To the reader who asks, I begin by describing the White Nile in the eastern part, starting from Khartoum before it mixes with the Blue Nile. This river is calm, and its banks are so far apart that in some places it is impossible to see the opposite bank, even with a powerful telescope. This is from the area of Lake Senyora. When you leave the Azal region and head south, towards the borders of the two provinces, the water rushes with such force that it seems to be a torrent, as if it were not the Nile. You see those lands made of dark mud, almost like the strong, dark, sticky materials of gum. On the banks of the river, reeds grow in dense thickets. Looking at them, one might think they are a barrier, but they are not. Anyone who touches them develops sores that are difficult to heal. Due to the force of the river's current, pieces of this reed, called "Abu Sufah," break off and accumulate at the narrow points, blocking the way. The water, in its flow, breaks off small pieces and carries them to the wider parts of the river. This is what happened with the Mahdist campaign. As for Emin Pasha, who was at the Equator, he left Lado, the capital of the Equatorial provinces, for the Upper Nile. This was due to the failure of his troops two years ago against the Mahdist leader in Shaka and Bahr el Ghazal, whose raid on the borders of the Equator was previously mentioned. When Slatin Pasha reached Lado, he found it deserted. He learned that the Mahdists had not yet advanced, but had launched a raid and plundered some of the Sudanese cities.