114 UGANDA AND THE EGYPTIAN SOUDAN.

great labour cleared away twenty-six miles of " sudd " at this point.

To the south of Lake No there were two other blocks, one at lat. 8" 3' N., long. 30' 25' E. ; the other some fifteen miles north of Shambil. Writing in 1881, I am able to say that the river is clear again ; the water has forced a new channel for itself, and as this is by a more gradual curve, the probability is that such an unfortunate state of tilings will not soon again occur. At least, I can express a devout hope that if it does I may not be one of its victims.

To resume the narrative : the river being impassable, there were two ways of getting from Lado to Khartoum ; we might either take the steamer to Shambil, and then march via Kohl to Meshera-er-Eek, or go overland direct from Lado, via Madi and Eohl. At this time of year there is a good deal of water between Shambil and Eohl ; indeed Mr. Lupton, who had come to Lado by that route, informed us that it was one vast swamp. For this reason we chose the other road, although it was the longer, for we preferred, where possible, to travel dry-shod. We discovered afterwards that we should not have lost very much time if we had waited at Lado for a steamer to arrive and for the river to be clear; for this latter event happened some eight months later, when the river traffic recommenced. However, if we had done so, we should have missed the