Chapter I: Introduction

Darfoor is an oasis, or rather a cluster of oases, in the south-eastern part of the great desert of Sahara. The country was annexed to the Egyptian dominions at the close of the year 1874; and, in the following year, owing to reports of its extraordinary fertility, it was decided by Ismael Pasha, then Khedive of Egypt, that a survey should be made for a proposed line of railway to El Fasher, or Tendelti, its capital town.

Previous to 1874 there had been only three available routes to El Fasher from Egypt or Nubia.

One from Sioot on the Nile, about two hundred and ten miles above Cairo. This route, throughout its entire length, is in the desert; the wells are sometimes ten days’ journey apart, and in other respects it is quite impracticable for the purposes of a railway.

A second from Dabbe, latitude 18° N., on the upper Nile, across the desert to El Obeid, capital of Khordofan, and thence into Darfoor, over rough and generally unfavourable ground.

A third from Khartoom, at the junction of the White and Blue Niles, to El Obeid, and thence by the route last mentioned.

A fourth route by the Wady Milkh, said to be very superior to any of the other three, existed, however, from near Old Dongola on the Upper Nile, almost in a straight line, right into Darfoor.

The “Wady Milkh”[1] signifies “Inalienable Valley”; it is so called because since the reign of Achmet Bokr, Sultan of Darfoor (1682-1722), who extended his frontiers as far as the Nile, and beyond to the Atbara, the Sultans of Darfoor claimed the sole right to use it. The route, moreover, was said to be unsafe, owing to the predatory habits of the Arab tribes dwelling in different parts of its length.

It was along this newly acquired “Wady Milkh,” or Inalienable Valley, that the surveys and levels for the proposed line of railway, on which I was engaged, were to be made.

The adventures that I met with while on the journey from the second cataract of the Nile, and afterwards at El Fasher, and the description of the country, form the subject of this book.

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CONTENTS.

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PAGE

CHAPTER I.—Wady Halfa to New Dongola 1

CHAPTER II.—The Temple of Semneh 13

CHAPTER III.—New Dongola 21

CHAPTER IV.—Old Dongola 30

CHAPTER V.—Taking Stock 42

CHAPTER VI.—From Old Dongola to Sotaire 50

CHAPTER VII.—From Sotaire to Bagghareeyeh 61

CHAPTER VIII.—From Bagghareeyeh to Om-Badr 72

CHAPTER IX.—Om-Badr 84

CHAPTER X.—From Om-Badr to Karnac 95

CHAPTER XI.—Karnac to Ergoodt 107

CHAPTER XII.—Ergoodt 120

CHAPTER XIII.—Descriptive 131

CHAPTER XIV.—History 142

CHAPTER XV.—El Fasher 153

CHAPTER XVI.—At El Fasher 163

CHAPTER XVII.—At El Fasher 173

CHAPTER XVIII.—A Ride to Kobbe 183

CHAPTER XIX.—Back to Ergoodt 197

CHAPTER XX.—Back to Om-Badr 206

CHAPTER XXI.—Back to Sotaire 217

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ERRATA.

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Page 14, _line_ 17, _after_ “boy” _insert_ “is.”

„ 15, _line_ 18, _for_ “Madeline” _read_ “Madeleine.”

„ 25, „ 24, _for_ “like” _read_ “live.”

„ 86, „ 14, „ “equally” _read_ “equalling.”

INCIDENTS ON A JOURNEY
THROUGH
NUBIA TO DARFOOR.

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