Mohawks on the Nile explores the absorbing history of 60 Aboriginal men who left their trade in the Ottawa River timber industry to participate in a military expedition that took them far up the Nile River. They were to use their skills as boatmen to transport an Anglo-Egyptian army through the Nile’s treacherous cataracts as it attempted to reach Khartoum to relieve Sudan’s governor-general, Major-General Charles “Chinese” Gordon, besieged by Muslim nationalists. The Mohawks formed part of the larger Canadian Voyageur Corps, which garnered considerable praise for its work, the Mohawks in particular winning great accolades.

This little-known but fascinating tale resonates with subjects of interest today, especially given the place of the Muslim world in the consciousness of Western countries and the widespread desire to understand First Nations history better. Included are memoirs of two Mohawk veterans of the campaign, Louis Jackson and James Deer, along with pertinent maps, period illustrations, and an annotated roll of the participating Mohawks.