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.