nnels of about sixty feet wide and some wider. I
again ordered each captain to pick his own channel, and having a strong
breeze and all oars working we managed to get above. In this place I
discovered by experience that what we had found to be the best channel
on that day, was the worst a few days after. The water falling six
inches to a foot every day, continually changed the rapids, making a bad
place better and a good place bad. Above this cataract we had thirteen
miles of what we called smooth water with a current of from three to
five miles an hour. I had noticed in coming up that the country was
inhabited, having seen a few Arabs now and then. We reached the foot of
Akaska cataract that evening. On landing, the boat, which carried Lord
Avonmore, got stove in when His Lordship took the tools and proved
himself quite a carpenter. Here also were seen some useful stretches of
beach under cultivation, but these were getting few and far between.

Next day, the 3rd November, we faced the Akaska cataract, we were
getting used to the river and therefore this cataract proved to be the
easiest so far. Between Akaska and the foot of Dal cataract there are
nine miles of good navigation, and the greater part of the beach is
useful, this stretch looking altogether better and less wild. We reached
the foot of Dal about noon. Dal cataract is said to be five miles long.
In this cataract I saw for the first time, small willow trees on the
islands. We went about half a mile up with sails and oars, when we had
to track for quite a distance. In this rapid it happened for the first
time that we came to a halt, not knowing how to proceed. We had crossed
on to an island not having water enough in the little channel between
this island and the shore, but found at the head of the island the water
rough and the current too strong to pull against and could not proceed
without a line to the mainshore. It was here that the foresight of
Colonel Alleyne, proved of value. Our Arab swimmer managed to carry the
tow line to the shore, where he made fast and we pulled ourselves up,
carrying the end of the tow line of the next boat, which carried the
next line and so on until the six boats were up. Half a mile further on
we came to a place where it was impossible to proceed on this side of
the river, there being no place for the men to stand and pull, the water
made a kind of a fall, and it was altogether a singular place. We had to
try the other side o