It Was A
Tedious Journey For The Natives To Visit Us Daily, As They Had To Cross
First Their Western Branch Of The Nile, Then To Carry Their Canoes
Across The Island For About A Mile, And Again To Cross The Main River To
Arrive At Our Camp.
The Shillook canoe has often been described.
It is
formed of long pieces of the ambatch-wood, which is lighter than cork.
These curious trees, which grow in the swamps of the White Nile, are
thick at the base, and taper to a point, thus a number are lashed
securely together, and the points are tied tightly with cord, so as to
form a bow. These canoes or rafts generally convey two persons, and they
are especially adapted for the marshy navigation of the river, as they
can be carried on the head without difficulty, when it may be necessary
to cross an island or morass.
Our native traders arrived daily in fleets of ambatch canoes from a
considerable distance. The soldiers trusted them with their rations of
corn to grind, rather than take the trouble to prepare it themselves.
The natives took the corn to their homes, and invariably returned with
the honest complement of flour. I never had a complaint brought before
me of dishonesty when a Shillook had been trusted. I have great hopes of
these people, they simply require all assurance of good faith and
protection to become a valuable race.
From the Shillook country to Khartoum the river is superb and can be
navigated at all seasons.
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