Saturday, April 1st.—No sleep! Too novel a position. Off at sunrise. The Frenchman remarked classic beauty in the cook of the boat! Stopped for wood at the cataract. Very hot! Off again. Passed the cataract safely, though the water was very low, and many of the passages dangerous. We noted several wrecks of boats about us. One was a ship belonging to Moussalli, who is with us. Had to throw off the line from the steamer in some places, and row ourselves through. Struck the rocks many times, hard enough to sink ordinary boats. Things were thrown into a little confusion by it, but no leak sprung. Passed the wild gorge “Sebeloga.” Camped at sunset. Several of the party ill. Took dinner on the bank. Went to bed on the sand in the open air and the glorious moonlight.
Monday, April 3d.—Up early; waked Ibrahim, plunged into the river with Moussalli, to get the sand out of eyes and ears. The sick ones are very poorly to-day. Stopped at Damer about 2:30 P.M. Had some difficulty to get wood. Moussalli is ill. Midani, his bookkeeper, has a high fever. I turn doctor, and nurse the crowd as well as I can. A gale of wind has been blowing, increasing to a tempest. Slept out in it all. We have not left Khartoum any too soon for the health of the crowd.
Tuesday, April 4th.—Blowing a gale. Start at sunrise. All are ill to-day except myself. The waves are high, and the spray goes over us. Arrived at the rocks, but it was blowing so hard that the captain dared not try to pass them. We tied up at the bank. Tried the pass once more, and tied up again. Finally, we made another attempt; had a very exciting time, but got through part way very well. Sent a boat ahead to pick out the channel. Expected every moment to strike, and perhaps be wrecked. We did strike at last, and were nearly capsized, but, thanks to the strength of the boat, we came out all right. When we were finally clear of the rocks the men cheered and praised Allah, and we gave them a backshish. A little further on we went fast aground on a sand bank, and spent about two hours getting off. At last Berber came into sight, and at 5 P.M. we tied up at the bank, which is now very high, as the river is many feet lower than when we were here before. Went on shore, selected a good site for the tents; put one of ours up, and got into shape for the night.
Wednesday, April 5th.—Up early, and worked hard in the hot sun. Put up the other tent. Our tents, together with the Consul’s and Moussalli’s and the cook’s make quite a little village by themselves. Made arrangements for camels amid much noise and discussion and haggling of prices. There have been some wordy disagreements in camp among our friends. It is finally settled that we are to start on Friday. The doctor is better, and has good courage. To-day the Consul’s cook was stung by a scorpion, and under the doctor’s directions I painted the wound with iodine. The poor fellow suffered severely for a time. A guard of four soldiers has been sent to act as sentry for us during the night. They will probably be sound asleep as soon as we turn in. The river has risen a few inches to-day, owing probably to heavy rains at the South, but will doubtless fall again to-morrow.
Friday, April 7th.—This has been a day of trials. There has been no end of them! Everything was made ready this morning for the start, but we could not get away till afternoon, so we paid a visit in the meantime to Hassan Halifa’s father, the royal old Arab who treated us so handsomely when we first came here. He kindly consented to have his photograph taken. After the delay we thought we should surely get off in good season, or about 3 P.M., but it was not so foreordained. Difficulties seemed to multiply at every move. Everything went wrong. Patience was nearly gone. It was 9 o’clock at night before we fairly started! Rode up and down the line on my camel to see that everything was at last right. There was a delay among the rear camels. Went back to see what the matter was. Some of the camels had run away and smashed up their loads, and others had fallen down, and altogether there were five loads strewn upon the ground. The camels were a bad lot, and the men were as bad a lot. Things were getting rather serious. A free fight was imminent. Moussalli was on the point of returning to Berber and entering a complaint. The rest of the party, however, had gone on, and I thought it was better to patch up the loads the best way we could, go on until we reached the advance party, and then hold a council. A return to Berber would do but little good, and would result in great delay. So on we went the best way we could in the dark, and found the rest at the well. It was 1:30 A.M. when we took dinner! I put up a tent for the doctor, and the rest of us took a nap in the open air.
Saturday, April 8th.—At 3 A.M. Moussalli’s agent and the sheik of the camel drivers arrived. They had heard of our troubles and brought a fresh lot of camels. After much loud talking several changes were made. Some of the camels with their drivers were sent back to Berber, and others substituted. We have 53 camels now. We tried to be gay and rise above our troubles. The heat is intense. There is one well at this point about 50 feet deep, but the water is bad. Started the caravan at 4 P.M., and went on till 10 o’clock. Had dinner at 12:30 A.M. Put up the tent for doctor; the rest of us went to bed with the stars looking down upon us.
Sunday, April 9th.—This is the holy Sabbath and we would be glad to rest to-day, but necessity is upon us and we must move on. On a journey like this we cannot do as we would like, and have on several such occasions been obliged to keep going when we have longed for the sacred quiet of the day. I was so tired last night that an odd thing happened. I was struck by sleep, as one might be struck by lightning, only the results were not so disastrous. I had tumbled into my cot, and was conscious of putting my hand out to draw the sheet over me, but before I had time to do it I was sound asleep, and awoke in the morning with the intention still unfulfilled. After a hasty cup of coffee we were off this morning at 6:30, and marched till 10:30. The sirocco has been blowing all day, and the heat is something terrible. Worked hard in the hot sun to get a tent up for our nooning. We are on an immense sandy plain, the ideal desert, and the heat reflected from the sand burns like a furnace.
Monday, April 10th.—We must press on to reach water. Midani is too ill to sit on his camel, so we have improvised a bed and placed him on it, and in this way go slowly on. Started at 6:30 A.M. We are still on a sandy undulating plain which seems endless, and the march is very wearisome. The Consul and Mourgan have both suffered from bleeding at the nose this morning. Camped for our nooning at 11:30. Poor Midani suffers exceedingly. We put up the tents, as the heat is terrible. Started again at 4:30 P.M. From here till one reaches the vicinity of Souakim the road is considered unsafe. We met some rather wild-looking parties, who, the guides told us, were brigands, but we were numerous and well armed, and they kept a respectful distance from us. Even the camel drivers do not dare to travel in this region without being armed with swords and spears and pistols. Met several caravans. Came to some very steep sand hills. The pass over the highest was so narrow and precipitous that I thought the camels could not possibly get safely over it, but they did. Reached the wells of Aubak about 8:30 P.M. Found many wells and excellent water, but the water is easily riled. Took a good deep drink. Such a drink is worth a mine of gold on the desert. There are a number of caravans here.
Tuesday, April 11th.—The men did not want to leave the well before the P.M. Had to force them. Almost a revolt. Quite a little misunderstanding has sprung up between our friends. Left at 7:30. Traversed a high plain. Fearfully hot. Camped at 11:30. Were treated to a whirlwind of sand. Tried to amuse ourselves at revolver practice to pass away the hours of intense mid-day heat. Started again about 5 P.M. Passed on from plain to plain between bare, black, rocky mountains. Camped at 10:30 in a sandy spot. Had dinner at 12:30 A.M. We are all tired, but in pretty good spirits.
Wednesday, April 12th.—Started at 7:30. Marched till 11:30. Found a few bare thorn bushes and tried to spread our blankets over them in such a way as to afford us a little shade till the caravan with the tents came up. Even the poor little donkey that the guide rides, and our camels, also, asked to share our scanty shade with us. The thermometer stands at 111° in the shade. Cooked an egg in the sand. Started again at 5 P.M. The latter part of the evening journey I make on foot. The rest of the crowd is generally used up. At last, Midani is able to go no further, and, on his account, we are obliged to halt for the night. The camel drivers protest, saying that the water is all gone, and that we shall suffer before we reach the next well. We make a personal inspection and find that there are five skins half full. One of these is given to the drivers, one to the cooks, and three for our own use are placed at the foot of my cot for safe keeping. Went to bed at 1:30 A.M.