Read Ebook: Our Caughnawagas in Egypt a narrative of what was seen and accomplished by the contingent of North American Indian voyageurs who led the British boat Expedition for the Relief of Khartoum up the Cataracts of the Nile. by Jackson Louis Brown Thomas Storrow Author Of Introduction Etc

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e the keel would give a chance to shoot out into the current to get round rocks, where a flat bottom would have followed the line broadside and fetched up against the rock. In shooting the cataracts the boats did not answer the helm as quickly as would flat bottoms, but this drawback was not sufficient to condemn the keel.

Next day, Thursday, November 6th, we ran some more swift water to Sarras, nine miles below foot of Semnah. We met there thirty whalers with troops and stores ready to ascend. Colonel Denison asked me to give him one man to act as pilot, so I gave him Mathias Hill, an Iroquois. Colonel Denison went up with this fleet.

Most of the Canadian voyageurs asked me how I found the Rapids. I told them that I had no trouble, considering it unadvisable to give a minute description, as I had already discovered how the fast falling water daily changed the appearance of the river, and what was a good place for me to go up, would be bad now, whilst a bad place might be better. I was well aware that these voyageurs would have more trouble than I had. They had not only larger loads but soldier crews, whilst I had my Caughnawaga boys with whom I had worked from youth up and who promptly caught at a sign from me, while the soldiers had to be talked to, and, although having the best of will, could not always comprehend the situation.

After thirty whalers had started, I was informed by Lord Avon more of the order to camp. Next day the 7th November, another fleet of twenty-eight boats started, for which Lord Avonmore asked me a pilot. I gave him John Bruce of St. Regis.

The following day, the 8th, Lord Avonmore requested of me seven men and a foreman, to go with him up to the Dal cataract to be stationed there, owing probably, as I thought to myself, that Col. Alleyne considered the Dal the most difficult. I pointed out Peter Canoe as the most experienced boatman I had, and as he does not speak English, James Deer went as their interpreter. I received orders for myself to go down with the rest of my men to Gemai. At Gemai I found twenty-three light boats manned by Dongolese. Placing a captain in each boat we started, but were disappointed to find that these men had never seen a boat nor used an oar. With the help of the usual north wind we managed to ascend in good time to Sarras. On the way up we had to teach one man to steer and then go round to each man and teach him to row. Neither understanding one word of the other's language, this was a terrible task. I had however, been long enough in contact with English military discipline by this time, to know that there was no backing out. We loaded at Sarras and proceeded up with Lieut. C. R. Orde as Commander of this convoy, who had an interpreter with him. Without the latter it would have been impossible to get along; as it was, some accidents could not be avoided. Our new commander being an experienced boatman as well as a good carpenter, and a gentleman we managed to keep up with the other fleets. To give an idea of the trouble we had, I need only say that these Dongolese generally understood just the contrary of what they were ordered to do. They would pull hard when asked to stop or stop pulling at some critical place when hard pulling was required. Lieut. Orde as well as myself were continually patching boats on account of these fellows. We made the nine miles from Sarras to Semnah in just six days, whereas we had travelled before at the rate of seventy miles in five days. At Semnah Lieut. Orde reported to Commander Hammill, R. N., in charge of Semnah cataract, Commander Hammill informed me that my plan of ascending Semnah gate was adopted by all the others, he also asked me if I thought I should be able to make boatmen of the Dongolese, I told him I was discouraged and the only consolation I had was that my Dongolese convoy was still travelling as fast as the other fleets in spite of my strict orders always to give the right of way to boats manned by soldiers and to avoid retarding them in the cataracts.

Reaching Ambigol November 19th, during this day I was requested to assist in pulling off a steam pinnace which had run on the rocks and filled, blocking the small channel for steamers to ascend. I having 175 Dongolese with my Caughnawaga boys and about 200 Egyptian soldiers they parted the hawser on the first pull, while getting another hawser Col. Butler arrived in a whaler from Sarras with a crew of Kroomen, with Chief Prince of Manitoba as captain. Col. Butler ordered us to abandon the wreck and explore another channel on the opposite side of the river, I unloaded my boat manned by Caughnawagas and with Lieut. Orde, went across, after half a day's search found a very crooked channel which afterwards 4 or 5 steamers ascended successfully.

At Tangur it was found advisable to split the convoy, Major Crofton taking 10 boats and Lieut. Orde the rest. Going up some minor cataract with eight Dongolese on the line, and one young fellow, a little brighter than the rest, in the boat with me and having just passed the worst place, a couple of the men ashore got to fighting and the rest let go the line either to part them or to join and I was left at the mercy of the rapid for a variety. These men were, as I said before, entirely unused to boats. They are all excellent swimmers and able to cross the river at almost any place. When making long distances they make use of the goat skin bottles they have for carrying water, scolding was of no use, they neither understood nor cared. I may here mention another peculiarity of theirs. I had noticed many scars on their bodies, but could not account for it, until one of them fell sick when the other cut his skin to bleed him, and filled the cut with sand.

This convoy carried about sixty tons of freight, all of which was brought safely to the foot of Dal cataract and the convoy was ordered downwards again as far as the head of Ambigol cataract for reloading. As I could not trust the Dongolese in shooting the rapids I manned the boats with my Iroquois and made trips at each cataract, letting the Dongolese walk. It was a grand sight to see so many boats on their way up, some sailing, some rowing, some tracking and some on shore patching up.

We reached the head of Ambigol, loaded up and started up stream. We made the foot of Dal with less trouble on this trip, the Dongolese having learned a great deal as well as I and my men knowing now some words of their language.

On arriving at Dal, I found that this place had become a very busy scene. Many tents were pitched among which were a commissariat, a post office and a number of officers tents. Lord Avonmore had come down from the middle of the Dal cataract, next to his tent was that of Colonel Burnaby, then Major Mann, near the beach was Sir George Arthur, who had arrived that day from below, commanding a convoy of boats. On the south end of the little colony were Lord Charles Beresford, Col. Alleyne and Major Spaight. Col. Alleyne congratulated me on my success with the Dongolese.

I returned for another trip, arriving back here on the 19th of December. The same officers were still here. The next morning Col. Alleyne ordered me to camp on the beach with my men and said we had done enough of lower cataract service. At the same time the Dongolese, that had been with me still in charge of Major Crofton, were sent down to try a trip by themselves. It proved lucky for these men that the Nile does not scare them, for they had to swim for it on more than one occasion. However, they proved efficient in the end to the satisfaction of the officers.

While lying on my oars I had an opportunity to admire the passing army, both officers and men, and their discipline. I did not see one private soldier who looked more than thirty years of age. The soldiers showed signs of the hard work they had done in getting up the Nile. Their hands were blistered and their clothes worn out, but they were as cheerful and enthusiastic as ever. My orders now were to assist the officer in charge with my Iroquois in passing boats up the Dal cataract, until the last boat was passed. I had all my men collected here except four who were stationed above. During this time I saw Colonel Burnaby depart on his camels, Lord Avonmore in his boat, my old commander Col. Alleyne in his boat and afterwards Sir Evelyn Wood on horse-back, also our Canadian officer Col. Kennedy, Surgeon, Major Neilson and Col. Grove. The river had now fallen so much that there were hundreds of rocks in sight, in front of this station, and crocodiles could be seen by the dozen, sunning themselves on the rocks, Major Mann and Abbe Bouchard with the help of a powerful glass, pronounced one brute to be twenty-five feet long.

The last boat that I assisted in passing was on the 14th of January and on the 15th I received orders to start for Wady Halfa, which brought my active service in the Egyptian Expedition to a close.

We arrived at Wady Halfa on the 18th of January where I found Captains Aumond and McRae and nearly two hundred voyageurs. At Wady Halfa I witnessed the military funeral of a Gordon Highlander, which was a novel sight to me.

One dark night, long after the retiring bugle had sounded, an alarm gun was fired. I went out of my tent and to my astonishment I found the soldiers already prepared to fight. No lights had been used and it was a mystery to me how the men could get ready in so short a time. I could see that in a real attack, the enemy would not get much advantage over these men.

I must mention here a curious sight I witnessed at the funeral of an Egyptian, before lowering the body into the grave they put a small coin into his mouth, and I found out, that their belief is, that the dead have to cross a river to get into the "happy hunting grounds" and I concluded that the ferryman, not ferrying on "tick" they had provided their comrade with his fare. Before leaving Wady Halfa, I had the satisfaction to see two of my Iroquois carry off the first prizes for running at the United Service Sports, held under the patronage of the Station Commandant Col. Duncan and the officers.

We left Wady Halfa on the 29th January, arriving at Cairo, February 5th, where an opportunity was given us to visit the following places of interest: Kass el-Nil Bridge, Kass-el-Nil Barracks, Abdin Square and Palace, The Mosque Sultan-Hassan, the Citadel, the Mosque Mohamet-Ali, the Native Bazaar, the Esbediah Gardens, and finally Gizeh and the Pyramids.

We sailed from Alexandria on February 6th, 1885, well pleased with what we had seen in the land of the Pharos and proud to have shown the world that the dwellers on the banks of the Nile, after navigating it for centuries, could still learn something of the craft from the Iroquois Indians of North America and the Canadian voyageurs of many races.

I cannot conclude without expressing my satisfaction at the handsome treatment accorded us by the British Government, and should our services be of assistance in the proposed Fall campaign in Egypt, they will be freely given. We were allowed just double the amount of clothing stipulated in the contract, the overcoats being given to us at Malta on our way home.

Judging by the stores we conveyed up the Nile the army will not fare badly, we carried Armour's beef, bacon, preserved meat, mutton, vegetables, Ebswurt's crushed peas for soup, pickles, pepper, salt, vinegar, hard biscuit, cabin biscuit, flour, oatmeal, rice, sugar, tea, coffee, cheese, jam, medicine, lime juice, soap, matches, tobacco.

Whoever designed the boats struck the right dimensions perfectly. Each boat was made to carry ten days' rations, including everything in the above list, for a hundred men, ten men with kits and accoutrements, and about a half ton of ammunition.

FINIS.

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