408 ARRIVAL OF THE GORGON. Chap. XX. 



and towed the brig into the Kongone harbour. The new 

 steamer was called the Lady of the Lake, or the Lady 

 Nyassa, and as much as could be carried of her in one 

 trip was placed, by the help of the officers and men of the 

 Gorgon, on board the Pioneer, and the two large paddle-box 

 boats of H.M.'s ship. We steamed off for the Euo on the 

 10th of February, having on board Captain Wilson, with a 

 number of his officers and men to help us to discharge the 

 cargo. Our progress up was distressingly slow. The river was 

 in flood, and we had a three-knot current against us in many 

 places. The engines of the Pioneer were of the best quality, 

 but had been entirely neglected by the engineer — the pack- 

 ing not having been renewed during twenty months. These 

 causes delayed us six months in the delta, instead of, as we 

 anticipated, only six days ; for, finding it impossible to carry 

 the sections up to the Euo without great loss of time, it was 

 thought best to land them at Shupanga, and, putting the 

 hull of the Lady Nyassa together there, to tow her up to the 

 foot of the Murchison Cataracts. 



A few days before the Pioneer reached Shupanga, Captain 

 Wilson, seeing the hopeless state of our engines, generously 

 resolved to hasten with the Mission ladies up to those who, 

 we thought, were anxiously awaiting their arrival, and there- 

 fore started in his gig for the Euo, taking Miss Mackenzie, 

 Mrs. Burrup, and his surgeon, Dr. Eamsay. They were 

 accompanied by Dr. Kirk and Mr. Sewell, paymaster of the 

 Gorgon, in the whale-boat of the Lady Nyassa. As our slow- 

 paced-lauuch, Ma-Eobert, had formerly gone up to the foot of 

 the cataracts in nine days steaming, it was supposed that the 

 boats might easily reach the expected meeting-place at the 

 Euo in a week ; but the Shire was now in flood, and in its 

 most rapid state ; and they were longer in getting up about 

 half the distance, than it was hoped they would be in th^ 



