A Narrative of the Expedition to Dongola and Sennaar / Under the Command of His Excellence Ismael Pasha, undertaken / by Order of His Highness Mehemmed Ali Pasha, Viceroy of / Egypt, By An American In The Service Of The Viceroy

by George Bethune English

17th of Safa. At an early hour started with a favorable wind, but in about two hours were obliged to put to shore. The river hereabouts makes several turns almost at right angles with each other. This circumstance brought the wind directly ahead in one of the bends and obliged us to remain there till next morning. The country we saw to-day is not equal to the territory of Succoot; the date trees, the villages, and the cultivation are not so continued; and the view from the river is bounded at a little distance from its banks by low rocky hills. Saw to-day a singular mode of navigating the river; a man, who apparently was traveling down the river with his whole family, had placed his youngest wife and her two young children on a small raft made of bundles of corn-stalks lashed together, he himself swam by its side to guide it, while he kept his old wife a swimming and pushing it by the stern, and in this way they proceeded down the river.

I have seen in this country small rafts made to carry one person, which are very well contrived. Three or four large empty gourds are fastened firmly to a small oblong frame made out of the branches of the date tree, the whole not weighing two pounds. A man may go safely down or across the river on this, either by fastening it to his breast and swimming supported by it, or by riding on it astride; and when on shore he can carry it with ease either in his hand or on his shoulder.

18th of Safa, In the morning found that the wind had changed a little in our favor, got under way, but after sailing for about two hours the winding of the river again brought it ahead. Put to shore and staid there till the middle of the afternoon, when the wind again hauled a little in our favor, and with some difficulty we got to windward of the shore and proceeded up the river. The river here is about half a mile broad, and makes several turns which somewhat retarded our progress. We observed some rocks and shoals, and on arriving at a place where the river is divided by a large rocky island, observed a boat aground, which had taken the right hand passage which was the broadest, and two others turning back to take the passage on the other side of this island. We followed their example, and found the passage safe enough. A little beyond the upper end of this island the river makes an acute angle to the right hand. We proceeded onwards till sunset, when we put to shore in company with two other boats. The country we have passed through to-day resembled that we saw yesterday, inferior to the fine territory of Succoot.

19th of Safa, Left the land an hour and a half after sunrise, with a fine breeze from the north. Sailed for about an hour through a country where the rocky hills come down here and there close to the river banks and narrowed the usual breadth of the Nile considerably. Observed however in this tract of country a few fine and cultivated islands. Shortly after the river widened, the rocky hills retired at a distance, and the eye rested with pleasure on a beautiful country cultivated by the inhabitants of a continued succession of villages and castles which occupied both banks of the river. The country resembled the province of Succoot, except that the date trees were not so numerous nor so tall and large. Passed the ruins of a considerable fortified town situated on a high hill on the west bank. A little beyond this place saw the ruins of a temple; four of the columns are yet standing; could not go ashore to examine it, as the wind was fair and strong, and the Rais under positive orders to proceed with all expedition. Observed that several of the castles we had passed yesterday and to-day appeared newer and better constructed for defense than those we had seen along the Cataract. I suspect that they were erected under the direction of the exiled Mamalukes, as this tract forms a part of the territory subject to them before the arrival of the Pasha Ismael. Continued to advance, through a country very beautiful, the river here embosoming several large and delightful islands, capable of being made, by the hands of enlightened industry, every thing that the art of man operating upon a fine soil under a soft climate could effect. We sailed pleasantly by these charming shores and islands till an hour and a half before sunset, when we came in view of a rapid ahead, and the wreck of a boat lost in passing it. The Rais put to shore, and after taking on board a native of the country to show him the passage through the rocks and shallows, attempted to pass immediately; the effort was unsuccessful. After remaining in the foaming passage for three quarters of an hour, we found that the wind was not strong enough to force the boat through the current, and as the sun was about setting and the wind falling, the Rais was obliged to let the boat drift back to the shore from whence we had departed.

18th of Safa. At about two hours after sunrise, the Rais thought the wind sufficiently favorable and strong to carry the boat through the rapid. We quitted the shore, and again faced the current. The Rais this time was not mistaken; our boat forced her way slowly but victoriously through the torrent, and in about three quarters of an hour carried us safely into smooth water, where we could draw every advantage from a fine wind, which swept us rapidly up the river between shores fertile and cultivated by the inhabitants of a continued succession of villages shaded by palm trees. About an hour after we had passed the rapid, we stopped to receive on board three of our company who had left the boat yesterday in search of fresh provisions on the western bank of the river. They reported that they had seen a large pond of fresh water inland, and had found the country for seven miles from the river crowded with villages, and as fertile as possible. They represented that this country was watered by two ranges of water-wheels; one range on the bank of the river, which threw the water of the Nile into small canals leading to reservoirs inland, from whence the other range took it up and distributed it to this fine territory. About noon we passed, on the east bank, two very high, large and isolated rocks of irregular and picturesque forms. On the side of the southernmost were the remains of a considerable fortified town. The country hereabouts is very beautiful. About three o'clock we passed another rapid, which was not however very difficult. Found the river beyond this place much narrowed and impeded by rocks. Passed two more rapids, the first of little consequence, but the latter somewhat dangerous. In this last rapid saw two boys sitting on a raft made of cornstalks lashed together, and driving down the current. They appeared to be much at their ease, and not at all alarmed at the rapid, though the current frequently whirled their fragile raft round and round as it rushed past us. Soon after passing this rapid the sun set, and we put to shore to pass the night.

19th of Safa. About two hours after sunrise we left the shore with a fair and fresh breeze. The river here is broad, and the country on both banks fertile and peopled. After about an hour's sail we came up with some beautiful islands, one of them very large and among the finest we had seen. The islands above the Second Cataract are probably the most beautiful spots watered by the Nile, which rarely over flows them. They are the most populous and best cultivated parts of this country. Half an hour after we came up with the large island, the wind became squally, and the boat could not make safe progress. Our rais therefore put to shore, as did those of five other boats in company with ours. We remained here for the rest of the day.

20th of Safa. In the morning, left the laud with the wind almost ahead. After sailing about three miles, the rais found it necessary to put to shore, as the wind was strong and too much ahead. Stayed by the land till nearly noon, when the wind appearing to me and others on board, more favorable, we, after some hard words with the rais, persuaded him to get under way, the wind being about the same as in the morning, and very strong. In about an hour we arrived at a bend in the river, which enabled us to bring the wind aft.

We proceeded with great rapidity, threading the rocks and shoals with which the river here abounds, till we came in view of a rapid ahead. We had been informed, two days ago, that there was a dangerous rapid between us and Dongola, and we congratulated ourselves that the wind was fair and strong to push us through it; we passed it happily, though not without peril. We felicitated ourselves on having cleared the only obstacle, as we supposed, between us and the place of our destination, when we came in view of another, of a more formidable appearance than any we had yet seen. The passage lay where the river rolled furiously over rocks under water, and between shores there was no approaching, on account of the shoals and rocks above and under water which lined them. The strong wind forced our boat alongside of another that was struggling and reeling in the passage, to the imminent danger of both. To clear this boat, our rais ventured to pass ours over a place where the foam and fury of the water indicated latent rocks. We hardly dared to breathe, but we did not strike here, but half a minute after we were fast upon a sand bank. We stayed in this condition for about a quarter of an hour, having in view close by us the wreck of a boat lost here. With considerable difficulty our boat was disengaged, when we put her before the wind and again faced this truly infernal pass. By the force of the current, the boat neared a large and furious whirlpool, formed by an eddy on the side of the passage. The steersman endeavored, in vain, to counteract this drift of the boat by the aid of the rudder. The side of the boat approached to within a yard of the white foam which covered this dreadful spot. Our rais tore his turban from his head, and lifted his clasped hands to Heaven, exclaiming, "We are lost!" The rest of the boatmen were screaming to God and the prophet for aid, when, I know not how, but by the good Providence that watched over us, the boat cleared this peril, and others that beset us in passing yet two more rapids almost as dangerous. On passing the last, we found the river divided lengthways, by a ridge of rocks and low islands covered with verdure. On the right or west side of this ridge, where we were, the view ahead presented our side of the river crowded with rocks, which we could not pass. The singular ridge already mentioned, presented, however, some gaps, which afforded passages into that part of the river that was on the other side of this ridge. We passed through what appeared to us the safest of these gaps, and soon after found ourselves in smooth but shallow water: the river hereabouts being not less than five or six miles broad, and spotted with rocks and little green islands and ridges. Soon after, a boat ahead grounded, and stuck fast for some time: about five minutes after, our boat received a violent shock from a rock under water. The rais put the boat under her foresail only, in order that in case she struck, it might be with as little force as possible. Shortly after, it being about an hour before sunset, the rais put to shore to inquire of the people of the country as to the condition of the river ahead.

The country we saw this day, on both sides of the river, is a level plain; only one hill was visible. The shores, and many of the islands we passed to-day, were such as we should have contemplated with greater pleasure, if we could have employed our eyes and thoughts upon any thing beside the perils by which we were environed. They are fertile, verdant, and in many places truly picturesque.

We put to shore this day, as said before, about an hour before sunset. When we disembarked, we found ourselves upon a large and beautiful island, almost covered with trees of various kinds. The view from this island ranges over an immense green plain, bounded only by the horizon, and presents a great river winding in several branches through islands and shores composed of as fine a soil as any in the world, and covered with trees, among which the date tree bore a small proportion. Dongola, we were told, was but a few hours distant from this place.