BREAKING THE SUDD 95 



top of the sudd and the stern-wheel beats frantically 

 till every pound of steam is exhausted, one sees that 

 other means must be employed. Every anchor is 

 requisitioned, driven into the sudd wherever it appears 

 likely to break, and, gathering all the hawsers, the 

 steamer backs, takes the strain swinging backwards 

 and forwards in its efforts till steam must again be 

 "got up," Every now and then a hawser breaks or 

 an anchor slips, or, better still, a large section of sudd 

 comes away and is left to float away. Perhaps, how- 

 ever, in spite of heaving, advancing, backing, &c. &c., 

 the sudd defeats the steamer. Then saws, axes, and 

 spades are requisitioned. Trenches are dug in the 

 tangled mass of vegetation, maybe a couple of men 

 dive down and remain working under water for many 

 seconds. Then again the steamer takes the strain and 

 pulls out a section which follows what has gone 

 before. At last the weight of the water pressing from 

 behind makes short work of the last few yards of 

 the belt. 



There is another chapter to sudd-cutting which, 

 D.G., I have not had to read through, though I once 

 just lifted the leaf. It is when one is up-stream of 

 the barrier, additions to which come down every hour. 

 The awful experiences of Gessi and Marchand are too 

 well known to need repetition. In 1909 some steamers 

 took over three months getting down the Bahr el 

 Ghazal. 



