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.Jackson, Louis
History
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.
Jackson, Louis
Egypt -- Description and travel; Gordon Relief Expedition (1884-1885); Great Britain. Army. Canadian Voyageur Contingent; Khartoum (Sudan) -- History -- Siege, 1884-1885; Mohawk Indians -- Boats -- Nile River -- History -- 19th century; Mohawk Indians -- Sudan -- History -- 19th century
It is written in a most excellent spirit that might wisely be imitated
by other travellers. The writer finds no faults, blames nobody, and
always content, is generous in his acknowledgments for every act of
kindness and proper consideration shown to him and his party, by Her
Majesty's Officers of all ranks in command of the expedition. It was
written off-hand and goes forth to the public as it came from the pen of
the writer, to be judged in its style and the matter contained, by no
standard but its own.
MONTREAL, April, 1885.
OUR CAUGHNAWAGAS IN EGYPT.
When it was made known by Lord Melgund in the early part of September,
1884, that it was the express desire of General Lord Wolseley to have
Caughnawaga Indians form part of the Canadian Contingent, the required
number was soon obtained, in spite of discouraging talk and groundless
fears. Having been introduced to Lord Melgund, I agreed to go and look
after the Caughnawaga boys, although then busily engaged in securing my
crops. I, with a number of others reached the "Ocean King" at Quebec,
having been left behind in Montreal through incorrect information given
me by one of the ship's officers as to the time of sailing. We received
the farewell of the Governor General on board the "Ocean King," and His
Excellency's very kind words had an especially encouraging effect upon
my boys.
On reaching Sidney, B. C., and while taking in coal, some funny tricks
were played by voyageurs which I must not omit. To get ashore in spite
of the officers who kept watch on the wharf, some daring fellows jumped
from the vessel's rigging into the empty coal cars returning to the
wharf, coming back in the dark and the vessel being a few feet off the
wharf, the men had to climb aboard by a rope. Now it happened, that of
two friends, one was able to get up, the other was not, neither could
his friend help him, they however, contrived a plan, which they carried
out to perfection. The one on the wharf laid quietly down, while his
friend climbed aboard and there informed our officers that a man had
hurt himself by falling off the coal shoot, immediately there was great
alarm, lamps were hung over the side and the man discovered by his
clothes to be one of the voyageurs, a plank was shoved out over the
ship's rail, standing nearly upright and a line hove, (some suggested to
put the line around his neck.) However, he was hoisted aboard and
carried towards the cabin. While being carried, the apparently lifeless
one was seen to open his eyes three or four times, but too many hands
evidently had hold of him and so he was brought before the doctor, who
eagerly examined him, but soon pronounced him dead, "dead drunk" and
ordered him to be taken to his bunk, where he soon sat up laughing and
feeling good, to escape so easily.
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