Chapter XIX: Section 3: Suakin and District

[Sidenote: SUAKIN.]

The town of Suakin is built partly on an island and partly on the mainland, connected by a causeway, called after the famous General himself: “Gordon’s Gate and Causeway.” The portion of the town on the mainland is called El Kaf.

The Government offices, official, and most of the larger civilian residences are situated on the island. Many of them are imposing-looking buildings of coral, several stories high.

[Sidenote: Harbour.]

The khor or inlet of Suakin is bordered by a reef of rocks on either side, its length being 2 miles, and its breadth at the narrowest part, 180 yards. At the entrance of the khor there is a depth of 25 fathoms, which gradually decreases towards Quarantine Island to a depth of from 6 to 8 fathoms. The bottom throughout the channel is mud.

The harbour will accommodate about 20 vessels without blocking the channel, though as many as 34 vessels, men-of-war and transports, were berthed at one time during the expedition in 1884.

Owing to the numerous coral reefs Suakin is a most difficult harbour to enter and to beacon adequately, and would probably never be safe to navigate at night.[48] For further details, _vide_ “The Red Sea Pilot.”

[Sidenote: Population.]

The population at the present time may roughly be estimated at about 10,500 inhabitants.

[Sidenote: Water Supply.]

The water supply is from two sources, firstly, from Shaata Wells, distant about ¾ mile from the walls of the town, and, secondly, from the pulsometer, which pumps water at the rate of 12½ tons per hour, from wells ½ mile beyond those of Shaata.

This latter water is brackish and is only used as a rule for cooking and washing: it is sold in the town at 1 millieme per can of about 3½ gallons.

Shaata water, on the other hand, is fairly good: it is brought into the town in skins and is sold at 1 PT. per skin in the summer months and rather cheaper during the winter.

New condensers to take the place of the old sets which have not been used since 1900 are now (1904) on their way to Suakin.

[Sidenote: Rains.]

In the neighbourhood of Suakin heavy rains occur at intervals from October to February, with occasional rare storms up to the end of March. In the desert, between Suakin and Berber, torrential rains sometimes fall about July to September. No year passes without rain unless in the extreme north of the Province, where very occasionally there is a wholly dry season. In July, 1896, and in 1903, exceptionally heavy rains took place, filling all the wells, including Obak, almost to overflowing. The total rainfall for the 12 months March (1903)—February (1904) was 114·5 m.m.,[49] of which 12·4 m.m. fell in May.

[Sidenote: Defences.]

The part of the town built on the mainland, is entirely surrounded by a high coral wall, built in the old days to resist the attacks of the Dervishes. There is also a line of outer forts about a mile beyond, but since the suppression of Mahdism these have not been garrisoned, and there is now only half a battalion stationed at Suakin.

[Sidenote: Time.]

Time at Suakin is Cairo time, not local time.

[Sidenote: Telegraph cables.]

Suakin is connected by Eastern telegraph cable with Aden, Suez, Perim and Obokh, and by Ottoman cable with Jedda. Communication by land is by land lines to Berber and Kassala.

[Sidenote: Climate.]

The heat at Suakin is very great during June, July, August and September, and the climate is much damper than is usually the case in most parts of the Sudan. The difference between the wet and dry bulb thermometer is often 21°. Sand storms are experienced during summer, when sand fills the air for 40 or 50 miles seaward, rendering objects invisible at a distance of more than ½ mile.

In January the average daily temperature is about 77° and at night about 73°.

[Sidenote: Erkowit.]

[Sidenote: Water supply.]

Erkowit, the summer headquarters of the Suakin district, is an undulating plateau with low granite hills and easy khors, about 3,000 feet above sea level, and 35 miles from Suakin. The headquarters have now (1904) moved to Erkowit for the third year in succession. The station consists at present of seven houses, built of stone and mud-brick, white washed, which are used as offices and quarters for certain of the employés. A mess-house has been built on the slope of a hill not far from these offices, also quarters or rest-houses, four in number, for the Governor or inspectors or other officers. These are all built of wood with corrugated iron roofing over felt and raised about 1 foot from the ground on iron piping as a protection against the white ant. This precaution has proved to be wholly successful. There is an abundant supply of excellent water from two wells situated in a khor in close proximity to the Government offices.

Erkowit is in telegraphic communication with Suakin during the summer months.

[Sidenote: Climate.]

The climate of Erkowit in the summer is dry and healthy, a striking contrast to Suakin. In the winter, the hills are wrapped in clouds, and a drizzling mist nearly always hangs over them. In March, the plateau and the eastern hill slopes are still clothed with green, the hill sides are covered with bush, ferns, flowers of various kinds, and grass, and the plateau affords excellent grazing.

[Sidenote: Communications with Suakin.]

With regard to the road communications, there are four tracks in use from Suakin:—

(1) _Viâ_ the Sinkat Agaba and Khor Gebet; three days for loaded camels.

(2) Tamaneb and Khor Arab route, at present easier for lightly loaded camels than the following, but longer, and crossing two agabas, 39 miles.

(3) The Masilli route, on which the very bad portion is fairly short, but the route involves an unnecessary detour and is only practicable for very lightly-loaded camels. Length, 36 miles.

(4) Kolkilai Route: A new road or track has been made this year (1904) up this hillside, which rises over 2,000 feet above the plain below, and it is now possible for hill camels carrying average loads to reach Erkowit without difficulty by this route—length 33 miles. A heavy hamla would still require to come by routes (1) or (2).

[Sidenote: TOKAR.]

[Sidenote: Population. Cultivation.]

Tokar, the next town of importance in the district, 56 miles by road south of Suakin, consists of a fort (built after the defeat of the Dervishes and capture of Tokar in 1891) in which are the Government offices, Mamur’s house, post and telegraph offices, etc. There is also a small market place, with a few merchants’ houses. It is situated at the mouth of the Khor Baraka, between Jebel Shabba and Jebel Heina, two prominent landmarks. The population is about 3,000. The soil of Tokar is rich, and there are very extensive fields for cultivation—cotton,[50] dura, dukhn, etc.—but owing to the uncertainty of the Baraka flood, and also to the fact that the country yearly runs a great risk of being devastated by locusts, it is impossible to foretell events or to form an estimate of what the produce of the district will be. One year the harvest may be an extraordinary rich one, the next may prove to be a blank. The Baraka is in flood from the middle of July to the end of September, reaching its maximum about the middle of August.

[Sidenote: Dust storms.]

During the months of June and July, _i.e._, prior to the Baraka flood, blinding dust storms prevail daily from 9 in the morning till 4 or 5 in the afternoon, and it is impossible to see more than a few yards in front of one. Travellers constantly lose their way and occasionally die on the road between Tokar and Suakin. Formerly convoys and troops moving at that time of year often suffered severe privations.

In the summer of 1891, a party of cavalry were caught in one of these storms and had terrible experiences, losing many men and horses.

[Sidenote: Climate.]

In the winter the climate of Tokar is dry and healthy.

[Sidenote: Water supply.]

There are many wells, but the water is not of very good quality.

[Sidenote: TRINKITAT.]

Ras Magdam forms the northern entrance point of the inlet forming the harbour of Trinkitat, about 10 miles inland from which is the town of Tokar. The entrance to Trinkitat is not easily distinguishable, as the coast is low and sandy. Off the entrance lie extensive reefs and shoals. There is good anchorage outside the harbour in about 6 fathoms, under shelter of the reef named Katat Kennasha. The harbour opens to the north-east, is about ½ mile wide, extends ¾ mile to the southward, has a depth of 4 fathoms, and is capable of accommodating 20 vessels drawing from 18 to 21 feet; the holding ground is good. The shores of the harbour are sandy, with low bushes.

[Sidenote: Sheikh Barghut (Barud).]

About 14 miles south and ¾ miles west from Mersa Durur, and 36 miles north of Suakin, is the entrance to Mersa Barghut, useful as a temporary anchorage, and which is to supersede Suakin as a harbour, and the outlet for the trade of the Sudan. This Mersa is named after a chief,[51] the ruins of whose tomb on the northern point of the entrance is a good sea-mark. The khor is formed by a gap in the coast reef, by which it is also bordered; its north-western arm extends inland 2½ miles, with depths of from 14 to 18 fathoms, mud for 1½ miles, and then irregular soundings. A small vessel can go up in mid-channel, but could not turn without using warps.

The western arm extends about ½ mile, and shoals gradually; there is a donga at its head trending more than a mile in a south-westerly direction, in which, during the wet season, there is fresh water, but, in the summer, only a shallow tidal drain.

[Sidenote: Directions.]

The tomb on the northern entrance point is more in the shape of a cottage than of the ordinary Arab tombs, and its summit, being about 25 feet above the sea, can be seen from the masthead of a vessel from a considerable distance.

There is good anchorage in 14 fathoms near the entrance of the north-western arm with the tomb, bearing about south-east by east. Here there is room for three vessels of moderate size at single anchor.

[Sidenote: Supplies.]

No supplies of any kind can be procured, but there are some springs of good water on the southern side of the khor, about a mile from the beach. Fish may be obtained by the score in the western arm. Game is plentiful, but somewhat wild.

[Sidenote: Police posts, &c.]

The remaining stations of importance in the district are merely police posts, consisting of a fort, garrisoned by police, with a small Arab community living in grass tukls close by. These are: Halaib, Mohammed Gul, and Agik, all on the Red Sea, and Karora, inland. Halaib is the most northern, and is near the frontier of Egypt. Karora is the post on the Sudan-Eritrean frontier, about 28 miles from the Red Sea. There are about 1,000 feddans of cultivable land between Karora and the sea on the northern side of the Sudan boundary of which the natives take advantage, though not to any great extent.

[Sidenote: Game.]

In different parts of the Suakin district the following species may be found: Kudu, oryx (beisa), ibex, wild sheep, klipspringer, ariel, gazelle (_Dorcas_ and _Isabella_), dig-dig, hare, bustard. Lion, leopard and cheetah are rare. There is good sea fishing at Suakin, which is famous for its so-called lobsters, which are really large crayfish.

NOMAD ARABS AND TRIBES.

It is quite impossible to arrive at anything like an accurate number of the population of the Arabs in this district, but 50,000 is a fair estimate. _Vide_ Appendix F.

The majority of them live right in the interior of the hills and are constantly on the move, here, there, and anywhere, wherever rain happens to have fallen or grazing is plentiful.

A journey, no matter how far, is nothing to them; their houses, consisting simply of straw mats stretched over curved sticks, can be put up or pulled down in a very short time. Their families, wives, children, and belongings, are put on what camels and donkeys they possess; cattle, sheep, goats, etc., are driven on ahead, and so the caravan proceeds, sometimes for a whole month and more, sometimes for only a few days.

The chief tribes are the Amarar and the Hadendoa, both of which have many sub-tribes. There are also the Beni Amer, Bisharin, Ashraf, Shaiab, Habab, Komilab, Arteiga, and Rasheida, who came originally from Arabia and now live partly on the Atbara in Berber Province and partly near Agik. They were until recently much addicted to slave running.

For detailed list of Nomads, _vide_ Appendix F.

RED SEA LITTORAL-SUAKIN DISTRICT.

The coast of the Suakin Province extends from Suakin to N. Parallel 22° on the north, and from Suakin to Ras Kasar on the south, _i.e._, roughly about 500 miles in all. The coast from Sheikh Barghut to Suakin is quite low, being composed entirely of raised coral reef, furrowed by khors which contain water only in the rainy season.

There are several small inlets and creeks where dhows can anchor all along the coast, but the chief harbours, in addition to those already described, are as follows:—

On the North. On the South.
---------- ----------
Halaib. Heidob.

Rowaya. Ras Magdam.

Mohammed Gul. Agik.

Darur. Adobana.

Gezira Abdalla. Ras Kasar.

At all of the above harbours, except Gezira, Abdalla, Heidob, and Ras Magdam, fresh water can be found a short way inland.

Most of the entrances to the harbours are narrow, and require careful navigation; moreover, they are in every case guarded by coral reefs, and as they are not at present (1904) lighted, they cannot be entered at night.