Inashorttimewehadabovegroundsweetmelons，watermelons，pumpkins，cabbages，tomatoes，cauliflowers，beet-root，parsley，lettuce，celery，&c。，butallthepeas，beans，andaverychoiceselectionofmaizethatIhadreceivedfromEngland，weredestroyedduringthevoyage。Againstmyexpressorders，theboxhadbeenhermeticallysealed，andthevitalityofthelargerseedswasentirelygone。Seedsshouldbesimplypackedinbrownpaperbagsandsecuredinabasket。
Theneighbouringcountrywas，asusualintheWhiteNiledistricts，flatanduninteresting。Forestandbushclothedthebanksoftheriver，butthisformedamerefringeforadepthofabouthalfamile，beyondwhichallwasopenprairie。
Althoughtherewasaconsiderableextentofforest，therewasadearthofusefultimberforbuildingpurposes。Theonlylargetreeswereaspeciesofmimosa，namedbytheArabs”kook。”Wewereveryshortofsmallrowingboats，thosebelongingtothesteamerswerelargeandclumsy，andIwishedtobuildafewhandydingiesthatwouldbeextremelyusefulforthenextvoyageuptheobstructionsoftheBahrGiraffe。IthereforeinstructedtheEnglishshipwrightstotakethejobinhand，andduringaramblethroughtheforesttheyselectedseveraltrees。Thesewerequicklyfelled，andthesawyersweresoonatworkcuttingplanks，keels，andallthenecessarywoodforboat-building。ItisapleasuretoseeEnglishmechanicsatworkinawildcountry；theyfinishajobwhileanEgyptianworkmanisconsideringhowtodoit。InaveryshorttimeMr。Jarvis，theheadshipwright，hadconstructedanimpromptuworkshop，withanironroof，withintheforest；severalsetsofsawyerswereatwork，andinafewdaysthekeelofanewboatwaslaiddown。
Thechiefmechanicalengineer，Mr。McWilliam，wasengagedinsettingupthesteamsaw-mills，andinafewweeksafterourfirstarrivalinthisuninhabitedwilderness，thechangeappearedmagical。Inadditiontothelongrowsofwhitetents，andthepermanentironmagazines，werehundredsofneathutsarrangedinexactlines；alargeironworkshopcontaininglathes，drillingmachines，andsmallverticalsawmachine；
nexttothistheblacksmith’sbellowsroared；andtheconstantsoundofthehammerandanvilbetokenedanewlifeinthesilentforestsoftheWhiteNile。TherewereseveralgoodmenwhohadreceivedaEuropeanmechanicaleducationamongthoseIhadbroughtfromEgypt；thesewerenowengagedwiththeEnglishengineersinrepairingtheengineoftheNo。10steamer，whichrequiredanewpiston。Iorderedanumberofverycrookedbill-hookstobepreparedforcuttingthetangledvegetationduringournextvoyage。Thefirstboat，aboutsixteenfeetlong，wasprogressing，andtheentirestationwasafieldofindustry。Thegardensweregreenwithvegetables，andeverythingwouldhavebeenflourishinghadthetroopsbeeningoodhealth。ThosemiserableEgyptiansappearedtobeinahopelessconditionmorally。Itwasimpossibletoinstilanyspiritintothem，andifsick，theyatoncemadeuptheirmindstodie。