March9-FromFeb。11tothisdatewehadtoiledthrougheveryspeciesofdifficulty。Themenhadcutonestraightlineofcanalthroughastiffclayforadistanceof600yards。Manyweresick，somehaddied；
thereappearedtobenohope。ItwasinvainthatIendeavouredtocheerbothofficersandmenwithtalesandassurancesofthepromisedlandbeforethem，shouldtheyonlyreachtheNile。Theyhadworkedlikeslavesinthesefetidmarshesuntiltheirspiritswereentirelybroken，——theEgyptianshadceasedtocarewhethertheylivedordied。
Theenormousquantityofmachinery，ironsectionsofsteamers，supplies，&c。，hadactuallybeendischargedfromfifty-eightvessels。Theriverhadfallenstilllower，anduponthequicklysun-bakedsurfaceImadearoad，andhavingsetupmywaggons，Iconveyedthegreatmassofcargoacrossthelandbyashortcut，andthusreachedmylonglineofvessels，andreloadedthemaftergreatlabour。Thewaggonswerethentakentopiecesandre-shipped。Itwouldbewearyingtogivethejournalofeveryincidentduringthistryingperiod，butfromthedescriptionalreadygiven，thefatigueandanxietymaybeimagined。ThankGod，I
seemedtobearacharmedlife。FrommorningtillnightIwasexploringinasmallboatthroughmudandmarsh，butIwascompletelyfever-proof。
Mywifewasalsowell。LieutenantBakerandMr。Higginbothamhadsufferedfrequentlyfromfever，buttheseenergeticofficersrenderedmemostimportantservice。WhileIwasaheadexploring，sounding，andplanningouttheroute，LieutenantBakerwascommandinganddirectingthesteamer，whichappearedmorelikeahugestrandedwhaleamongtherushesthananobjectadaptedforthenavigationofthishorriblecountry。Ihadafirst-ratecrewonmydiahbeeah，andsomepickedmenofthe”FortyThieves”whoalwaysaccompaniedme。ThebestandmostdevotedmanthatIhaveeverseenwasacorporalofthe”FortyThieves”namedMonsoor。ThismanwasaCoptChristiandescendantofthetrueEgyptians；hewasrathershort，butexceedinglypowerful；heswamanddivedlikeanotter，andneverseemedtofeelfatigue。Hewasalwaysingoodhealth，verycourageous，andheaccompaniedmelikemyownshadow；