargemasswithswords，aropeismadefast，andtheraftistowedoutbyhaulingwiththirtyorfortymenuntilitisdetachedandfloateddownthestream。

YesterdayIcutanarrowchannelfromabovestreaminthehopethattherushofwaterwouldloosenthemassofvegetation。Aftermuchlabour，at12。30p。m。thewholeobstructionappearedtoheave。Therewassoonnodoubtthatitwasmoving，andsuddenlytheentiredambrokeup。Immensemasseswerecarriedawaybytherushofwaterandfloateddowntheriver；thesewill，Ifear，causeanobstructionlowerdownthestream。”Wegotupsteam，servedoutgrogtoallthemen，andstartedat2P。M。

Inhalf-an-hour’ssteamingwearrivedatanotherblockvegetation。Inonehourandthree-quartersweclearedapassage，andalmostimmediatelyafterwardswearrivedatthefirstpieceofdrygroundthatwehaveseenfordays。Thispieceoffirmlandwasafewfeethigherthanthemaximumriseoftheriver，andaffordedabouthalfanacre。Westoppedforthenight。”March1——Startedat6。30A。M。，therivernarrowingimmediately，andafterarunofhalfamilewefoundourselvescaughtinatrap。Theriver，althoughfourteenfeetdeep，hadentirelydisappearedinaboundlessseaofhighgrass，whichresembledsugar-canes。Therewasnopossibilityofprogress。Ireturnedtoourhalting-placeoflastnightinasmallrowing-boat，andexamineditthoroughly。Ifoundmarksofoccupationbytheslave-traders，aboutthreemonthsold。Amongthevestigesweretheremainsoffires，apieceofalucifer-matchbox，anumberofcartridgecases——theyhadbeenfired——andapieceofrawhidepiercedwithbullets，thathadevidentlybeenusedasatarget。”Ishottwogeeseandfiveplover，andreturnedtoourvessel。Myopinionisthattheslave-huntershavemadearazziainlandfromthisspot，butthatourguide，Bedawi，hasledusintoawrongchannel。