”December21——Thermometerat6A。M。，63degrees；wateringoolah，52degrees。IsentAbdullahUzBashitoTewfikeeyahwithalettertothegovernorofFashoda，whichtheShillooksweretoforwardimmediately。
　　Theletterdemandseightoxen，tensheep，thesectionoflifeboatsavedfromthewreck，togetherwiththeyardandsail。”Ishottwosmallantelopes，alsosomeguinea-fowl，francolinpartridge，andfivepelicans。”December22——WaitingforthearrivalofQuatKareandhisShillooks。
　　Shottwogeeseandknockedoveralargeantelope，butlosthiminthehighgrass。Thecountryisallflooded，exceptforaspaceofaboutamilefromourlittlecampontheSobatdubba，whichisthehighestgroundforagreatdistance，beingaboutfourteenfeetabovethemaximumleveloftheriver。AfewShillooksstartedoffaftermywoundedantelope，andquicklybroughtmethehead：itwasafinespecimenofthenewspeciesofHippotragus。”December23——IsentthesteameruptheWhiteNiletobringdownthewind-boundkyassasvessels。Whenshereturnedwiththem，allhandswereimmediatelyemployedindischargingcargoandtakingdownmastsandyardsinreadinessforoperationsonthesunkenvessel。”December21——Thermometer，6A。M。，67degrees；noon，82degrees。
　　Abdullah，theShillook，arrived。ThenativeshavenotforwardedmylettertothegovernorofFashoda，astheyfeartopasscertainvillageswithwhichtheyhavebeenlatelyquarrelling。To-dayisthecloseoftheRamadanfast，andthefirstoftheBairam，thereforeitiskeptasaholiday。Allmypeoplehaveturnedoutinnewclothes。”December25——ChristmasDay。Thermometer，6A。M。，65degrees。Webeganworkatthesunkenvessel。Byfillingthebargeswithwaterandsinkingthemwithinafootofthesurface，andthensecuringthembychainstothewreck，weobtainedafirmhold。Thewaterhavingbeenbaledoutofthebarges，theygraduallyroseandliftedthevesselseveralfeet。
　　Havingthusraisedher，wehauledherafewfeetnearerthebank，andtheday’sworkconcludedbyprovingthatwithcareandadditionalforceweshallbeabletomanageher。”December26——Wecontinuedthesameoperationsasthoseofyesterday。
　　Havinglashedthemastsofthebargestransverselyacrossthegun-wales，totheseweattachedchainssecuredbydiversbeneaththebottomofthewreck。Thiswasnotpossibleyesterdayuntilwehadliftedherfromtheground。Atthesametimethatwewerethusengaged，themen，bydiving；
　　securedropestotheheavierpiecesofironsections，andwesavedseveraltonsofhercargo，whichweplaceduponthesteameranduponmydiahbeeah。Thislightenedthewreck，andwethenpreparedabedforherbycuttingawaytheabruptbank，andformingashelfonthefloodedshoreinadepthofthreefeetofwater，uponwhichwemightbeabletohaulherwhenfloatedtothesurface。Welaidoutthesteamer’spurchasewithananchorsecuredupontheshore，andthedayendedsuccessfullybyhaulingthewreckexactlyparalleltothebank，withherstemandstern-postabovethesurface。Asthecurrentwasverypowerful，thebowofthewreckhadthroughouttheoperationbeenfirmlysecuredbytwoanchorslaidoutupstream。Itisveryhardwork，asweareinthesunfromearlymorningtillnight。JulianLieutenantBaker，beingasailor，isjustthefellowforthissortofwork，andnootherpersonknowshowtomakefasttheropesandchainssothattheyshallnotslip。
　　Higginbotham，asusual，isveryenergetic。ColonelAbd-el-Kader，whoismyonlyreliableEgyptianofficer，hasbeendivingalldaylikeawildduck，andbringingupheavyboxesofrivetswhichfewmenbuthimselfcanlift。Altogetherthemenhaveworkedfamously，especiallytheblacksoldiers。”December27——Julianislaidupwithfeverto-day；thisistheeffectofdailyexposuretothesun。Ilaidoutthesteamer’ssecondpurchaseatrightanglesfastenedtothebowofthewreck；wethushadherbowandsternsecuredinthesamemanner。Havingmannedbothpurchases，wecouldmanageherasshebecamelighter。About250ShillookscametoassistusunderthecommandofoldQuatKare，whosatinhiscanoeanddirectedhispeople。Havinglightenedthevesselbytakingoutmorecargo，Idividedthelabour；Higginbothamsinkingtwokyassasandmakingthemfastaslifters，whileothermencutawaythefloodedbankwithspadesandimprovedtheshelf。”Afterbreakfast，thesunkenkyassasbeingwell-securedtothewreckwithchains，webaledthemoutforthelasttime，andthevesselthussupportedcamebodilytothesurface。Allhandsnowhauledonthepurchases，whiletheShillooks，withscreamsandyells，tuggedatfourropesfastenedamidships，andwesucceededindraggingthevesselfromtheriver’sbed，andplacingheruponthenewshelfthatwehadpreparedforherinlittlemorethanthreefeetofwater。Duringthistimemanymenhadbeenbalingoutwithlargebuckets，andnowthatshewassafe，ageneralrushwasmadeonboardtoemptythewaterwitheveryconceivableutensil——gourd-shells，basins，cookingpots，&c。”Whenbaledout，wediscoveredandstoppedtheleaks，andfloatedher。
　　Shewasoneofthelargestandfinestvesselsofthefleet，perfectlynew，andwasladenwithsteamersectionsandmachinery，thelossofwhichwouldhavebeenfataltotheobjectoftheexpedition。”Iranaflagupthemastasasignaltothoseatthestationthatshewassafe。Ithenorderedthesteamertolightherfires，andthewreck，togetherwiththetwokyassasandmydiahbeeah，weretakenintow，anddeliveredatthebankthatwehadmadeourhead-quarters。Thuswehavehappilysavedthevesselandcargothathadbeensodisgracefullyabandoned，whenalargeforcewasathandtohaveassistedher。”Duringthemorning，avesselarrivedfromKhartoum，ladenwithgoodsonspeculation，fromaFrenchtraderofmyacquaintance，MonsieurJulesPoncet。Shealsobroughtthesectionofthelifeboatwhichmyofficershadneglectedonthewreck，andwhichthegovernorhadtakentoFashoda。”December28——IsentthesteamertoFashodaforthesailandyardofthewreckedvessel。Allhandsareengagedincaulkingship，re-hoistingyards，rigging，&c。，andrefitting。Thermometer，6A。M。，66degrees；
　　noon，81degrees。”December29-Thermometer，6A。M。，66degrees；noon，81degrees。JulianandHigginbothambothillwithfever。Vesselsprogressing。”December30——Ishotawater-buckatdaybreakReduncaEllipsyprimna。
　　Yesterdayevening，QuatKareandhistwofavouritewivescametotakeleave。Igavehimamusicalboxandameerschaumpipe，withalovelywoman’sfacecarvedonthebowl。Hewasverymuchamusedwiththeideaofthesmokeissuingfromthehead。Ialsogavehiswivessomegreycalico，redhandkerchiefs，andgaudyear-rings。Theywentawaydelighted。”At9P。M。，thesteamer’sboatcameuptoreportherarrivalatTewfikeeyah。Iimmediatelysentoffakyassatojoinherforacargoofwood。”December31——Thesteamerarrivedwiththekyassaintowat11A。M。，withanimmensesupplyofwood，togetherwithtenoxenandtensheepfromFashoda。Thewreckwillbetakenintowbythesteamer，asheryardwastakenonthedayoftheaccidentbyColonelTayibAgha。Sheisnowthemostvaluablevesselinthefleet。Thenewyear1871commenceswell。”January1st，1871——At1。30P。M。，Istartedthekyassas，havingkeptbacktwentymenfromtheircomplementoftroopstomanthevesselwehavesaved。Abdullah，theShillook，came，andIgavehimanordertoreceivehalfthecornthatIleftatTewfikeeyah。ThisisarewardforQuatKare，forhavingassistedtoraisethesunkenvesselwithhispeople。TheextraordinaryriseintheriverthisseasonhasdestroyedalargeportionoftheShillookcrops，thereforethepresentofcornwillbemostacceptabletotheoldking。”January2——At8。35A。M。，westartedintowofthesteamer。Windfreshfromthenorth。At2。40P。M。wepassedthesecondofthethreenoggursthatsailedyesterday，andat3P。M。wepassedthethirdexactlyattheGiraffejunction。Wehavethusbeensixhoursandtwenty-fiveminutesfromtheSobattotheGiraffejunction。Thermometer，6A。M。，66degrees；
　　noon，86degrees。”January3——Lastmidnightstoppedataforestcuttingwood；westartedat3。50P。M。Oneoftherearboatscameinsightat11A。M。，whichreachedusat3。40P。M。”January4——At5。50A。M。weactuallyovertooktheninevesselswithTayibAghathatwehadleftseventeendaysago；thesemiserablepeoplehavethusbeenwastingtheirtime。ThetradingvesselofJulesPoncet，thatlefttheSobatonlysixdaysago，isinsightahead；thusshehasinsixdayspassedtheboatsthathavebeentwenty-fourdaysfromthesamestarting-point。Itookthesailbelongingtothewreckednoggurfromone，andpassedaheadofall，exceptonethatIkeptbackforrepairswhilewecutwoodattheforest。”January5——ArrivedatKutchukAli’sstationat10。30A。M。，andtookinwood。Thecountryisallflooded，andboththenativesandthetradersarewithoutcorn，thecropshavingbeendestroyedbytheextraordinaryriseoftheriver。Thepeoplehavenoothergrainthanthescantysupplyyieldedbytheseedsofthelotus，whichtheycollectfromtheriver。I
　　metseveralmenwhohadformerlyservedunderIbrahim，whenweaccompaniedKhoorshoodAgha’spartytoUnyoromanyyearsago。”January6——Cuttingwood。IwrotetoColonelTayibAgha，desiringhimtotakeinasmuchfuelashisvesselscanstow，asthereisnowoodahead。Thevakeelofthestationsuppliedfivecowsandsixgoats。I
　　gavehimfiveurdepsofdhurra22bushels。Westartedat4P。M。”January7——Duringthenight，at12。40A。M。，tomyintensedisgust，wepassedagreatnumberofourvesselswithRaoufBey。Shortlyafter，wepassedothers，togetherwiththeboatofAchmetEffendi，bimbashi。Theseofficersandpeopleareincorrigible；theyhaveidledtheirtimeontheroadtosuchanextentthatIcanonlyconcludeitisdonepurposely。Wewastedaboutanhourduringthenightinstoppingtomakeinquiries。”At11。30A。M。，wepassedthesolitaryambatchbushonthewestbankwherethesteamersmashedherpaddlelastyear。Thewindisstrongfromthenorth。Lastyearwewerefivehoursfromtheambatchbushtothedubba。Weshallthereforearriveto-dayatabout4P。M。Wehavebeenexactly191/2hourssteamingfromKutchukAli’sstationtotheambatch。
　　WeleftTewfikeeyahat11o’clock；wehavethereforebeentwenty-sevendaystothespotatthedubbathatweshouldreachthisevening。LastyearweleftKhartoumon8thFebruary，andwearrivedatthestationinthefollowingorder：——”February15th——Fashoda。16th——Sobatjunction。18th——BahrGiraffejunction。March2nd——arrivedattheforestbeyondKutchukAli’sstation。
　　ThisisthesamespotwhereweovertookRaoufBeylastnight，hehavingleftTewfikeeyahon11thDecember。Thushehasbeentwenty-sixdaysfromTewfikeeyahinreachingthespotthisyearwhichhearrivedatfromthegreatdistanceofKhartouminourformervoyageintwenty-twodays！LastyearthefleetwasfourteendaysonthevoyagefromtheSobattotheabovespot；thisyeartheyhavebeentwenty-sixdays！Ibelievethoroughlythattheydelaypurposely，inthehopeofthwartingtheexpedition。”LastyearthewholefleetassembledatthedubbaintwentydaysfromFashoda。”Wearrivedatthedubbaat5。30P。M。，havingbeendelayedtwohoursbyobstructionsandrapids。”January8——Wecutthroughahorridaccumulationoffloatingraftsthathavefilledtheopenspaceoflastyearbetweenthedubbaandthemouthofouroldchannel。Thisbeingcompleted，Iorderedtheboatstokeepincloselineuntilthearrivalofthemainbody，otherwisethefloatingraftswouldagainblockupthechannelshouldtheboatsproceed。”January9——Hauledthedingyoverthemarsh，andexploredtheoldchannelforadistanceoffiftyminutes。Thankgoodness，thiswascleartothatpoint，adistanceofabouttwomiles；butatlengthwewerestoppedbyvegetation。Thelatterisofalightcharacter，andcanbeeasilyremoved。Cloudsofmosquitoes；thedewveryheavyatnight。”ShotaBalenicepsRex，withrifle。