June 22, 1857.] TWYFOKD ON THE SOURCES OF THE WHITE NILE. 507 



Monday, 24tli November. — From the date of my arrival at Wadi 

 Halfeh till my departure, it blew a strong gale from the N.AV. and 

 was very cold.* 



T was 16 days in passing the steamer and dahabiahs (boats) over 

 these cataracts, during which time I kept 3500 men fully employed. 

 Some of the men I took from Assouan and the villages as I came 

 along, and the rest were sent all the way from Dongola. 



The cataracts are 12 miles in length by 3, and are interspersed 

 with rocks and islands, t some a mile in length, and the channels 

 alter according to the time of year at which boats happen to arrive. 

 In some places I found a fall of water of 3 or 4 feet, and in others 

 the rapids had to be passed over a straight piece of water of 300 or 

 400 yards. 



On the morning of the 1 5th of December, after great difficulty and 

 contention with the natives, and much anxiety on my part, we got 

 clear of the Wadi Halfeh or cataract, and on the following morning 

 started early for Dongola. On our way we found four more cataracts : 

 the names of these are Ambercole, Tangiir, Dal, and Hannek. 

 After having with difficulty surmounted them, we proceeded up the 

 river and arrived at Dongola on Sunday the 4th of January, 1857. 

 Here I waited a fortnight to repair the boats. 



On the morning of the 28th I started towards Meroe, or the fourth 

 cataract; and on reaching the village of Ambercole received a 

 letter from his Highness the Viceroy, informing me that the 

 expedition was broken up, and ordering me to return, but to wait 

 for him at the village of Abdiim, where he would join me in a few 

 days from Khartum. 



On Friday, 6th of February, the Pasha with his suite and troops 

 arrived, and we all returned to Dongola. I was then informed of 

 the particulars which led to the breaking up of the expedition, and 

 received orders to return overland to Cairo, at which place I arrived, 

 after a veiy fatiguing journey, on Sunday the 19th of April. 



I cannot submit these few hurried notes without making a few 

 concluding remarks. When I accepted my appointment from the 

 Count d'Escayrac, I was not aware that I should have held the 

 responsible situation I did. A French naval officer was to have had 

 the command of the boats ; but as he did not make his appearance in 

 time, I was obliged to take his place. I was determined, however, 

 not to shrink from the responsibility — the pride of being the only 

 Englishman in the expedition, the confidence I had in my own 



* The meteorological and other observations I made, I will take another oppor- 

 tunity of communicating to the Royal Geographical Society. 



t These islands are barren, though at high Nile they are mostly under water. 



