The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-01-30
Departure Of a Herald Correspondent
for the Nile Basin.
EN- ROUTE TO THE SOUDAN.
MUNIFICENT COOPERATION OF THE VICEROY
The Details Of the Expedition
Arms and Ammunition.
ON BOARD THE DAHABEAH HERALD,
Orr REM SnIIEE dec. 27 ISL

ON BOARD THE DAHABEAH HERALD,(
OFF BENSDUEF, Dec. ~, 1871.
When news came from KhartOum that Sir Samuel
Baker was In distress at some point OF the Nile
Basin prepared to go at once as a correspondent
OF the HERALD, to the Soudan country in order to
investigate his position and condition. soon found
the journey Impossible to undertake alone at this
stage OF the season. Happily an occasion occurred,
land am now on my woy TO Gondokoro In company
with General F. A. Starring, United States Consular
Inspector ana Special Agent OF the United States;
Consul General Colonel George Fl. Butler and
GOuverneur Morris, Jr., who 60 as far as Khartoum
Serious charges having been made against the
Consul General regarding his appointment OF the
agent at Khartoum he addressed the following let
ter to General Starring
General SrARRING-The State Department hav.
ing, at my request, detailed you 10 investigate the
management of my consular office In EKypt would
the e0re request that you include in your inquiry
the United States Consular Agency at khartoum,
ment informal representations nave been made to
the Department by persons unknown to me.
may designate. have the honor remain. General,
your Obedlent servant, GEORGE II. BUTLER.
United States Agent ana Consul General.
General Starring at once responded that he
would willingly 20. especially as there were other
matters concerning the interior Of Africa which de-
manded his investigation as representative OF the
United States government particularly as concerns
the slave trade: and accordingly set to work for
one Of The most difficult trips in the world. One
morning early drove to Bouac, the port of Cairo.
on the Nile and began the inspection OF
THAT ANOMALOUS NILE SQUADRON CALLED "DAHA-
BEAHS."
What Is a dahabeah simply on Its exterior one
Of the ugest and mos, unslghty objects that ever
n0ated upon water. Its shape comes from remote
antiquity. 1t embodies the MOhammedan idea OF
marine beauty. Imagine the hull OF a bur. bowed,
square-sterned North River coal barge. PuS up
bu khead athwartshlps, just amidships. Abaft Is
all your cabin room, long saloon, staterooms TO
starbOard and port and convenient toilet rooms.
The interior Is always luxuriOusy upholstered,
painted furnished and emDellished, ana you have
divans, chairs, sideboards ana carpets. Above the
saloon Is the hurricane deck which is reached from
forward by cOmpanionway, and here one finds sea
chairs and dlvans where he can repOse beneath the
shade OF awnings. which can he spread from sheer
pole to sheerpOle or as to enclose the entire
dock The fol ward part OF the dahabeah Is reserved
for the crew. RowlOcks fitted on the gunwaie
anu thwarts are fitted for the men. III time OF
Gains the men sit in their places the ivelong day
chanting savage air, and, working like machines,
propel the dahabeah at pace averaging from two
to three knots an hour. But when there Is favor
able wind the space Is decked over. cloud Of can
vas, all comprised in one saih Is spread from long
yard hoisted to the foremast head. The galley Is
forward. Such In brief terms Is the fashionable
Nile boat-at once roomy and hideous, shallow but
understanding out Of the water, resembling, in the
dark, captured whale. suffering from from too
many harpOOns. They are generally about stgY
feet long ana fifteen feet wide.
THE HARBoR OF BOULAC
was tnronged with these craft, when the Consul
General with this imposing janis5ary, boarded the
finest In the harbor. Number possessed that odor
which IS dlnused by the vOitlOn OF bloated cock
reaches; No. was nearly overcrowded with self
invited guests from the family OF minor vermn;
No. was very good, but had been chartered by
body OF British tourists; No. belonged to wealthy
Russian, and was Immediately set down a con-
tngent. Having inspected the whole feet we saw
one anchored In the In aristocratic isolation
smaller but handsOmer than the rest. We boarded
her, and hardly had we entered the saloon before
General Starring and the Consul General exclaimed,
simultaneously,
'This Is the HERALD ~
"How ~ demanded.
"We'll take this one, and she shall be named The
HERALD
THE HERALD ON THE NILE.
or course your correspondent had nothing to do
but to recognize this graceful compliment as one
paid to q journal whose enterprise In Africa has
been carried to the heart Of the savage wars.
Fortnight hours afterwards the longest streamer
ever fioated from Nile daAabeah was bearing out
sixty feet to leeward, with "Tne Herad' IN great
block letters.
The Herald Is not only the most sumptuous and
elegant dahateah on the Nile, but Is one whose in
terror space Is disposed in manner better suited TO
q river cruise than that Of any other have ever
seen. She was built for NJ. de Lesseps the dlstin-
gusned engineer of the Sucz Canal, and has been
sought alter by many parties during the season.
Like all dahabeahs she has the transverse bukhead
amidshps and abaft cabin room to the sternpost
a distance Of thirty feet The saloon Is art, up
nostered In green and red reps, wainscoted In
satinwood furnished with mirrors, divans, piano,
q harmonium and pendant lamps. Leaving the
saloon by the passage running fore and at, we
find six staterooms, two pautrles aud bath
room. on deck sea chairs, dlvans, tables and set.
tees are literally provided. Every stateroom is
luxuri0usly flrnished-hne, clean bed linen, marble
basins-and waterpipes ran fore and aft.
THE CANTBEN
il suitable for princes. The Herald is so feet long
Is feet breadth or beam and draws three feet OF
water. she IS felucca rugged and carries yard 10
feet long and is very fast, being capable of going
above the first cataract.
messenger Was Immediately despatched to Mr.
John Ablltt hardy BritOn and several adventures
were made unhappy by the announcement that the
dahabeah had been engaged by the American party.
Hassan, the chief janlssary Of the Consulate, was
commissioned to lay in supplies, and the work OF
preparation began Hardly had the contract for
the boat been signed before the projected trip came
to the knowledge of the viceroy. Colonel Butler In
applying soon afterward to
NABAR PACHA, MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
for frman, was informed by His Exceeucy that
the viceroy's government would undertake to FUR
nsh all necessary facilities for rapid trip by the
Nile to Korosko ana across the desert By dromeda-
ries, and thence by river to Khartoum. Two days
afterward the vceroy informed the Consul
General that ne would be happy TO see
him at his palace. Upon receiving Colonel