(KORDOFAN).
* * * * *
69.—SHEIKH SADIK TO HOMRA.
There is a good broad track the whole way. Good grazing, but
indifferent shade.
--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
_Sheikh Sadik_| — | — |A small and very dirty village.
| | |One well 120 feet deep. Shade in
| | |khor to the south. Tomb visable at
| | |a distance. Good mosque. People
| | |own many goats. Dura sometimes
| | |available. Leaving the village the
| | |track crosses a khor and leads
| | |over gravel soil across several
| | |shallow khors. The country is
| | |fairly open, much samr bush.
| | |Telegraph line is on the west.
| | |
Wadi Afu | 8 | 8 |Is reached soon after crossing the
| | |telegraph line. Much cultivation
| | |on the surrounding rising ground.
| | |The gravel is now much mixed with
| | |clay which makes the going bad
| | |during rain.
| | |
Goz El Leia | 15½ | 23½ |Sand commences and continues to
| | |Shageig. The marakh bush first
| | |appears.
| | |
_Bir Khanga_ | 6 | 29½ |Now dry. There is also a large
| | |fula. Many others exist in the
| | |neighbourhood. Heavy going in
| | |places (1903).
| | |
_Shageig_ | 13½ | 43 |Fula and many wells. Water
| | |practically unlimited. Small
| | |village. Fair shade but grazing
| | |bad in hot weather. The road now
| | |leads to the north end of J. Tius.
| | |There is little shade, but fair
| | |grazing.
| | |
J. Tius | 18 | 61 |About 300 feet high above plain.
| | |The road crosses the sand hill
| | |that has collected on the north
| | |side. The road now passes one or
| | |two fulas that only contain water
| | |in the rains.
| | |
_El Homra_ | 16 | 77 |Good rest house. Small Gowama
| | |village. Two good wells 125 feet
| | |deep. Fair shade near well.
| | |Moderate grazing, gets indifferent
| | |towards end of hot weather owing
| | |to the large number of convoys
| | |that pass through.
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
70.—EL DUEIM TO HOMRA.
This is portion of the main route from El Dueim to El Obeid. There
is a well defined track throughout.
--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
El Dueim | — | — |Leaving the town in a westerly
| | |direction, the track is at first
| | |difficult to pick up. Black soil,
| | |which during the rains becomes
| | |very swampy. Bush never bad, but
| | |many khors, which at times hold a
| | |great deal of water, have to be
| | |crossed.
| | |
_Id El Ud_ | 11½ | 11½ |Small Kurtan village, many wells,
| | |water practically unlimited. Fair
| | |shade near wells, but during the
| | |rains ground becomes very swampy
| | |and mosquitoes are very bad.
| | |
| | |Track continues over black soil at
| | |first. Then sand gradually
| | |increases and the bush disappears.
| | |After 4 miles no shade. Nothing
| | |but marakh bush. Slightly
| | |undulating country.
| | |
30th mile | 30 | 41½ |Telegraph line is struck, and soon
| | |after J. Helba is seen ahead.
| | |
_Helba_ | 8 | 49½ |Two wells 90 feet deep; good
| | |supply of water. Small Shuweihat
| | |village. Little shade near wells,
| | |but plenty ½ mile on. The road is
| | |on the south side of the telegraph
| | |line. There is a good deal of
| | |bush, sayal, heglig, etc.
| | |
_Homra_ | 13 | 62½ |_See_ Route No. 69.
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
71.—HOMRA TO EL OBEID _viâ_ BARA.
(_Corrected to January_, 1904.)
Throughout this route there is plenty of grazing and firewood. Water
is, however, apt to give out at Homra and Shegeila if more than 300
camels are watered in one day as may happen at times, but the wells
quickly refill. Wide track the whole way.
--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
_Homra_ | — | — |Small Gowama village. Two good
| | |wells 125 feet deep. Good rest
| | |house, and fair shade near. Little
| | |dura for sale as a rule. Good
| | |track S. of telegraph line. Good
| | |shade for first 13 miles, then
| | |nothing but marakh bush, good
| | |grazing.
| | |
_Sakra_ | 21½ | 21½ |Small village S. of road. Well 100
| | |feet deep on N. side of telegraph
| | |line. Water for 100 men. Rest
| | |house; no shade.
| | |
_Shatib_ | 12½ | 34 |Small village; one well; no shade.
| | |
Old Well | 5½ | 39½ |In middle of track. Much
| | |cultivation near belonging to
| | |Gafala; a Maganin village visible
| | |1½ miles S.
| | |
_Shegeila_ | 6 | 45½ |Large Gowama village; two good
| | |wells 140 feet deep. Can water 200
| | |camels. Rest house. From here
| | |there are two roads to Baharia
| | |_viâ_ Wad Abu Suleiman and _viâ_
| | |Zereiga. The latter is the better.
| | |
| | | _Viâ_ ZEREIGA.
| | |
| | |Track follows telegraph line. Very
| | |little shade.
| | |
_Zereiga_ | 5 | 50½ |Two wells 125 feet deep. Small
| | |village; little shade, and bad
| | |grazing near wells.
| | |
| | |Country open; little shade.
| | |
_Baharia_ | 13½ | 64 |Two wells 80 feet deep. Rest
| | |house. Large Gowama village. Fair
| | |shade near village. Water very
| | |plentiful.
| | |
| | | _Viâ_ WAD ABU SULEIMAN.
| | |
| | |Road goes nearly S. at first; much
| | |gum and sayal bush, thick in
| | |places.
| | |
_Wad Abu | 9 | 54½ |Small village; one well 90 feet
Suleiman_ | | |deep. There is another village
| | |with well a mile to the S. on the
| | |Um Semeima-Um Dam road.
| | |
_Um Semeima_ | 2½ | 57 |Two small villages; each has a
| | |well. Road from Um Dam comes in
| | |here. Track leads due W.; marakh
| | |bush; no shade.
| | |
_Baharia_ | 6½ | 63½ |_See_ above.
| | |
| | |
| | |The country is now quite open.
| | |Marakh bush; no shade.
| | |
_Shereim_ | 17 | 81 |A small Gowama village on the N.
| | |side of the road. One well. A mile
| | |before reaching it gum, sayal and
| | |haraz bush appear. Road winds a
| | |good deal, and bush is thicker to
| | |within 1 mile of Bara when
| | |cultivation commences.
| | |
_Bara_ | 5 | 86 |Large village with mosque and
| | |small suk. Good rest house. Wells
| | |from 6 to 20 feet deep, water
| | |practically unlimited. Good
| | |grazing near.
| | |
| | |Leaving the S. end of the town
| | |there is a wide track E. of the
| | |telegraph line. Heavy going to 5
| | |miles beyond Um Sot.
| | |
_Daragai Well_| 9 | 95 |One well on road. Fair shade near,
| | |but ground much soiled by camels
| | |and cattle.
| | |
_Um Sot_ | 3 | 98 |One well on road 85 feet deep;
| | |good supply of water. Good shade
| | |under large haraz trees near
| | |village 3 miles S.E. Next 5 miles
| | |heavy going, then road improves.
| | |
Fula Faragalla| 12½ | 110½ |One hundred yards in diameter,
| | |generally dry by end of October.
| | |Good shade and grazing near. J.
| | |Kurbag is seen in front. Road
| | |passes to W. of jebel.
| | |
Fula Kurbag | 9 | 119½ |S.W. of jebel; 100 by 80 yards,
| | |usually dry by mid-October. Good
| | |shade.
| | |
| | |From here to El Obeid there is no
| | |shade. The track passes through
| | |dukhn cultivation. Good going.
| | |
El Obeid | 5 | 124½ |Main track goes to the town. For
| | |the Mudiria follow the telegraph
| | |line when struck. At night be
| | |careful to avoid the wire stays to
| | |the poles.
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
72.—EL DUEIM TO EL OBEID, _viâ_ HASHABA.
BY CAPTAIN W. LLOYD, SCOT. RIFLES (MARCH, 1900), AND MR. R. E. MORE
(1903).
This is the shortest route between the river and El Obeid. There is
good grazing throughout, though shade is sometimes wanting. After
Hashaba, there are two routes to Um Sedeira, one _viâ_ Um Dam,
the other _viâ_ Abu Areish. The former is the better, as there is
plenty of water at Um Dam.
--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
El Dueim | — | — |Leaving the town in a westerly
| | |direction the track goes over
| | |black soil which, during the
| | |rains, forms a serious obstacle to
| | |transport. Bush never bad, but
| | |several khors have to be crossed,
| | |which, at times, hold a good deal
| | |of water.
| | |
_Id El Ud_ | 11½ | 11½ |Small Kurtan village; many wells,
| | |water practically unlimited. The
| | |Agaba is now entered. Track hard
| | |to pick up at first. During the
| | |rains it is often necessary to go
| | |some way to the N., as the ground
| | |W. of wells is liable to floods.
| | |Mosquitoes are then very bad. No
| | |shade.
| | |
J. Shwei (Rest| 24 | 35½ |Rest house. Low isolated hill S.
house) | | |of track. Country becomes more
| | |undulating and bush increases.
| | |Good grazing, but no shade. Well
| | |now being dug, but water not yet
| | |reached at 180 feet (September,
| | |1904).
| | |
_Hashaba El | 27 | 62½ |Maganin village. Three wells 140
Murad_ (Rest | | |feet deep. Rest house. Dôm palms
house) | | |near village form good land mark.
| | |Take the western road; after
| | |leaving the cultivation little but
| | |marakh bush is seen. Good grazing.
| | |
Shegela | 8½ | 71 |A small Maganin village. No well;
| | |water from Hashaba. Good track;
| | |slightly undulating country.
| | |Hashab trees commence and continue
| | |to within a few miles of Um Dam.
| | |Direction nearly due W.
| | |
_Um Dam_ (Rest| 23 | 94 |Head Quarters of Khursi District.
house) | | |Rest house and 3 good wells 130
| | |feet deep. Much cultivation all
| | |round and several small villages
| | |near. Leaving in a south-westerly
| | |direction, good track; gum and
| | |sayal bush. Gowama.
| | |
_Um Basira_ | 3 | 97 |Small village off road to N.;
| | |often called Fiki Taha; well. Good
| | |track; gum and sial bush, thick in
| | |places.
| | |
_Wad Kamuri_ | 5½ | 102½ |Two villages. One good well.
| | |Plenty of grazing and shade off
| | |road to S.
| | |
Goz El Hagiz | 3 | 105½ |A low sandy ridge running nearly
| | |N. and S. Country now becomes more
| | |undulating, and continues so to
| | |within 10 miles of El Obeid.
| | |
_Um Sedeira_ | 3½ | 109 |Three villages, with one good well
(Rest house) | | |80 feet deep; can water 30 camels.
| | |Good shade and grazing.
| | |
_Adara_ | 5 | 114 |One well 80 feet deep; good water.
| | |Good track, but heavy going.
| | |
Um Heim | 8½ | 122½ |One well 100 feet deep; can water
| | |15 camels. Um Beida, 6 miles S.E.,
| | |has a similar well.
| | |
_Um Busha_ | 3 | 125½ |Two wells 120 feet deep. Good
(Rest house) | | |shade and grazing near wells. Many
| | |haraz trees. Road now bears S. W.
| | |J. Gleit and J. Kurbag are left to
| | |the N. Well marked track all the
| | |way. Some bush, but cultivation
| | |for last 5 miles.
| | |
El Obeid | 33 | 158½ |
The following is an alternative route. There is, however, less water,
and the road is much less frequented.
_Hashaba El | — | 62½ |Leaving in a S.W. direction there
Murad_ | | |is little bush at first. Good
| | |track.
| | |
_Bagera_ | 25 | 77½ |Three small Gowama villages. One
| | |bad well 140 feet deep, not to be
| | |depended on. Good track; sayal
| | |bush.
| | |
_Abu Areish_ | 16 | 93½ |Small village. One well 120 feet
| | |deep. Can water 15 camels with
| | |difficulty. The road from Taiara
| | |to Um Dam crosses here. Good track
| | |over red sandy soil.
| | |
Goz El Hagiz | 4 | 97½ |Low sandy hill.
| | |
_Um Shidera_ | 3½ | 101 |As above.
| | |
El Obeid | 49½ | 150½ |As above.
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
73.—GEDID TO EL DUEIM, _viâ_ UM DEISIS.
BY CAPTAIN W. LLOYD, THE SCOTTISH RIFLES, FEBRUARY, 1901, AND
COLONEL THE HON. M. G. TALBOT, R.E., DECEMBER, 1901.
The whole of this road is over black cotton soil, and is occasionally
impassable during the rains, at which time tracks east and west leading
from one patch of cultivation to another along the red sandy ridges
are more generally used. There is practically no bush near the road
and very little shade.
--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
_Gedid Wells_ | — | — |The road goes almost due N. from
| | |the wells. A few small villages
| | |are seen west of the road,
| | |inhabited only during the rains.
| | |
_Selia_ | 25 | 25 |A Gimma village on a hill,
| | |belonging to Sheikh Nur Hussein,
| | |and four other Ahamda villages.
| | |Thirty wells, 8 feet deep, 1½
| | |miles N.E. Good water, but they
| | |soon run dry. There are roads from
| | |here to Fachi Shoya and J. Kon.
| | |
_Um Deisis_ | 7 | 32 |About 40 wells, 30 feet deep.
| | |Plenty of water, This is a Kurtan
| | |village. The gum gardens and
| | |cultivation belong to them, but
| | |the Beni Jerar water their cattle
| | |here, and their camping places are
| | |frequently seen.
| | |
_Abu Sela_ | 18 | 50 |A Shanabla village situated on a
| | |hill. The country all round is
| | |very open, and firewood scarce.
| | |The wells (not seen) are 2½ miles
| | |S.E. of the village. The country
| | |now becomes more desert-like, but
| | |during the rains all the ridges
| | |are cultivated. A few miles before
| | |reaching Um Bueira many villages
| | |are seen to the east of the road.
| | |These belong to Um Bueira.
| | |
_Um Bueira_ | 11 | 61 |Some 20 very good wells, 28 to 30
| | |feet deep. The villages and
| | |cultivation to the E. of the road
| | |belong to the Mesellemia, to the
| | |W. of the road chiefly to the
| | |Shanabla. There is no bush about,
| | |and at this time of year (Feb.)
| | |very little grass. Hundreds of
| | |sheep and goats water daily.
| | |
_Shat_ | 2½ | 63½ |A large place with suk and many
| | |merchants. The wells are numerous;
| | |about 30 feet deep, and give a
| | |practically unlimited amount of
| | |water. No shade and little grass
| | |near wells, as it is eaten down by
| | |the cattle, sheep, and goats, who
| | |come to water. Many villages
| | |about, Mesellemia and Shanabla,
| | |and in the rains much cultivation.
| | |In rains water stands, and
| | |mosquitoes are bad.
| | |
| | |Three miles on the bush commences,
| | |but is never very dense and
| | |generally grows in patches.
| | |
Um Sunta | 10 | 73½ |A small pool.
| | |
| | |The bush now consists of kittr,
| | |heglig, and talh, but is never an
| | |obstacle to transport.
| | |
| | |The ground is a good deal cracked
| | |and is at intervals impassable in
| | |the rains.
| | |
El Dueim | 8 | 81½ |For description, _see_ Part I, p.
| | |66.
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
74.—SHAT WELLS TO EL OBEID, _viâ_ J. KON.[28]
AS FAR AS ZEREIGA, BY COLONEL THE HON. M. G. TALBOT, R.E., DECEMBER,
1901; REMAINDER BY CAPTAIN W. LLOYD, THE SCOTTISH RIFLES, MARCH, 1901.
--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
_Shat Wells_ | — | — |The road bears nearly S.W., well
| | |marked and nearly straight,
| | |crossing several sandy ridges.
| | |Easy ascents and descents. The
| | |only “Id” passed is Abu Shareima,
| | |where there is a natural pool of
| | |little depth and quite dry. About
| | |1 mile to the N. is a new Shanabla
| | |village.
| | |
Goz Um Sibila | 5½ | 5½ |Goz Um Sibila is crossed. It does
| | |not seem more remarkable than the
| | |other ridges, but the name is well
| | |known.
| | |
_Zereiga | 5½ | 11 |Many wells, 15 to 20 feet deep,
Wells_ | | |good water. J. Bachi just visible
| | |in the evening from highest mound
| | |near wells. Water supply
| | |diminishes in summer. Water stands
| | |here after heavy rain, when
| | |mosquitoes are very bad.
| | |
| | |The country becomes slightly
| | |undulating, good well-marked
| | |track, red sand, a few hashab
| | |trees about, but country generally
| | |open; little shade.
| | |
Amara | 28 | 39 |Remains of about 30 old wells.
| | |Formerly a Baza village.
| | |
Um Ged | ½ | 39½ |Ditto; but remains of more wells.
| | |This is a well-known halting place
| | |for convoys from Ageila, as there
| | |is a little shade.
| | |
Road divides | 13½ | 53 |The southern track goes to Ageila,
| | |said to be “one day”; the other
| | |turns due W., crossing the sandy
| | |ridge that has collected N. of J.
| | |Kon. There is a good deal of bush
| | |about.
| | |
_J. Kon_ | 1½ | 54½ |A rocky ridge running nearly N.
| | |and S., ¾ mile long, and rising
| | |about 300 feet above the plain. A
| | |little water on the mountain, and
| | |many old wells on the W. side near
| | |the track. These are said to have
| | |formerly given plenty of water.
| | |
Hella Kon | 1 | 55½ |A small Gowama village. Water from
| | |J. Kon.
| | |
Alleiga | 3½ | 59 |A small Baza village. No well;
| | |water from Bint Joda.
| | |
Id Adam | 3 | 62 |Remains of eight old wells; said
| | |to have been 80 feet deep.
| | |
_Bint Joda | 3 | 65 |Twenty wells, 85 feet deep, not
Wells_ | | |much water in them. Five more
| | |being opened. There was formerly
| | |much cultivation about.
| | |
| | |The village is ¾ mile to the E.
| | |People are Baza and Gowama, and
| | |own many gum gardens.
| | |
| | |The country continues slightly
| | |undulating, covered with hashab
| | |bush, but the latter is never very
| | |thick near the road.
| | |
Um Bilbil | 1 | 66 |Old wells. Gowama. Formerly much
| | |cultivation.
| | |
Gogran | 1 | 67 |Ditto.
| | |
Elton | 3½ | 70½ |Ditto.
| | |
Fula Masuda | 1 | 71½ |Thirty yards in diameter, 2 feet
| | |deep, now dry.
| | |
Rabeisab Wells| 1 | 72½ |Now fallen in.
| | |
Rabeisab | 2¾ | 75¼ |Gowama village of thirty tukls,
| | |water from Wad Kasim.
| | |
_Wad Kasim_ | 2½ | 77¾ |Twelve wells open, 70 feet deep.
| | |Little water; it took an hour to
| | |fill 12 zigs, working four wells
| | |at the time. The wells and
| | |cultivation belong to the Messadab
| | |tribe.
| | |
Um Butran | 1¾ | 79½ |Deserted Gowama village.
| | |
Wad Delu | 3¼ | 82¾ |Old wells. Gowama. Much
| | |cultivation formerly.
| | |
Group of old | 3½ | 86¼ |About thirty. Guide did not know
wells | | |their name.
| | |
_Sayala_ | 7½ | 93¾ |Very small Gowama village. Sheikh
| | |Ahmed Omar (lives at Taiara). Two
| | |very bad wells. Signs of former
| | |cultivation now become less, and
| | |the hashab trees increase, until
| | |near Taiara the bush is in places
| | |thick enough to interfere with
| | |traffic.
| | |
_Taiara_ | 24½ | 118¼ |A large village, with good wells
| | |and market. Head quarters of a
| | |District. Many merchants, who buy
| | |gum with grain and cotton stuffs.
| | |It was once a large place, but in
| | |January, 1900, had not more than
| | |ten tukls. It is however growing
| | |very rapidly. Sheikh Ahmed Omar,
| | |Gowama Homran, and Sheikh Mohammed
| | |El Mahir, Gowama Gemeiia, are the
| | |two principal sheikhs.
| | |
| | |For the next 18 miles the track,
| | |which is well defined, crosses a
| | |series of ridges of red sand.
| | |These run from N. to. S., and,
| | |though never very steep, delay
| | |trotting camels and disturb the
| | |loads of transport animals. They
| | |are Goz Taiara, immediately W. of
| | |the town, Goz Um Ageiga, Goz Benit
| | |Ranim, Goz Multut, Goz Amarik
| | |Sinein.
| | |
Amarik | 6 | 124¼ |Village on side of last named
| | |hill. Next comes Goz Amarik El
| | |Fungara and then Goz Bartai.
| | |
Bartai | 3¼ | 127½ |A small village on the W. of the
| | |last-named hill.
| | |
| | |Goz Abd El Azim, Goz Gaabr.
| | |
Fula Gaabr | 3 | 130½ |There are two natural ponds, one
| | |to the N. and one to the S. of the
| | |road. They are usually dry by
| | |November. Goz Boli, at the foot of
| | |which is a pool called Um Butab;
| | |Goz Um Hemeira, at the foot of
| | |which is a small pond of the same
| | |name. Goz Fiki Gelalat El Din, a
| | |mile beyond which is a pool about
| | |35 yards in diameter called Fula
| | |Magbus; dry in October.
| | |
_Gafil_ | 4½ | 135 |A small village on the east side
| | |of the Goz El Hagiz El Ashgar,
| | |which forms the western boundary
| | |of the Gowama country. Water from
| | |a bad well, and from Fula Magbus.
| | |
| | |The track now enters more level
| | |country, but khors are crossed in
| | |many places, and the going is very
| | |bad in the rains.
| | |
J. Kao | 4 | 139 |Is left to the N. of the road. The
| | |hashab tree becomes rare, but in
| | |places the bush is dense though
| | |the actual track is clear enough.
| | |A few tebeldis.
| | |
J. Deigo | 9 | 148 |On the north of the track. There
| | |are two fulas, one S. and one W.
| | |Both dry up by November as a rule.
| | |
Deigo | 1¾ | 149¾ |A small village. Water from the
| | |above fulas and from El Obeid. The
| | |road from El Rahad comes in here.
| | |
El Obeid | 6½ | 156¼ |
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
75.—SHAWAL TO GEDID _viâ_ FACHI SHOYA AND EL ALOB, THENCE _viâ_
DAR EL AHAMDA TO TAGALE.
BY CAPTAIN H. H. S. MORANT, THE DURHAM L.I., 1901, FROM PERSONAL
OBSERVATION AS FAR AS DAR EL AHAMDA, REMAINDER FROM NATIVE SOURCES
(FEBRUARY, 1901).
--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
Shawal | — | — |Is on the right bank, and nearly
| | |directly opposite to H. Sheikh
| | |Bordein, a small Sudanese wood-
| | |cutting settlement (1901) on left
| | |bank. From the latter a good track
| | |along left bank, through thick
| | |bush for first mile or two, leads
_Fachi Shoya_ | 12 | 12 |to Fachi Shoya, which is a
| | |flourishing village and the
| | |residence of Sheikh Gubara, head
| | |Sheikh of the Shankhab tribe.
| | |There are also some Greeks here,
| | |agents of Khartoum merchants, for
| | |the purchase of gum.
| | |
| | |(From here there is an alternative
| | |and rather shorter route to Gedid
| | |_viâ_ Bellali 17 miles, Abu Aadel
| | |21½ miles, and Menauel 29 miles).
| | |
| | |The track still continues within a
| | |mile or less of the river, which
| | |is accessible almost anywhere.
| | |There are many Arab encampments
| | |along the river, rather more than
| | |a mile inland.
| | |
_El Hasai_ | 4 | 16 |Shankhab, dry weather village on
| | |river bank. El Alob, a long sandy
_El Alob_ | 5½ | 21½ |“Goz” or hill is passed about half
| | |a mile to the E., and a little
| | |further on the villages of the
| | |same name are reached. The route
| | |to Gedid now leads W.S.W., and
| | |immediately after passing the rain
| | |village (about 100 tukls) of El
| | |Alob, the numerous sandy ridges so
| | |typical of S.E. Kordofan commence.
| | |
_Galet_ | 9 | 30½ |The name of the wells (not
| | |visited) and hill passed about ¾
| | |mile to the N. of the road. About
| | |½ a mile before reaching the
_Salogi_ | 2½ | 33 |wells, the rain village of Salogi,
| | |consisting of about 40 tukls, is
| | |passed on the top of a hill. There
| | |were eight wells in use (February,
| | |1901); water apparently plentiful
| | |about 12 feet below the surface.
| | |
_Gamas_ | 2½ | 35½ |About 30 tukls. Four wells about
| | |18 feet deep, but only giving a
| | |scanty supply of muddy water.
| | |
_Um Hagar_ | 3½ | 39 |Passed about 1 mile to S. of road.
| | |It is on the main road from Goz
| | |Abu Guma to Gedid, which joins in
| | |about 1 mile further on. There are
| | |four wells about 12 feet deep.
| | |Water fairly plentiful. These are
| | |the westernmost Shankhab wells.
| | |
_Menauel_ | 5 | 44 |Rain village; 20 tukls about ¾
| | |mile N. of track. Wells dry. Main
| | |road to Gedid (11 miles) goes
| | |direct, but if water is required,
_Um Beiru_ | 2½ | 46½ |must go about 2 miles W. to Um
| | |Beiru where there are about 60
| | |wells 15 feet deep. Water
| | |plentiful, good shade.
| | |
_Gedid_ | 9½ | 56 |Lies in a basin surrounded on
| | |three sides by low sandy ridges,
| | |on which are permanent villages.
| | |There are also several temporary
| | |encampments of Arabs who come to
| | |live near the wells in dry season.
| | |In the rains water stands in large
| | |pools in this basin, and in the
| | |dry weather there are many wells
| | |about 10 feet deep with plenty of
| | |water. It is the headquarters of
| | |the Gimma, and is a comparatively
| | |large gum centre; there are
| | |several Greek traders living here
| | |(February, 1901). Some of the best
| | |gum country in Kordofan lies
| | |westwards between here and Ageila.
| | |From here to Dar El Ahamda there
| | |are two roads, that _viâ_ Meika
| | |being the longer; but the greatest
| | |distance without water is only 17
| | |miles, whereas by the direct road
| | |there is no water for nearly 30
| | |miles. Gedid is now (1904) the
| | |Head Quarters of a District.
| | |
Goz Um Tibeir | 1½ | 57½ |The latter road runs due S. _viâ_
| | |Goz Um Tibeir, where are several
| | |villages watering from Gedid,
| | |after which no inhabitants are
Makheita | 10 | 67½ |met, except perhaps a few gum
| | |pickers at Makheita, until Dar El
| | |Ahamda is reached.
| | |
_Wad Mahmud_ | 5 | 72½ |There is an ‘id’ here, but the
| | |wells are dry very early in the
| | |year. This was the site of Abd El
| | |Rahim Abu Dugal’s deim, from which
| | |he raided Dar El Ahamda in the
| | |summer of 1899.
| | |
Khor Senitai | 3½ | 76 |Said to be boundary between the
| | |Gimma and Dar El Ahamda. There is
| | |very dense kittr bush about here,
| | |though it does not interfere much
| | |with travelling.
| | |
Um Wabar | 2 | 78 |The country here becomes more open
| | |and is studded with small kurmet
| | |bushes.
| | |
_Um Subagha_ | 8½ | 86½ |Four wells, 20 feet deep, little
| | |water. Road from Goz Abu Guma
| | |_viâ_ Id El Gim (9 miles) joins in
| | |here. This is the usual route to
| | |Goz Abu Guma taken by people from
| | |Tagale and Southern Kordofan.
| | |
| | |
Alternative | — | — |The alternative route from Gedid
route | | |_viâ_ Goz El Homara passes at
| | |first through thickish kittr bush,
| | |and then through more open country
| | |to Meika (10½ miles). The site of
| | |the Khalifa’s deim, defeat, and
| | |death (1899) lies a little to the
| | |W. of the direct road to Meika,
Rahad | 6½ | 62½ |and is reached _viâ_ Rahad
Asheishat | | |Asheishat, which contains water
| | |for some time after the rains (in
| | |March, 1901, it had still a little
| | |very foul water in it). People are
| | |said to collect here during the
| | |rains.
| | |
| | |The site of the battle is close by
| | |on the E. of the road, and the
Um Debreikat | 2½ | 65 |position of the deim which was
| | |alongside the road is still
| | |recognisable from the stumps of
| | |the trees cut down.
| | |
| | |There is also a large pool on S.
| | |of road, about 150 yards by 80
| | |yards, and there are the remains
| | |of a good deal of recent dukhn
| | |cultivation in the vicinity.
| | |
_Meika_ | 3 | 68 |Five groups of wells used by the
| | |Gimma and a few of the Selim
| | |Baggara. Water plentiful about 12
| | |feet down.
| | |
| | |From here the road runs S. to Goz
| | |El Homara (4 miles), the
| | |cultivating ground of the Selim
| | |and a few of the Gimma Arabs, and
| | |thence to Id El Gim (17 miles) in
| | |Dar El Ahamda, joining the direct
| | |road from Gedid at Um Subagha
| | |(portion Goz El Homara to Id El
| | |Gim was not traversed).
| | |
_Um Subagha_ | 27 | 95 |From here the road passes through
| | |very dense kittr bush, which
| | |impedes the rate of travelling
| | |considerably.
| | |
Mafri | 7 | 102 |A small village; water supply from
| | |Id Tefangerun.
| | |
_Id | 2½ | 104½ |In the Khor Ardeiba, which is said
Tefangerun_ | | |to originate in the Tagale
| | |mountains, and to flow S.E. to the
| | |Nile. In it are nearly all the
| | |wells in Dar El Ahamda, none of
| | |which however, except those of El
| | |Akaf, can be relied on to contain
| | |much water towards the end of the
| | |dry season.
| | |
| | |The Khor Ardeiba is not, as a
| | |matter of fact, known by the same
| | |name for more than a mile or two,
| | |as it takes the name of each
| | |successive district through which
| | |it passes. It has a shallow ill-
| | |defined bed, but is traceable by
| | |the number of heglig and other
| | |green trees which grow in it.
| | |
Dura | 3½ | 108 |The road follows the khor and
| | |passes wells at Um Desis and at
| | |Dura, a village (no well) from
| | |which J. Um Talha is visible; a
| | |track branches off southwards
| | |through very dense kadad bush, and
| | |1¾ miles on joins another track
_Gamelein_ | 1½ | 109½ |from Gamelein (1¼ miles), which is
| | |the usual starting point for
| | |Tagale, and where there are
| | |several wells. The track then
| | |leads S.W. across a cotton soil
| | |plain thickly covered with bush,
_J. Um Talha_ | 50½ | 160 |chiefly talh and kittr, to J. Um
(Tagale) | | |Talha, one of the Tagale group of
| | |mountains under Mek Geili Adam. It
| | |is inhabited by Nubas, and has
| | |several wells. _See_ route No. 98.
| | |
| | |The distance from Gamelein to Um
| | |Talha is only very roughly
| | |estimated, and cannot be relied
| | |on.
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
76.—GOZ ABU GUMA TO DAR EL AHAMDA.
BY CAPTAIN H. H. S. MORANT, MARCH, 1901.
--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
Goz Abu Guma | — | — |Goz Abu Guma, properly Zeinuba, is
| | |on right bank of White Nile and is
| | |the head quarters of a District.
| | |There is a post and telegraph
| | |office and a fair suk. In good
| | |years plenty of grain can be
| | |bought here. At low Nile in order
| | |to cross to left bank, a branch of
| | |the river is crossed by a ford to
| | |two islands, thence there is a
West bank | 1½ | 1½ |ferry to W. bank, where there are
| | |several gum depôts. The road from
| | |Dueim _viâ_ El Alob passes here
| | |and follows the river southwards
| | |to Kaka and Kodok. A much used
| | |road also leads to Gedid _viâ_ Um
| | |Hagàr (_see_ Route No. 9) 20
| | |miles, thence _viâ_ Taiara to El
| | |Obeid.
| | |
| | |The road to Dar El Ahamda leads
| | |S.W. over the usual more or less
| | |undulating and open bush covered
_El Koru_ | 3½ | 5 |country to El Koru; a largish
| | |village said to have wells (not
| | |seen). Soon after leaving this a
| | |road from the river coming from
| 3½ | 8½ |N.E. joins in and 3 miles further
| | |on another track branches off S.W.
| | |to Um Adda (6 miles) where there
| | |are several wells.
| | |
_Id Teheima_ | 1¼ | 9¾ |The track followed led S. to Id
| | |Teheima, several fair wells and
_Id Um Zaaf_ | 6 | 15¾ |villages, thence down a very bare
| | |valley to Id Um Zaaf situated in
| | |the middle of a perfectly open
| | |level grassy basin, which looks as
| | |if it might be swampy in the
| | |rains. Several wells or holes;
| | |water plentiful, not more than 5
| | |feet down.
| | |
_Um Zaaf_ | 1¼ | 17 |Goz Um Zaaf with a village on the
| | |top of it. Near the S. end of the
| | |goz there is another well, but
| | |with little water. A road runs
| | |from here eastwards to the river
| | |(12 miles?), and another westwards
| | |_viâ_ Waar (8 miles) to Gedid (24
| | |miles).
| | |
_Suda_ | 7½ | 24½ |Road followed runs S.W. through a
| | |good deal of kittr and gum bush to
| | |Suda, which is a small village
| | |perched on the usual Goz.
| | |
| | |There are two lots of wells and
| | |water is comparatively plentiful.
| | |Good shade. There are several
| | |other villages near. Here the road
| | |from Um Adda, another from Um
| | |Hagàr _viâ_ Waar, a third from
| | |Gedid _viâ_ Um Debreikat, and a
| | |fourth from Meika unite. A path
| | |also leads S.E. to Jebelein (25
| | |miles) _viâ_ Andaraba (no water
| | |_en route_).
| | |
Um Huta | 1½ | 26 |Continuing S. the road passes a
| | |village named Um Huta to the W.
Goz El Shubai | 5 | 31 |(no water), and later crosses Goz
| | |El Shubai, the highest hill in
| | |this part of the country. There is
| | |an “id” at its S.E. end, but it
| | |had no water (March, 1901).
| | |
| | |Here a track branches off
| | |eastwards to Goz El Homara, and
| | |about 2 miles further on another
| | |from El Homara runs eastwards to
| | |Um Gereib.
| | |
Um Sir | 6 | 37 |At Um Sir (Selim) there were
| | |several wells and plenty of water
| | |in March, 1901, but in the same
| | |month, 1902, there was said to be
| | |very little.
| | |
| | |There were also the remains of a
| | |good deal of cultivation about.
| | |
| | |A road leads from El Homara _viâ_
| | |these wells to Jebelein (about 18
| | |miles).
| | |
Mit El Ghaneis| 1 | 38 |Small cultivation village.
| | |
Goz El Gharak | 2 | 40 |A slight elevation on which is
| | |dukhn cultivation N. of track.
| | |
Rahad Waar | 3½ | 43½ |A large natural rain tank, dry
| | |soon after rains, but many Arabs
| | |congregate here whilst there is
| | |water.
| | |
Khor Talh | 3½ | 47 |After passing through thick talh
| | |bush, a shallow khor, probably
| | |that known on the Gedid Um Subagha
| | |road as Senitai, is passed.
| | |
Um Fatma | 3 | 50 |A well known belt of thick kittr
| | |about a mile in width, said to be
| | |N. boundary of Dar El Ahamda.
| | |
| | |After this is passed country is
| | |comparatively open.
| | |
Id Heidub | 10 | 60 |Several wells; water not very
| | |plentiful (March, 1901).
| | |
Id Nagi | 3 | 63 |One or two wells, but very little
| | |water (March, 1901). Splendid
| | |shade.
| | |
El Gedul | 3 | 66 |Rather large village (for these
| | |parts); water from Id Nagi.
| | |
| | |Soon after leaving El Gedul some
| | |very dense kadad, &c., bush is
| | |entered and continues to
| | |
Mageikha | 2½ | 68½ |A small cultivation village.
| | |
Wad El Khot | 1½ | 70 |Small village; water from Saneit.
| | |Dense kittr bush which interferes
| | |with camels is now traversed.
| | |
Saneit | 2 | 72 |Small village residence of Sheikh
| | |Abdel Rahman Taher, head Sheikh of
| | |Dar El Ahamda. Several wells in a
| | |shallow khor; fairly good supply
| | |of water. From here a road leads
| | |S. to El Akaf (4½ miles), good
| | |wells, thence _viâ_ Id Nemeid
| | |(wells 11½ miles) to the Nile,
| | |probably at Um Asherin, about 20
| | |miles beyond.
| | |
Gamelein | 2¼ | 74¼ |The road leads up the khor to
| | |Gamelein, described in Route 75,
| | |and thence to J. Tagale.
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
77.—GOZ ABU GUMA TO EL OBEID, _viâ_ SHERKEILA AND RAHAD.
FROM A REPORT BY CAPTAIN C. H. LEVESON, 18TH HUSSARS, NOVEMBER, 1903.
--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
Goz Abu Guma | — | — |Bad landing place—easily improved;
| | |also bad watering place at this
| | |season (November) for animals;
| | |buckets necessary. No good grass
| | |close. Camel fly bad.
| | |
_Menauel_ | 24 | 24 |Several pools; best, 50 by 30
| | |yards. Water good.
| | |
_Gedid_ | 11 | 35 |Good road. Several pools; water
| | |fair.
| | |
_Abu Rukba_ | 18 | 53 |Small fula, dirty water, 3 miles
| | |W. of village, would be dry by end
| | |of November. Drinking water from
| | |wells. Close cultivated country.
| | |
_Um Kueika_ | 25 | 78 |No water at Um Shokaba or Um
| | |Hagar, so went on to Um Kueika.
| | |Shallow fula, filthy water, more
| | |like liquid manure. Wells not much
| | |better. Thousands of water melons
| | |are grown instead.
| | |
_Sherkeila_ | 20 | 98 |No water at Ageila. Big lake at
| | |Sherkeila—fair water; also good
| | |water from wells. Road, before
| | |reaching here, heavy going. Bad
| | |place for horses.
| | |
_Um Ruaba_ | 18 | 116 |No Tebeldi trees, but big fula, 50
| | |yards by 40. Country more open.
| | |Passed big village, named Gogham.
| | |3 miles short of Um Ruaba. No
| | |water at Shamagatta, so marched
| | |_viâ_ Rahad.
| | |
_Gadadin_ | 6 | 122 |Big village.
| | |
_Abli_ | 6 | 128 |No village. Half a mile off road,
| | |in thickly wooded khor, were 3
| | |small pools, each 20 yards
| | |diameter; also another smaller
| | |pool of clean drinking water.
| | |
_Um Kheiran_ | 16 | 144 |Road over succession of ridges of
| | |deep red sand, rendering going
| | |heavy. After passing Village
| | |Eilafun, country open. Large fula
| | |at Um Kheiran, 70 yards wide—good
| | |water.
| | |
_Umbeil_ | 3 | 147 |Village.
| | |
_Fula Um | 4 | 151 |Large fula, 120 yards by 80, 3
Sheikh_ | | |feet deep. Good clear water.
| | |
_Rahad Lake_ | 11 | 162 |Lake 3 miles long, ½ mile broad,
| | |about 3 feet deep—good water.
| | |Numbers of mosquitoes and sand
| | |flies. Big village about 2 miles
| | |from lake.
| | |
_Mao_ | 10 | 172 |Tebeldi trees and well. Road from
| | |here onwards much obstructed by
| | |trees.
| | |
_J. Ein_ | 19 | 101 |At foot of rocky hill is a well,
| | |said to be a spring. 60 buckets
| | |did not empty it. Forest very
| | |thick and full of deep khors about
| | |here.
| | |
J. Deigo | 11 | 202 |2 small fulas of filthy water
| | |hardly drinkable by horses.
| | |
El Obeid | 9 | 211 |
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
78.—GEDID TO EL RAHAD _viâ_ AGEILA.
BY CAPTAIN W. LLOYD, DECEMBER, 1901.
This road is very swampy in the rains.
--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
_Gedid_ | — | — |Two good wells. Many Gimma
| | |villages near. They are not
| | |occupied during the rains, as
| | |there is little cultivation near.
| | |Good shade. Track over cotton
| | |soil, thick bush.
| | |
Abu Rukba | 17 | 17 |Some old wells. The tomb of the
| | |Khalifa’s father is on a hill a
| | |little to the N. of the road.
| | |There are a great many tracks
| | |here. Local guide necessary.
| | |
_Um Afgheim_ | 18 | 35 |Pool and one well. Track now leads
| | |over many sandy ridges. Between
| | |the ridges black cotton soil. Bush
| | |thick in places.
| | |
_Ageila_ | 14 | 49 |Several wells (14) with good
| | |supply of water. The village of
| | |Sheikh Yasin Yusef head Sheikh of
| | |the Gowamas is a mile N. of wells.
| | |Good shade. Water stands here in
| | |rains and mosquitoes are very bad.
| | |(There is a road from here to
| | |Sherkeila, 12 miles). There is now
| | |less black soil, and the bush
| | |becomes less thick.
| | |
_Um Ruaba_ | 24 | 73 |A large fula with wells. The
| | |latter are very bad. Much trouble
| | |in watering ten camels. Good
| | |shade. The village is 1½ miles to
| | |the N.
| | |
Track to | 12 | 85 |[To Shamagatta 12 miles, Taiara 30
Shamagatta and| | |miles].
Taiara | | |
| | |Country becomes undulating, sandy
| | |ridges, black soil between.
| | |
_El Eilafun_ | 10 | 95 |A small place with one well, but
| | |little water.
| | |
Um Sereiha | 1 | 96 |Small village, water from El
| | |Eilafun. These two villages were
| | |once large places, now very poor.
| | |Good track.
| | |
_El Rahad_ | 22 | 118 |Several large villages, much
| | |cultivation and small suk. Lake
| | |now full.
| | |
| | |N.B.—Lake was dry in autumn 1902.
| | |When dry, wells are dug in bed of
| | |the lake.
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
79.—KAKA TO OPPOSITE JEBELEIN, BY LEFT BANK.
BY CAPTAIN H. H. WILSON, MARCH TO APRIL, 1903.
--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
Kaka Meshra | — | — |A good landing place at low Nile,
| | |but impossible at high. Track from
| | |here to opposite Jebel Ahmed Agha
| | |runs in N.E. direction, and lies
| | |some way from the river.
| | |
_Moro_ | 2½ | 2½ |Most northerly Shilluk village,
| | |part of the Kaka district. Country
| | |round here is bushy, with certain
| | |number of good trees.
| | |
_Arab village_| ¾ | 3¼ |Part of the Kenana tribe, who are
| | |to be found in considerable
| | |numbers in the vicinity of
| | |Fashoda, Fama, Atara, and Kaka.
| | |
Debba Adaraba | 1¾ | 5 |On right of track. Site of old
| | |Shilluk village.
| | |
Debba El Asal | ¾ | 5¾ |On right of track. There is a very
| | |fair track all along here,
| | |passable all the year round, but
| | |crossing a number of shallow khors
| | |which would be a serious obstacle
| | |in the rains. After passing El
| | |Asal, the bush gives place to fine
| | |park-like land, situated on high
| | |sandy ground.
| | |
_Ferik_ | 2¼ | 8 |Sheep ferik of Baggara Selim
| | |Arabs, only occupied by them
| | |during dry season. The whole of
| | |the country from Kaka to Jebelein
| | |is the Selim country, over which
| | |they roam from December to May. A
| | |number of Hemeida and other Arabs
| | |from Kordofan also come and graze
| | |their flocks here.
| | |
| 5¼ | 13¼ |Small Shilluk village on what is
| | |an island in the rains; I was
| | |unable to find out the name of it,
| | |but the name of the sheikh is
| | |Angwet.
| | |
| ¾ | 14 |Track here crosses two khors which
| | |were dry in April. Forest all
| | |along here on left. Wide river
| | |foreshore with khors on right.
| | |
| 2½ | 16½ |A big khor runs into the river
| | |from the west—dry in April. Some
| | |very fine big trees about here,
| | |some of the timber being
| | |exceptionally long and straight.
| | |
Debba Duara El| 3¾ | 20¼ |Debba on right, high sandy ground
Sogheir | | |and fine forest.
| | |
Debba Duara El| 2¼ | 22½ |Big khor running alongside of
Kebir | | |track on right. It is impossible
| | |to get to the river anywhere in
| | |this country, except at one or two
| | |recognised places, without
| | |struggling over a wide foreshore
| | |of half-burnt tangled grass. Track
| 1 | 23½ |crosses a khor.
| | |
Debba Berdan | 6 | 29½ |
| | |
_Ferik_ | 1¼ | 30¾ |Sheep ferik of Selim Baggara.
| | |
Debba | 2 | 32¾ |On left of track. Good level
| | |ground and park-like land;
| | |excellent going under foot. Owing
| | |to the track being at a
| | |considerable distance from the
| | |river, and the khors not all
| | |having water in them, it is
| | |advisable to travel about this
| | |country with a guide, as certain
| | |spots are known to the Arabs as
| | |camping grounds, where generally a
| | |large ardeb tree is to be found
| | |with water close at hand. First
| | |sight of the jebel from here.
| | |
Debba Berdan | 2¼ | 35 |Another debba of this name.
| | |Country bushy.
| | |
_Debba Aliang_| 3½ | 38½ |Track now runs generally between
| | |the forest on the left and khor on
| 6½ | 45 |right. A wide khor all along here
| | |on the right, then a thick belt of
| | |trees between it and the river.
| | |
| 2 | 47 |The khor here runs into the
| | |river—a considerable amount of
| | |water in it for the last 10 miles.
| | |
_Meshra | ⅛ | 47⅛ |An excellent meshra at low Nile,
Meteima_ | | |and not at all impossible at high.
| | |After having pushed through about
| | |80 yards of reeds, the high sandy
| | |bank is reached and access gained
| | |to the inland track, which is
| | |excellent all the year round.
| | |Jebel Ahmed Agha opposite. River
| | |about 1,000 yards wide here.
| | |Following the ordinary track this
| | |is the first time that the river
| | |water can be obtained after
| | |leaving Kaka. Selim Baggara ferik
| | |about ½ mile inland here in bush.
| | |Track from here northwards runs
| | |through a fine forest for about 6
| | |miles, when it debouches on to
| | |wide river foreshore.
| | |
_Ferik_ | 6⅜ | 53½ |Sheep ferik of Selim Arabs in
| | |bush.
| | |
Khor Nagor | 2¼ | 55¾ |A khor is crossed here which is an
| | |obstacle to any transport except
| | |carriers all the year round,
| | |having a water channel of about 8
| | |feet, and a depth of 5 feet,
| | |choked with grass. This khor bends
| | |round northwards and joins the
| | |river just S. of Meshra Alwat
| | |(right bank) (which is a name
| | |however but little known to the
| | |Arabs, who generally speak of it
| | |as the “Balad Selim Bangan”). The
| | |track follows this khor inland, as
| | |the “island,” or ground between it
| | |and the river, though dry in the
| | |dry season, is exceedingly bad
| | |going for animals and men, owing
| | |to cracks and rank grass.
| | |
_Ferik_ | 6½ | 62¼ |Track strikes the khor again. A
| | |small ferik under a well-known
| | |Selim Arab, Yasin, a little grey-
| | |headed man.
| | |
Debba Tebeldia| 1½ | 63¾ |Track crosses the khor here. This
| | |country being practically
| | |uninhabited—and full of game—is a
| | |haunt of lions. I saw three when
| | |marching along the track all
| | |within 100 yards of each other.
| | |The Jackson’s Hartebeeste is to be
| | |obtained here also. Track now runs
| | |on left side of khor; thick forest
| | |all round.
| | |
Debba Nabagaia| 4¾ | 68½ |High open debba left; this is the
| | |Nabagaia district. Country now
| | |changes generally to bush, with,
| | |as a rule, a belt of trees
| | |somewhere between the track and
| 5 | 73½ |the river.
| | |
_Minadak_ | 1½ | 75 |A fair meshra; opposite Alwat.
| | |Selim ferik about ¾ mile inland in
| | |bush. Just inland of the bush
| | |there extends a vast plain covered
| | |with thorn, scrub, and grass, and
| | |abounding with game.
| | |
Debba Megabr | 7½ | 82½ |Left, and a Selim ferik just S. of
| | |it.
| | |
_Ferik_ | 3 | 85½ |Another Selim ferik; wide khor on
| | |right of track.
| | |
| 1 | 86½ |Khor close to track; big ardeb
| | |tree, and mid-day camp.
| | |
| 1 | 87½ |A branch of the river is visible
| | |about 300 yards off on right.
| | |Track is now alternately sandy and
| | |good and cracked and very bad; the
| | |latter state owing to the number
| | |of shallow khors the track passes
| | |over. Country bushy.
| | |
_Ardeb Aliga_ | 12 | 99½ |Near river bank. Good camping
| | |ground, as there is little shade
| | |to be got, except under these (to
| | |the Arabs) well-known ardeb trees.
| | |
_Ardeb | 2¾ | 102¼ |Another big ardeb tree. Shortly
Matemenat_ | | |after this the track descends on
| | |to the foreshore and continues
| | |thus to opposite Renk, where there
| | |is a fair meshra in the dry season
_Renk_ | 3¾ | 106 |only.
| | |
_Hasoia_ | 4¾ | 110¾ |Arab encampments. Island of Hasoia
| | |here also. The track winds
| | |monotonously through interminable
| | |kittr bush, generally within reach
| | |of the river. Selim feriks thick
| | |for the next 17 miles; but as they
| | |are only temporary, and change
| | |every year, it is not worth while
| | |marking them all down.
| | |
Debba El Tor | 23¼ | 134 |On left of track.
| | |
Um Ashrin | 2½ | 136½ |Bush very thick here. Island of
| | |Waka (Bulli) stated to be opposite
| | |here. (This was the name given by
| | |the Arabs on this occasion, and
| | |probably differs from any other
| | |known name.)
| | |
_Meshra_ | 4½ | 141 |Meshra used by the Arabs during
| | |the dry season.
| | |
_El Ardeb_ | 22 | 163 |Meshra, and Selim encampments,
| | |opposite Jebelein, bearings of the
| | |two chief peaks of which 114° and
| | |70° respectively. This is the
| | |chief meshra of the Selim people,
| | |as it leads to their villages,
| | |which are about 15 miles inland
| | |opposite Jebelein.
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
NOTE.—The information _re_ the track from Renk to the Jebelein is
from a Report by El M. A. Said Eff. Nur El Din, Police Officer, Renk.
80.—OMDURMAN TO EL SAFIA WELLS.
BY MAJOR N. M. SMYTH BEY, V.C., QUEEN’S BAYS, NOVEMBER AND
DECEMBER, 1901.
Most of country between Omdurman and El Safia is so barren that the
grazing grounds are very limited in area, and the population is so
sparse that beaten tracks are only to be found in the vicinity of
the watering places.
Most of the country is scattered with low samr bush, which, not
being in leaf owing to the scarcity of rain this year, affords little
shade. Dead trees afford an abundant supply of fuel. Many wells get
partly filled up with drift sand, or with mud brought down by the
infiltration of water, which may be quickly cleaned out. The supply
at all wells is dependent on the amount of rainfall.
N.B.—As there are no well-defined tracks, and the distances have been
measured off the map, they are probably all too short.—H. H. S. M.
--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
Omdurman | — | — |Leaving the town the route bears a
| | |little S. of W. over hard sandy
| | |soil. A little low scattered bush.
| | |Jebel Duieim Serob (?) is left to
| | |the S. Sand hills are met. Some
| | |samr bush.
| | |
Um Hei | 27 | 27 |Old wells.
| | |
_Um Teital_ | 7 | 34 |Twenty wells in red clay, all dry.
| | |Water is found after ordinary
| | |rainfall at 15 feet, but often
| | |fails about February. Shobil
| | |wells, 30, all dry, are 3 miles to
| | |the N., and Abd El Mokeit, 20
| | |wells, where water drains in
| | |slowly at 12 feet through red
| | |clay, are 6 miles to the N.
| | |
| | |The country here belongs to the
| | |Walad Ogba section of the
| | |Kababish, who have much
| | |cultivation in the neighbourhood.
| | |Abd El Mokeit wells water 500
| | |sheep daily.
| | |
| | |The route bears due W. over
| | |undulating country.
| | |
Melh El Maagil| 21½ | 55½ |A pool in Khor Mogaddam, 100 yards
| | |by 10 yards, lasts till January. A
| | |mile W. several similar pools
| | |exist after good rainfall. There
| | |are some salt licks a mile to the
| | |S.E.
| | |
| | |There is now some track in the
| | |wadi bearing S.W. Sayal bush.
| | |
_Bag Bag_ | 12 | 67½ |Pool in wadi, dry in November. The
| | |old wells fallen in. N. of them
| | |are two groups of 15 open wells,
| | |half a mile apart, in the bed of
| | |the wadi. Copious water at 15
| | |feet.
| | |
| | |The route now bears nearly N.W.
| | |over undulating country, little
| | |bush.
| | |
_Habisa_ | 24 | 91½ |Id El Kebir, 50 wells of good
| | |water 15 feet deep. The other
| | |wells here are—El Khirwa, 20
| | |wells, 15 feet deep, good water,
| | |and Neimura, 40 wells, depth 25
| | |feet, all dry November, 1901.
| | |
_Id El Gurud_ | 5 | 96½ |Due W. and higher up the khor is a
| | |group of 3 wells, dry. One mile W.
| | |a group of 15 wells in bed of a
| | |sandy wadi; at a depth of 15 feet
| | |copious water. This water is said
| | |to have been first discovered by
| | |Arabs finding water holes
| | |scratched in the sand after rain
| | |by the apes that exist in the
| | |neighbourhood.
| | |
| | |There is now a slight track which
| | |bears W.N.W. as far as J. Khashm
| | |El Kelb, which is left to the N.,
| | |and then bears W. and W.S.W. over
| | |broken ground.
| | |
_Derota_ | 40½ | 137 |Thirty wells, all dry except one.
| | |Eight feet deep on rock, bed kept
| | |open by foxes burrowing in the
| | |sand.
| | |
| | |Three miles to the W. the Haraza-
| | |Dongola road is in the Wadi Bitit.
| | |The country is undulating and in
| | |places stony, and several wadis
| | |are crossed; general direction W.
| | |
_El Safia (Um | 35 | 172 |Um Geiti wells. The wells are
Geiti)_ | | |situated on the E. side of a plain
| | |which is surrounded by hills. The
| | |wells are: (1) Um Geiti, depth 13
| | |feet, good water, considered
| | |inexhaustible. Two hundred more
| | |have fallen in. Five hundred
| | |camels and oxen are watered daily.
| | |In the driest season thousands of
| | |cattle are watered here. (2) Id El
| | |Serajab, 30 wells, not in use, but
| | |only need clearing out to afford a
| | |water supply.
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
81.—DEBBA TO EL OBEID, _viâ_ WABRI, ELAI, SAFIA AND KAGMAR.
BY MR. JAMES CURRIE, APRIL, 1903.
The route from Debba to El Obeid is little used, even during the kharif
when water is comparatively plentiful. At that season a few merchants
carry dates to El Obeid, perhaps carrying back gum in exchange. The
portion of the route from Debba to Safia is subject to variations
according to the whim of the guide employed, as well as the season of
the year. Some prefer the route Um Belila—El Amri—Hobagi—Haraza
without going to Safia, whilst others during the dry season travel
_viâ_ Wabri, Inderab, Gumr, Gambar, Habisa, Bagbag, and Kagmar.
The track described below was plainly marked throughout, but, owing to
scarcity of water, would be difficult, at any rate during the driest
season, for a party of over twenty-five camels. Shade and firewood
are plentiful throughout.
In the following report the only places where there was any water on
the road are mentioned.
--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
Debba | — | — |Left Debba at 6 p.m.; country
| | |desert with a good deal of mimosa;
Bir Kufra (1) | 11 | 11 |went about 11 miles and stopped at
| | |Bir Kufra, no water but guides
| | |stated it existed not far from
| | |surface.
| | |
Bir Kufra (2) | 10 | 21 |Continued due S. at 6 a.m.; mimosa
| | |ceased, softish sand and sand
| | |hills, stopped at 10 a.m., at
| | |another old well, Bir Kufra (2),
| | |but guides state water non-
| | |existent at any depth. Resumed at
| | |4 p.m. and entered big khor
| | |running N., Bir Gelud Abid. Many
| | |trees and dry grass. Off at 6 a.m.
| | |Entered Khor Magakha and went on
| | |for 4 hours; arrived at Bir Abu
| | |Sayal, three old water holes, no
| | |water (April, 1903), stopped there
| | |at 10 a.m.; resumed at 4 p.m.,
| | |passing on E. of path Bir Gelud,
| | |another old empty water hole. J.
| | |Abu Heglig here appears on E. of
| | |path. Stopped at 8.30 p.m. Off at
| | |4.30 a.m.; arrived at Wabri 9.30
_Wabri_ | 53 | 74 |a.m. Country for 4 or 5 miles
| | |before Wabri very stony and
| | |barren; three-stone-lined wells
| | |and abundance of water and
| | |grazing. A certain number of
| | |Hawawir Arabs watering their
| | |flocks, and a few camels.
| | |
_Bir Kernak_ | 13 | 87 |Off at 5.10 a.m. for Bir Kernak.
| | |This well is a bit E. of direct
| | |road to Elai. Arrived at 10.10
| | |a.m. Two stone-lined wells about
| | |12 feet deep with abundance of
| | |water.
| | |
_Hassanai_ | 10 | 97 |Off at 4.30 p.m. in a south-
| | |westerly direction; rode for 3½
| | |hours up Wadi Kernak and arrived
| | |at Hassanai, where there are a few
| | |Arab families. There is a hofra
| | |here, where a little water is to
| | |be found, but all camels are
| | |watered at Elai or Kernak.
| | |
_Elai_ | 13 | 110 |Left Hassanai 5.30 a.m. and rode
| | |up Wadi Hassanai, crossed over
| | |rocky pass and arrived at Elai at
| | |10.10 a.m. Two stone-lined wells
| | |(several disused ones) about 12
| | |feet deep, but contain little
| | |water and take 5 hours to fill,
| | |about 4 feet in diameter, and want
| | |cleaning out very badly.
| | |
| | |Stayed at Elai during morning. A
| | |long business watering my camels.
| | |Left at 2.30 p.m. for Safia, went
| | |on till 7 p.m. Three small hills
| | |to E. of track chief land-mark.
| | |Gazelle here very numerous.
| | |
Khor Hobagi | — | — |Off at 2.30 a.m., halted at 8.30
| | |a.m. W. of J. Mutmir. Went on 4
| | |hours in evening due S. Off at
| | |5.30 a.m., entered Khor Hobagi
| | |about 7 a.m. through a very rough
| | |agaba. About 9 a.m. passed a hofra
| | |which contains water during rains.
| | |This is the so-called well of
| | |Hobagi; halted 10.15 a.m.
| | |
| | |Country very much dried up and
| | |very little grazing. Went on in
| | |afternoon from 3 p.m. till 8.30
| | |p.m.
| | |
_Safia_ | 85 | 195 |Off at 2 a.m.; reached Safia at 12
| | |noon. Abundant supply of water
| | |from many wells. Numerous ril or
| | |addra gazelle, also tracks of wild
| | |sheep. Country rocky, much shut in
| | |and heat excessive. Much the
| | |hardest part of journey.
| | |
| | |Stayed at Safia all day, 30 to 40
| | |wells, but not a great deal of
| | |water in each. Water about 20 feet
| | |from surface. Many Kababish Arabs
| | |and a considerable number of
| | |camels, cattle and sheep; gazelle
| | |very numerous.
| | |
| | |Off at 5.30 p.m. for Kagmar,
| | |_viâ_, Haraza hills, where I was
| | |told there was water; went S.E.
| | |and stopped for night at 7.30 p.m.
| | |
J. Haraza | — | — |Off at 4.30 a.m. and arrived at J.
| | |Haraza at 8.30 a.m. Road very bad.
| | |To get to these hills one
| | |digresses some 15 miles from
| | |direct road to Kagmar, and strikes
| | |the range of hills about the
| | |middle. There are two wells, but
| | |one, Bir Shungul, is high up among
| | |the hills and is reached by a very
_Bir Sani_ | — | — |rough track. The second is Bir
| | |Sani, 150 feet deep. I think the
| | |digression to these wells was a
| | |mistake, and would recommend the
| | |direct road.[29]
| | |
| | |This range of hills is inhabited
| | |by Nubas, of whom there are said
| | |to be some 250. There is certain
| | |amount of cultivation.
| | |
| | |Travelled 5.7 in the evening.
| | |
| | |Travelled towards Kagmar all day,
| | |passing J. Hadid on W. of path,
| | |and towards evening catching sight
| | |of J. Atshan on the E.
| | |
_Kagmar_ | 81 | 276 |Arrived at Kagmar in the evening,
| | |having passed on E. of track J.
| | |Atshan and J. Royan.
| | |
| | |Water plentiful from here to El
| | |Obeid, _vide_ Routes 71 and 83.
| | |
_Bara_ | 48 | 324 |
| | |
_El Obeid_ | 38 | 362 |
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
82.—SHEGEIG TO EL SHOWA, _viâ_ KAGMAR.
BY CAPTAIN W. LLOYD, NOVEMBER, 1902.
This route is at present but little used, though there is
a well-defined track throughout. It forms part of the old road to
Darfur and is now used by merchants going to Nahud. From El Showa
they go to Um Shidera, and thence, having watered their camels,
to Shallota and Nahud.
--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
_Shegeig_ | — | — |Leaving Zerga wells (where there
| | |is a large fula in the rains), the
| | |track is at first hard to pick up
| | |owing to the numerous cattle
| | |tracks about. Going nearly due W.,
| | |Fula Naima is first seen and then
| | |Fula Bereinku, 5 miles from Zerga
| | |wells. The track then goes along a
| | |level ridge to the northern
| | |shoulder of J. Derish. Good going,
| | |plenty of shade and grazing.
| | |
Fula Um Sunta | 31 | 31 |A small pool on the N. side of the
| | |road. Crossing the ridge, the
| | |ground becomes gravelly and in
| | |places stony, for next 6 miles.
| | |Kittr bush and a few meika trees
| | |then appear and shade becomes
| | |rare. The road crosses Wadi El
| | |Kigeira and Wadi El Luggud, both
| | |of which are swampy in the rains;
| | |several salt workings are passed.
| | |
F. Shershar | 20 | 51 |A small pool. Sayal bush now
| | |commences and is thick in places
| | |to near Um Sayala, when the track
| | |becomes difficult to follow.
| | |
_Um Sayala_ | 7½ | 58½ |A small Jaalin village with one
| | |excellent well ½ mile S. Good
| | |shade near village. Leaving the
| | |village there are two tracks, one
| | |to Um Heimeira, one to Id Sabil.
| | |The latter is the shorter.
| | |
_Id Sabil_ | 8 | 66½ |An excellent well 120 feet deep,
| | |belonging to Sheikh Abd El Nebi
| | |Masud, a Baghdadi. Two hundred
| | |yards N. of the well is a clump of
| | |dom palms which form a good land
| | |mark.
| | |
| | |The whole way to Kajmar from here
| | |there is little or no shade. The
| | |soil is red sand with plenty of
| | |grass and marakh bush.
| | |
Old Um Sayala | 5 | 71½ |Now in ruins. From here there is a
| | |track going S.W. to J. Maganus.
| | |
_Fadlia_ | 6½ | 78 |A small Walad Dagoi village, one
| | |good well. From here there are
| | |roads to Abu Tabr and J. Maganus.
| | |Leaving the well, there is at
| | |first no track, but J. Atmur is
| | |seen in front.
| | |
J. Atmur | 6 | 84 |A small quartz rock with fula and
| | |good shade on the S. side. Good
| | |track.
| | |
_Um Guerfa_ | 15 | 99 |A large village with two excellent
(Hella El | | |wells, 95 feet deep, at which
Sheikh) | | |several hundred sheep and goats
| | |water daily; there are several
| | |small hellas near. Leaving the
| | |main hella, a good well is passed
| | |1 mile on, and another 2 miles
| | |beyond.
| | |
_Harais Well_ | 5½ | 104½ |A good well belonging to the
| | |Zaghawa village 1 mile N. of road.
| | |From here J. Gahania is seen due
| | |W. The direct road crosses the col
| | |between the two most northerly
| | |hills.
| | |
_Gahania_ | 8½ | 113 |A Zaghawa village on the N. side
| | |of jebel. The wells (one sweet,
| | |remainder salt) are 1 mile S. of
| | |the jebel. Thence to J. Kagmar
| | |there are many heglig trees, but
| | |all grass is eaten down soon after
| | |the rains by the large herds
| | |watered.
| | |
_Kagmar_ | 6 | 119 |A Zaghawa village. The wells are
| | |on the S. side of the jebel at the
| | |bottom of Wadi El Sigai. Plenty of
| | |good shade and grazing in the
| | |wadi. Leaving the wells, the track
| | |goes over a bare plain for 4
| | |miles. The country then becomes
| | |undulating for 5 miles. Steep soft
| | |sandy hills. Marakh on the hills,
| | |sayal in the bottoms. Bad going.
| | |The remainder of the road to
| | |Shershar is over nearly level
| | |country. Bush thick in places.
| | |
_Shershar | 16 | 135 |The wells, 40 feet deep, are
Wells_ | | |excellent, with good shade and
| | |grazing. The villages are to the
| | |W. Leaving the wells, the road
| | |passes three villages and many
| | |salt wells, and then trends S.W.
| | |through slightly undulating
| | |country, little shade, heavy
| | |going.
| | |
_Um Hashim | 10 | 145 |Two small Ferharana villages with
Bakhit_ | | |two wells 130 feet deep. Much
| | |cultivation. Passing a hella
| | |called Rubshan, much sayal bush is
| | |seen.
| | |
_Wad Medina_ | 6 | 151 |A large village, Sheikh Mohammed
| | |Wad Medina, four good wells and
| | |much cultivation.
| | |
_Um Hashim | 7 | 158 |Good track, over level country. At
Simaui_ | | |this village there is a good well.
| | |Sheikh Timsa Simaui, a Hababin
| | |Arab. The track continues in a
| | |south-westerly direction to
| | |
_El Showa_ | 10½ | 168½ |Two villages with a very good
| | |well. From there there are roads,
| | |W. to El Gleit or Um Shidera and
| | |S. to El Obeid. The bush in the
| | |vicinity consists of marakh and
| | |sayal. Plenty of grazing.
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
83.—BARA TO KAGMAR.
BY CAPTAIN W. LLOYD, MARCH, 1900; WITH ADDITIONS IN DECEMBER, 1903.
--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
Bara | — | — |Road at first through much ushur
| | |bush N. by E. Slightly undulating
| | |country; good track.
| | |
_El Hadid_ | 15 | 15 |One good well, 60 feet, and small
| | |Faharana village. Track crosses
| | |several ridges until a large well-
| | |defined one is crossed called El
| | |Khran, then along the base. Marakh
| | |and nabbag bush; little shade.
| | |
_J. Homra_ | 23 | 38 |Small jebel; on S.W. side there is
| | |a small Dar Hamid village, and two
| | |wells 10 feet deep; good water.
| | |Track passes E. of jebel. Open
| | |country; little shade.
| | |
J. Filleiha | 6 | 44 |Low rock jebel, sand much piled up
| | |on N. side. On S. side, a Dar
| | |Hamid village and well 10 feet
| | |deep. Many old wells. Dom palms
| | |and castor oil plants. Good shade.
| | |Track passes to E. of jebel in
| | |Wadi El Sigai, between low ridges.
| | |J. Kagmar seen in front; good
| | |track. Some shade and good
| | |grazing.
| | |
_Kagmar_ | 7½ | 51½ |Small Zaghawa village. Many wells
| | |10 to 20 feet deep; water
| | |practically unlimited. Many
| | |Kababish camps near, and hundreds
| | |of camels water daily. Good
| | |grazing in the wadi, none
| | |elsewhere. Onions procurable from
| | |garden near wells. Much
| | |cultivation.
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
84.—EL OBEID TO FOGA, _viâ_ MASRUB.
BY CAPTAIN W. LLOYD, OCTOBER, 1900.
--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
Obeid | — | — |The road leaves the town in a
| | |north-westerly direction over
| | |sandy ground. On reaching the high
| | |ground, J. Meitan and J. Abu Sinun
| | |are seen in line. Track good, bush
| | |not very thick. A few bad places
| | |in the rains.
| | |
| | |The road leads to the S. end of
| | |
J. Abu Sinun | 22 | 22 |J. Abu Sinun. Here there are two
| | |fulas, both about 100 yards by 50
| | |yards, but shallow and will soon
| | |be dry. There is a deep crack on
| | |the S. side of the jebel in a
| | |rock, known to the arabs, which
| | |now contains a good deal of water,
| | |buckets and ropes are required.
| | |There is now no track. Thick bush.
| | |J. Um Shidera can be seen to the
| | |N.W. from the high ground S. of
| | |the jebel.
| | |
Hella Shiheita| 15½ | 37½ |A small Baza hella; no well. There
| | |is now a good track.
| | |
Hella Ushut | 3 | 40½ |A small Nimr hella; no wells;
| | |track good.
| | |
_Um Shidera_ | 10½ | 51 |The wells are in a hollow S.W. of
| | |the jebel, eight good wells open,
| | |30 feet deep, plenty of water,
| | |many old wells. The hella is ¾
| | |mile N.W. People belong to Dar
| | |Hamid. The track now turns nearly
| | |N.N.W.
| | |
El Gleit | 13½ | 64½ |A small hella, Dar Hamid. The
| | |wells are in a hollow ¾ mile N.,
| | |at the base of the jebel. Ten
| | |wells open, 25 feet deep; good
| | |water, but not very plentiful;
| | |many old ones about. There is a
| | |road from here to El Sheg. The
| | |track now goes N. and N. by W. for
| | |11 miles, and then W. over hard
| | |red sand.
| | |
Masrub | 15 | 79½ |A small hella, Dar Hamid, just
| | |built.
| | |
_Masrub Wells_| 4½ | 84 |The track goes N. to the wells;
| | |two good wells, 5 feet in
| | |diameter, 30 feet deep; eight old
| | |ones near.
| | |
| | |There is now no track. March N.W.
| | |for 6 miles, and then W. through
| | |level country, with little bush
| | |over red sandy soil. At the 14th
| | |mile a ridge (running N. and S.)
| | |50 or 60 feet high is ascended.
| | |There is now a good track (J. Um
| | |Hashas is N.N.E.) over undulating
| | |ground. Two miles beyond the ridge
| | |the road turns S.W.
| | |
J. Idris | 35 | 119 |A hill 100 feet high; 1½ miles
| | |from N. to S., the track goes over
| | |the col between two peaks.
| | |
_Bur Islam_ | 15½ | 134½ |Eight fulas 20 to 30 yards in
| | |diameter, and 4 or 5 feet deep;
| | |water reported to last three
| | |months, then wells are dug a few
| | |feet deep, but water never lasts
| | |until the rains. Several Hamar
| | |hellas near. Bur Islam is a low
| | |lying place, swampy in the rains.
| | |“Bur” means uncultivated.
| | |
| | |There is no track, the direction
| | |is nearly W. and W.S.W., through
| | |bush for 31 miles, when a good
| | |track is struck.
| | |
_Um Sayala_ | 35 | 169½ |A small Hamar village; no well;
| | |tebeldi trees. People get water
| | |from near J. Bishara Taib. Good
| | |track N.W., past a fula now nearly
| | |dry, 100 yards by 80 yards. There
| | |are many old wells.
| | |
J. Bishara | 4 | 173½ |The track goes over a col, N. of
Taib | | |the highest peak, through some old
| | |stone walls, said to have been
| | |Fung fortifications. Good track.
| | |
Hella Ibrahim | 1½ | 175 |Small Hamar hella, water from
| | |Foga. Good track.
| | |
_Foga_ | 1½ | 176½ |Foga wells; these wells consist
| | |really of a series of fulas, 30 to
| | |40 feet in diameter; there are
| | |over 30 in a depression. When the
| | |water gives out the people dig
| | |wells in the bottom, and these
| | |supply water for the rest of the
| | |year.
| | |
| | |The only ruins of the old town I
| | |could find, were two small houses
| | |said to have been the telegraph
| | |office and magazine. The old
| | |telegraph line cannot be traced.
| | |Vide R.’s 85 and 87.
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
N.B.—The whole of this road is said to be passable to camels in
the rains, but there would probably be a good deal of difficulty 8
miles from El Obeid, near Abu Sinun, and near Bur Islam.
85.—EL OBEID TO FOGA _viâ_ UM SHEMMA, GLEIT, MASRUB AND GURADI.
BY CAPTAIN B. C. CARTER, LANCASHIRE FUSILIERS, MARCH, 1902.
This route is longer than Route 84, but there is more water.
--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
El Obeid | — | — |The track is difficult to pick up
| | |in leaving El Obeid, but fairly
| | |good afterwards. Country slightly
| | |rolling and open. Soil light sand,
| | |and good going. Grazing good.
_Um Shemma_ | 32 | 32 |Fairly grassed. At Um Shemma three
| | |wells, broken; 100 to 120 feet
| | |deep. Seem to water a good many
| | |cattle. Wells 3 miles beyond
| | |village.
| | |
_El Sheg or | 19 | 51 |No track at first over rolling
Gebir_ | | |country, fairly open. Marakh
| | |bushes and talh. Seven miles from
| | |wells, a broad track is cut
| | |running to El Sheg or Gebir. Two
| | |or three scattered villages with
| | |cultivation. Good water supply
| | |from the wells 160 feet deep. Seem
| | |to water a lot of goats and sheep.
| | |
_El Gleit_ | 17 | 68 |I believe there is a good track
| | |all the way to El Gleit[30], but
| | |my guide lost his way. Country
| | |dips down and becomes rather close
| | |thornbush to within about 6 miles
| | |of El Gleit, when it opens again.
| | |Scattered villages and
| | |cultivation. Many wells in a khor,
| | |some salt. Water supply permanent
| | |but scanty; should water twenty
| | |camels. Good view of surrounding
| | |country from the jebel which seems
| | |to be called Angag or Gleit.
| | |
_Masrub Wells_| 18 | 86 |Broad track to Masrub through open
| | |country, little grass, talh,
| | |hashab and heglig; two small
| | |villages. Wells in khor, three in
| | |number, 11 feet. Water supply
| | |scanty. It took 3 hours to water
| | |nine camels. No grazing this year.
| | |From here there is no water till
| | |Guradi.
| | |
_Guradi or Abu| 47 | 133 |No track. First point is J. Um Has
Agaga_ | | |Has. Rolling open country. A lot
| | |of heglig trees near the jebel. J.
| | |Katul and Kaja visible all the
| | |way. Passing Wadi Melowa the
| | |country rises gently. Two paths
| | |are crossed. The first comes from
| | |J. Subari where the people get
| | |salt. The second goes from Katul
| | |to Nahud. No water save in tebeldi
| | |trees from _Um Has Has_, J.
| | |Selatia. From this ridge the two
| | |small jebels of Guradi, behind
| | |which lie the wells are visible.
| | |Below the ridge is a shallow
| | |depression about 2 miles across
| | |which becomes a fula in the rains
| | |and should hold a lot of water.
| | |Country all much the same open and
| | |rolling in parts. Light sandy
| | |soil. About a dozen wells lie
| | |close together 20 feet deep. Water
| | |comes slowly. Might water a
| | |company of Camel Corps if wells
| | |were seized over night, but
| | |ordinarily not more than 15 or 20
| | |camels. Grazing poor. Tracks lead
| | |to Kaja and Hofra. Latter village
| | |has no water. Bir Soderi water
| | |plentiful.
| | |
_Foga_ | 70 | 203 |From Guradi to Foga no water.
| | |Country rolling open steppe. Very
| | |heavy going for about 8 miles
| | |before reaching track between
| | |Hofra and Foga. This line is
| | |evidently shorter and better than
| | |the old road. No track at first
| | |but steering easy as J. Nagut is
| | |always visible. Track when reached
| | |is broad and well worn. From J.
| | |Sheikh El Rifa going becomes much
| | |easier, nearly all shok is avoided
| | |by this route. At Foga many wells,
| | |but water scarce after January.
| | |_Vide_ R.’s 84 and 87.
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
86.—ABU AGAGA TO BARA.
BY CAPTAIN J. R. O’CONNELL, JANUARY, 1902.
--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
Abu Agaga | — | — |Marching due E., after 6 miles,
| | |pass J. Selatia. No track, bare
| | |plain; then march a little E. of
| | |S. on J. Um Has Has.
| | |
J. Um Has Has | 27 | 27 |After passing the jebel, turn due
| | |S. through thick bush.
| | |
_Masrub_ | 14 | 41 |A small village. Two wells, 20
| | |feet deep, good water. Ten and a
| | |half hours from Abu Agaga. Leaving
| | |Masrub and marching due E., after
| | |15 miles, one passes south of
| | |Jebel Muaiga to
| | |
Megeinis | 24 | 65 |Megeinis, a village. No water,
| | |people use melons instead. About
| | |1½ miles north of the village are
| | |two small hills. Five and a half
| | |hours from Masrub; no track.
| | |
| | |Leaving a track leads due E.
| | |through thick bush.
| | |
_Um Daioka_ | 15 | 80 |A village of Arafia Arabs. Wells 1
| | |mile N. of village called Lowai;
| | |100 feet deep, plenty of water,
| | |but not good. Three and a half
| | |hours from Megeinis. Track now
| | |goes N.E.
| | |
_Rubshan_ | 9 | 89 |Village. Water good. Track turns
| | |S.E. through thick bush.
| | |
_Marra_ | 8 | 97 |Village of Arafia Arabs. Shiekh,
| | |Ahmed Omar. Water not good. Track
| | |goes N.E.
| | |
_Khar Tauil_ | 11 | 108 |Good water in plenty near surface:
| | |gardens, old fig and lime trees; a
| | |few vines. A few Danagla live
| | |here. Six and a half hours from Um
| | |Daioka.
| | |
_Bara_ | 10 | 118 |A broad track goes due E. over
| | |high ridges of red sand to Bara.
| | |No trees. Two and a half hours
| | |from Khor Tauil.
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
87.—FOGA TO KAJA (BIR SODERI).
BY COLONEL B. MAHON, C.B., D.S.O., DECEMBER, 1901.
--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
Foga | — | — |There are no people actually
| | |living on the site of the old
| | |Mamuria, but there are several
| | |Hamar hellas close by. Foga is a
| | |good military position as there
| | |are several small sand hills which
| | |command the surrounding country,
| | |which used to be open, but is now
| | |more or less covered with bush of
| | |recent growth. There are the
| | |remains of hundreds of old wells
| | |which can be opened with a little
| | |labour, and water got at from 50
| | |feet to 90 feet. People say that
| | |in the old days water was obtained
| | |close to the surface, but that is
| | |not so now; I fancy it was rain-
| | |water. In the dry weather the
| | |people from Kaja Serrug (14 miles)
| | |get water from Foga. The old road
| | |between Foga and Kaja is quite
| | |“dead,” but there is a good road
| | |between Kaja Serrug and Kaja.
| | |
J. Abu Dugeia | 16 | 16 |From Foga you travel N.N.E. about
| | |16 miles with no track until you
| | |strike the road from Kaja Serrug,
| | |near J. Abu Dugeia. This is all
| | |through undulating sandy country
| | |covered with bush; very good
| | |grazing ground for camels.
| | |
J. Esmein | 4 | 20 |A small rocky hill on right of
| | |track, after this road dips into
| | |valley; soil clay, ground flat,
| | |thick bush.
| | |
| 8 | 28 |Small rocky range of hills on left
| | |of road runs parallel with it for
| | |2 miles; country fairly open and
| | |undulating.
| | |
Khor Neilut Um| 5 | 33 |After this, country becomes more
Kasus | | |open and intersected with small
| | |khors which are thickly wooded;
| | |ground sandy and a good lot of
| | |stones and rock.
| | |
Khor Gelti | 11 | 44 |Rather broken ground; road good,
| | |thick bush; direction changes here
| | |E.N.E.
| | |
_Um Gelti_ | 4 | 48 |This is a well, 80 feet deep, sunk
| | |in bottom of dry basin, very
| | |little water and bad.
| | |
| 2 | 50 |Here the bush country ceases and
| | |track leads E.N.E. and E. over
| | |sand dunes, very heavy for camels;
| | |very few trees or shade, but lots
| | |of grazing, until J. Bakalai is
| | |reached.
| | |
J. Bakalai | 21 | 71 |The road passes N. side of J.
| | |Bakalai and runs nearly E. to
| | |Kuku. _Um Abu Agaga_ is 6 miles
| | |S.S.W. of J. Bakalai—a very
| | |indistinct track leading to it—but
| | |it can be recognised by groups of
| | |small hills (rocks): well is near
| | |the furthest one. This is a good
| | |well and has water all the year,
| | |but would not water more than nine
| | |camels at a time.
| | |
_Kuku_ | 19 | 90 |Kuku is a village (two villages)
| | |of blacks on the northern side of
| | |J. Kuku. These people have a lot
| | |of land under cultivation, but
| | |this year all their crops failed.
| | |They have no wells but a good
| | |supply of water in tanks on the
| | |mountains. These tanks are more or
| | |less natural but have been widened
| | |and improved by manual labour, and
| | |very large rocks must have been
| | |removed at some time to make them;
| | |the people now know nothing about
| | |how they were originally made or
| | |have they any tools to do like
| | |work now. All the Kaja district is
| | |covered with the remains of old
| | |villages: it must have been at one
| | |time very thickly populated.
| | |
_Kaja Soderi_ | 7 | 97 |Is 7 miles off to the E.; road
| | |runs along N. side of mountains
| | |for 4 miles, then crosses, and the
| | |wells are on the S. side. Here
| | |there is a plentiful supply of
| | |water: wells from 18 feet to 30
| | |feet. During the kharif there is a
| | |large lake here and the wells are
| | |sunk annually in its bed.
| | |
| | |The whole country between Foga and
| | |Kaja is very suitable for camels
| | |and the Arabs graze thousands
| | |there during the rainy season and
| | |until the fulas dry up.
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
88.—NAHUD TO EL FASHER.
AS FAR AS DAM JAMAD BY CAPTAIN B. C. CARTER, THENCE FROM NATIVE
SOURCES.
--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
Nahud | — | — |See routes 19 and 30. Nahud is
| | |about 310 miles from El Dueim.
| | |
Wad Bokhari | 2 | 2 |Large Gowama village. Wide track,
| | |sandy soil. No thick bush.
| | |
Wad Shukab | 6 | 8 |Small Hamar village. Water from
| | |Nahud and melons.
| | |
Daglos | 10 | 18 |Small Hamar village. A few
| | |tebeldis.
| | |
Baruda | 4½ | 22½ |Ditto.
| | |
| | |Track now crosses several sandy
| | |ridges.
| | |
_Wad Banda_ | 14½ | 37 |Large Hamar village. Many tebeldi
| | |trees. People sell water to
| | |travellers. The price varies from
| | |10 burmas for 1 piastre to 10
| | |piastres for 1 burma (burma equals
| | |a large stable bucket). In some
| | |places the track now becomes heavy
| | |owing to soft sand.
| | |
Sheraya | 10 | 47 | } All small places. Here the sand
| | | } hills open out at intervals
Um Karra | 4½ | 51½ | } into circular flats which are
| | | } cultivated. The people go to Um
Daira | 2½ | 54 | } Shanga when the water supply
| | | } from the melons and tebeldis is
Hagera | 1 | 55 | } exhausted. Country fairly open
| | | } and going good.
Kajana | 2 | 57 | }
| | |
_Dam Jamad_ | 16 | 73 |Small Hamar hella on the frontier.
| | |There are 3 other hellas near.
| | |Water from tebeldis.
| | |
| | |Darfur is now entered.
| | |
_El Ogud_ | 24 | 97 |Three wells about 100 feet deep;
| | |water plentiful. Inhabitants are
| | |Fors.
| | |
_Jebel El | 10 | 107 |Two wells nearly 200 feet deep;
Hella_ | | |water plentiful. A detachment of
| | |three companies of Ali Dinar’s
| | |army is quartered here.
| | |
| | |A road from Omdurman _viâ_ Kaja
| | |joins here.
| | |
_Burush_ | 13 | 120 |Small Berti village. Four wells
| | |about 100 feet deep; plenty of
| | |water.
| | |
_Um Kadada_ | 15 | 135 |One large well about 110 feet
| | |deep, or more, but 20 feet of
| | |water at the bottom. This depth of
| | |water is said to be constant.
| | |
_Abiad_ | 25 | 160 |A Geleidat village. Four wells
| | |about 90 feet deep; water
| | |plentiful.
| | |
_Ergud_ | 30 | 190 |Many wells, water plentiful.
| | |
_Fashar_ | 30 | 220 |Two wells 150 feet deep; water
| | |plentiful in rainy season.
| | |
El Fasher | 16 | 236 |Capital of Darfur, see Vol. I, p.
| | |192.
| | |
| | |By road and river, therefore, El
| | |Fasher is about 670 miles from
| | |Khartoum. Between El Obeid and El
| | |Ogud, the first wells in Darfur,
| | |water is very scarce in the dry
| | |season.
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
89.—NAHUD TO BUR ISLAM.
BY CAPTAIN C. H. TOWNSEND, 18TH TO 25TH DECEMBER, 1901.
--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
Nahud | — | — |The track leaves Nahud in a
| | |northerly direction, very soon
| | |turning N.N.E. The country is
| | |fairly wooded and flat, and
| | |covered with long grass in most
| | |places.
| | |
_Abu Marega_ | 12½ | 12½ |Road still running N.N.E., passes
| | |through this village. It is
| | |inhabited by the Hamar tribe and
| | |is fair sized. Water from tebeldis
| | |but the supply is limited, melons
| | |fairly plentiful.
| | |
_Ahmed Hamdan_| 29½ | 42 |Leaving Abu Marega the track winds
| | |about, but its general direction
| | |is N.N.E. by N. Country rather
| | |undulating and fairly wooded.
| | |About 4 miles before reaching
| | |Ahmed Hamdan, one leaves the main
| | |track, which runs N.E. to Homedo,
| | |and branches off N.E., passing
| | |through wooded and undulating
| | |country.
| | |
| | |Ahmed Hamdan is a small Hamar
| | |village belonging to Ahmed Salam,
| | |the Sheikh being Wad Hamdan. Water
| | |from tebeldis, which are few in
| | |number; good supply of small
| | |melons.
| | |
Wad Kitna | 6 | 48 |From Ahmed Hamdan track runs N.W.,
| | |country hilly and wooded. Wad
| | |Kitna, a very small Hamar village
| | |belonging to Ahmed Salam. From
| | |here Jebel Um Rarib is about 12
| | |miles W.
| | |
| | |(Returning I did not touch at this
| | |place or Ahmed Hamdan, as they are
| | |off the main road.)
| | |
Homedo | 3 | 51 |Between Wad Kitna and this the
| | |track gradually works round N.
| | |again and joins the main track
| | |close to this village. The Country
| | |is wooded but less hilly. Homedo
| | |is a small village of Hamar
| | |people. Water from tebeldis,
| | |supply scanty.
| | |
Id? | 2 | 53 |Track runs N. slightly E., and is
| | |well defined. This is a small
| | |Hamar village.
| | |
_Wad Bakhit_ | 17 | 70 |Road runs N. slightly E., through
| | |fairly wooded and slightly
| | |undulating country, passing two
| | |small Hamar villages, Mekin and
| | |Wad El Beleb, both Hamar,
| | |belonging to Abdel Rahim Bey Abu
| | |Dagal, to Wad Bakhit, a fair-sized
| | |Hamar village under Sheikh Ibrahim
| | |Ahmed, and belonging to Abu Dagal.
| | |There is a very good supply of
| | |tebeldi water here.
| | |
_Bur Islam_ | 19 | 89 |Path runs N.N.E., country wooded
| | |and undulating, 4 miles from Wad
| | |Bakhit one passes a small Hamar
| | |village, Adam Ahmed, belonging to
| | |Abu Dugal to whom Bur Islam also
| | |belongs, the Sheikh at the latter
| | |place being Ahmed El Kagauri. From
| | |here Kaja is 1½ days N. There are
| | |wells close to this village, but
| | |the supply of water is limited,
| | |owing to the bottom of the wells
| | |being rocky, and there are no
| | |implements to cut through it.
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
90.—NAHUD TO FOGA.
BY CAPTAIN W. LLOYD, OCTOBER, 1900; AND MAJOR E. B. WILKINSON,
DECEMBER, 1901.
--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
Nahud | — | — |The whole of the road runs through
| | |the Hamar country.
| | |
Bokari | 4 | 4 |Leaving the suk in a north-
| | |westerly direction the track runs
| | |through the Gowama village named
| | |Bokari.
| | |
Jebel El Kurma| 4¼ | 8¼ |Two hills W. of track; to the E.
| | |of the northernmost hill is the
| | |village of Shekaba, 80 huts.
| | |
Hella Wad | 2½ | 10¾ |A small Hamar village, 30 to 40
Munfarih | | |huts. Track continues in same
| | |direction till the Hamar village
Darglos | 6¾ | 17½ |of Darglos is reached. The country
| | |between Nahud and this village is
| | |open bush with some good trees for
| | |timber, but most of the bush
| | |consists of gnarled and twisted
| | |ebony bushes of no value. From
| | |here track trends more to W. till
Bakoda | 6½ | 24 |village Bakoda is reached. Range
| | |of hills, Jebel Barshom, to N.N.E.
| | |of latter village.
| | |
El Gubba | 10½ | 34½ |Track now runs N. to Hella El
| | |Gubba with Jebel Selako to E., and
| | |on to
| | |
Kinneir | 2¼ | 36¾ |Hella Kinneir, 10 huts.
| | |
Gemania | 1½ | 38¼ |Hella Gemania, 20 huts.
| | |
Abu Rasein | 3 | 41¼ |Hella Abu Rasein, 5 huts.
| | |
Hamdan Tumbel | 5½ | 46½ |Track runs N.N.E. to Hella Hamdan
| | |Tumbel, 12 huts.
| | |
Gabra | 7 | 53½ |Track runs N. to Hella Gabra (no
| | |wells exist), and Hella Zarzur,
Zarzur | 2½ | 56 |when track runs N.W. until Hella
| | |Um Bel is reached. J. Biraish to
_Um Bel_ | 4½ | 60½ |W. Two wells giving a fair amount
| | |of water, and many hellas draw
| | |their supply from here.
| | |
J. Um Bel | 1½ | 62 |
| | |
Galusa | — | — |Track now runs N. to Hella Galusa,
| | |20 huts, and then on to
| | |
_Foga_ | 7¼ | 69¼ |Foga. _See_ route 87.
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
All villages between Nahud and Hamdan Tumbel procure their water from
tebeldi trees. At Gabra and Zarzur water is procured from Um Bel. There
is a certain amount of dukhn and melon cultivation near each village,
but no other supplies excepting a few chickens.
No water between Nahud and Foga for any party marching, and not more
than ten camels could be watered at Um Bel without depriving the
inhabitants of their daily supply. This year (1901) owing to the
drought there is no crop of water melons.
Country generally undulating and covered thick bush. Good track.
91.—FOGA TO UM BADR.
BY MAJOR E. B. WILKINSON, DECEMBER, 1901.
_Foga._—¾ mile S.W. of the hill, now turned into a defensive post,
are the wells. There are at present (1901) nine wells giving water,
and the Arabs of the Hamar and Kaja tribes are opening more. I have
taken accurate measurements of depths of wells, and the depth varies
from 50 to 80 feet below the surface. Water is only found in very
small quantities at present, no well being able to water more than
30 camels per diem.
In the rains the Arabs dig, and have dug for many years, shallow
hollows which fill up and last them through the winter sufficient
to water their flocks; but this year, owing to very scanty rainfall,
these hollows are all dry.[31]
There are many villages in the neighbourhood, consisting of ten to
fifty huts. Dukhn is cultivated, and the Hamar Arabs also keep many
ostriches, which at this time of year are all plucked quite bare. The
feathers are taken to Nahud, where there is a good market for them.
--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
Foga | — | — |Leaving Foga, track bears N. to
| | |Hella Wad Guibara, consisting of
Wad Guibara | 1½ | 1½ |about thirty huts (Hamar Arabs),
| | |and then track bears N.W. through
| | |bush on Jebel El Rimr. Good going
| | |through country falling for 3½
| | |miles, when a khor is crossed;
| | |direction of drainage, N.E.
| | |
Jebel El Rimr | 5½ | 7 |Jebel El Rimr is reached; this is
| | |a range of hills running from S.W.
| | |to N.E.
| | |
Um Goz | 6 | 13½ |Track still continues through bush
| | |N.W. to Hella Um Goz, which
| | |consisted of a village of not more
| | |than fifteen huts, but which has
| | |recently been burnt by the Furs
| | |sent by Sultan Ali Dinar to punish
| | |the inhabitants, who are Kajawis.
| | |From here an excellent view of the
| | |country can be obtained for many
| | |miles.
| | |
Jebel Zeinat | 1½ | 15 |Leaving Hella Um Goz, the track
Rowaina | | |leads on to Jebel Zeinat Rowaina,
| | |but at 1½ miles I went through the
| | |bush. No track on Jebel Taradid,
| | |over country which is intersected
| | |with many small water channels
| | |(now all dry), but which in the
| | |rains would be impassable for
| | |animals. Surface, cotton soil with
| | |rank dry grass. Flow of water,
| | |N.N.E.
| | |
Jebel Taradid | 7 | 22 |Jebel Taradid, track runs N.
| | |through very broken country,
| | |ranges of low hills to W. and E.
| | |for miles.
| | |
Khor Dormaia | 4 | 26 |Khor Dormaia of the Kajawis, and
| | |the Wadi Melh of the Kababish and
| | |Hamar Arabs, I believe, but none
| | |of the local Arabs know the name
| | |Wadi Melh, and informed me it was
| | |far to the N. This khor, 30 to 35
| | |yards broad, takes its course from
| | |N.W. in the vicinity of J. El Ain,
| | |where there was water (December 4)
| | |in khor. There are signs of a big
| | |flood coming down in the rains
| | |(banks well wooded); current I
| | |should say very rapid, and at
| | |times impassable, flows N.E.,
| | |passes J. Habisa, and then bears
| | |N.
| | |
| | |From this point track runs N.N.E.
| | |over undulating country, and at 3½
J. El Sad | 3½ | 29½ |miles J. El Sad is passed, small
| | |watercourse passed, and from here
| 2 | 31½ |track runs N.E.
| | |
Wadi (?) | 4 | 35½ |At this point a large wadi is
| | |entered bearing S.W., and the
| | |track leads down this N.E to
| | |
_Um Badr_ | 2½ | 38 |Um Badr, which consists of a broad
| | |wadi varying in breadth up to 800
| | |yards, which is enclosed on either
| | |side by hills, and along the bed
| | |of which many hundreds of wells
| | |and waterholes have been dug in
| | |former times. Wells all filled in
| | |by rains; three wells were opened
| | |and 20 feet down no water
| | |obtained, and no sign of water
| | |visible.
| | |
| | |In years when rain is plentiful, I
| | |was informed by Arabs, water is
| | |always obtainable at this depth.
| | |Appears to be an excellent place
| | |for camels.
| | |
| | |No sign of recent habitation; but
| | |on ridges N.E. are the remains of
| | |the scene of the fight between
| | |Dervishes and the Kababish
| | |belonging to Sheikh Saleh Gelta
| | |Kabashi in 1887.
| | |
| | |No signs of any caravans having
| | |passed recently, and I am informed
| | |that none ever do come here owing
| | |to there being no water.
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
92.—BARA TO FOGA.
BY CAPTAIN J. R. O’CONNELL, JULY, 1902.
--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
Bara | — | — |Leaving Bara the track goes due W.
| | |over high sandy ridges; heavy
| | |going to a small village Kidaka,
| | |one well.
| | |
Kidaka | 11 | 11 |The track turns a little to the N.
| | |of W., and passing through thick
Um Asal | 4 | 15 |thorny bush leads by a small
| | |village, Um Asal, one well. Ten
_El Saata_ | 10 | 25 |miles further on is Maagla village
| | |called Saata. Wells 112 feet deep,
| | |good water, a good deal of
| | |cultivation.
| | |
_Shireiga_ | 10 | 35 |A good level track passing through
| | |thick bush leading N. of W., after
| | |10 miles reaches the village of
| | |Shireiga (Habbania), one well. Two
| | |miles due W. is a small village
_El Shegel | 2 | 37 |called El Shegel Gedidat, one
Gedidat_ | | |well, a good deal of cultivation.
| | |The track leads N. of W. for 7
| | |miles through thick gum forest,
| | |then ends; one now passes between
| | |three hills called Gedidat, two on
| | |the south and one on the north,
| | |through high grass for 8 miles,
| | |then meeting the track going from
| | |Shireiga to Geleit, and 11 miles
| | |on reaches village of Geleit, near
_El Geleit_ | 22 | 59 |the hill, many wells, little
| | |water.
| | |
_Masrub_ | 17 | 76 |A good track leads N.W. over open
| | |country to Masrub, little water.
| | |
Gilgil | 10 | 86 |A good track leads to Gilgil, a
| | |small village; very little water,
| | |not drinkable.
| | |
Baraeis | 10 | 96 |Due N., no track, to village of
| | |Baraeis, no water. Marching S. of
| | |W., no track, and passing south of
| | |and close to Jebel Asal and over a
| | |rolling plain, bad going. Meika,
| | |goffal, and heglig trees scattered
| | |over the plain. After 40 miles
Hofra | 40 | 136 |reach Hofra. There are three Nuba
| | |villages on the mountain, one
| | |about the centre, and two on the
| | |southern end; no wells, water bad
| | |from pools on north end of hill,
| | |no rain this year, people living
| | |on meika berries, which they grind
| | |and use in lieu of grain. Village
| | |is on top of mountain. Leaving
| | |Hofra and going due W. struck
| | |track near a rock called Mekareik
| | |Abu Gadein, 10 miles out, and
| | |after another 10 miles passed
| | |close to a rock called Sheikh El
| | |Rifa. Three miles further on the
| | |track turns due S., and after 4
| | |miles reaches Jebel Umfara, and 6
| | |miles further on reaches mountains
| | |called Gerawid El Askanut, said to
| | |be half way to Foga. Track now
| | |turns S. for 10 miles, past Jebel
| | |Kanisa on the west and small hills
| | |to the east called Ratak, and
| | |passes 2 miles on through the
| | |hills of Umkosh, and 17 miles on
| | |comes to village of Mina in Jebel
| | |Bishara Taib, and 3 miles on are
| | |the wells and camp; little water
_Foga_ | 65 | 201 |and not good. Foga is a district.
| | |_Vide_ Route 87.
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
93.—NAHUD TO EL EDDAIYA AND MUGLAD.
BY COLONEL B. MAHON, C.B., D.S.O., DECEMBER, 1901.
N.B.—_Distances approximate_.