Chapter V: (central Sudan.) (3)

--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
Renk | — | — |Track taken depends on the time of
| | |the year. Up to January inland
| | |track must be followed owing to
| | |water on the lower.
| | |
Telegraph Hill| 1 | 1 |On sandy hill near river; village
| | |of Abd El Salam, a refugee Dinka
| | |from Bahr El Ghazal. From here the
| | |track follows the telegraph line
| | |for some miles.
| | |
Khor Deleib | ½ | 1½ |Merely a dry ditch in the dry
| | |season; another dry branch is
| | |passed about 300 yards further on.
| | |Country here is open grass land;
| | |few small trees.
| | |
| 2½ | 4 |Thin forest of laot thorn bush and
| | |small heglig trees.
| | |
Gaikwach | 3 | 7 |A village of the Aku district,
| | |Sheikh Awat Wad Dual. Another
| | |small village 300 yards further
| | |on.
| | |
| 1½ | 8½ |Position of old Dinka village.
| | |
Kelang | 2½ | 11 |Small village of this name, left.
| | |
Loingwen | ½ | 11½ |Beginning of village of Loingwen,
| | |which comprises five small ones,
| | |all under Sheikh Bakhit Niok. From
| | |here along the lower road there
| | |are no villages before Elwat, and
| | |travellers must halt near water.
| | |
Bangdit | 1½ | 13 |Sandy debba; no habitations. Scene
| | |of a former fight between Dinkas
| | |and Government troops. The track
| | |now descends to the bank of the
| | |khor that divides Island of Gaza-
| | |el-Abiad from the mainland and
| | |runs for the next 5 miles on high
| | |sandy ridge within 500 yards of
| | |the water. Guinea fowl and gazelle
| | |in abundance; a few tetel seen,
| | |and tracks of antelope, hippo, and
| | |buffalo. A good deal of kittr near
| | |track since Bangdit. No large
| | |trees.
| | |
Lardbiu | 2½ | 15½ |Sandy debba on left.
| | |
| 2½ | 18 |Good camping ground.
| | |
Abiad Shwai | 1 | 19 |High sandy debba, which used to be
| | |covered with big tamarind trees
| | |which have now gone. Shortest
| | |track is now along telegraph line,
| | |but is probably impassable in the
| | |rains. Leave khor on right.
| | |Country bushy with small heglig
| | |trees and some kittr.
| | |
| 3¾ | 22¾ |Sandy hill on right. Track now
| | |crosses open plain of black cotton
| | |soil, covered with rank grass.
| | |
_Elwat_ | 5¼ | 28 |Beginning of Elwat, district of
| | |Gi-el. Head Sheikh, Salem Banga.
| | |
| 1 | 29 |Salem’s own village, about 2 miles
| | |from the river. This is the first
| | |meshra since leaving Renk. High
| | |debba between this village and the
| | |river.
| | |
| | |From Elwat the track runs
| | |alternately through open ground
| | |and patches of bush and red talh
| | |to Anak.
| | |
Anak | 5½ | 34½ |Village of Gi-el district. Three
| | |small villages. The local Sheikh
| | |Ayik Wad Dok. Track now runs
| | |through bush and thick forest for
| | |many miles. Lower track deserted
| | |by Dinkas, who follow the line
| | |now, as being shorter.
| | |
Mabiu | 3½ | 38 |High debba on right on edge of
| | |khor. Track along the khor is
| | |close to line here; now get into
| | |the land of big trees.
| | |
Dungbiagadet | 1½ | 39½ |Debba on right.
| | |
Allal | 2½ | 42 |Debba. Beginning of Allal
| | |district, which exists in name
| | |only. Arab name Tereiba. Many
| | |thick dom palms.
| | |
| 1¼ | 43¼ |Debba Allal.
| | |
Ragal | 1¼ | 44½ |Beginning of district of Ragal. No
| | |people.
| | |
Debba Ragal | 1¼ | 45¾ |Debba Ragal, about 200 yards from
| | |khor. Little game seen here,
| | |though plenty of fresh tracks of
| | |elephant, buffalo, &c.
| | |
Kefali | ¼ | 46 |Debba. Many dom palms. This was
| | |site of old Dinka village. Open
| | |park land, which soon changes to
| | |very thick forest; open again
| | |after 1 mile.
| | |
| 2 | 48 |First view of Jebel Ahmed Agha
| | |from track.
| | |
| 1 | 49 |Forest of red talh; old Dinka
| | |elephant pits, and many skulls of
| | |these beasts.
| | |
| 3¼ | 52¼ |Track divides, one going on to the
| | |jebel and the other
| | |eastwards—inland. This latter goes
| | |to the Dinka district of Baanwen,
| | |which lies up Khor Rau. A track
| | |used to exist to Goz Kash-Kash,
| | |but is now said to be “dead.”
| | |
Khor Rau | ¼ | 52½ |Khor Rau, about ¼ mile beyond bend
| | |in the telegraph line; 40-feet
| | |waterway, 3 feet deep; unfordable
| | |for loaded transport animals on
| | |account of mud (December).
| | |
_Jebel Ahmed | 2 | 54½ |The route followed will be seen by
Agha_ | | |comparison to be several miles
| | |shorter than the old track
| | |previously sketched by other
| | |officers. Shortest track is now
| | |along line, though the going on
| | |the lower tortuous native track is
| | |better.
| | |
Goz Unaché | 2¼ | 56¾ |High ridge of ground on left, used
| | |to be thickly populated by Kwach
| | |Dinkas. Whole track is through
| 5¼ | 62 |dense forest of heglig, sidr, kuk,
| | |kittr, and talh, except at Mile
| | |62, where there is a broad open
| | |plain.
| | |
_Meshra Zeraf_| 7⅝ | 69⅝ |Also called Mukhada Zeraf. No
| | |Dinka villages here, though there
| | |are some old cattle zeribas. These
| | |change yearly—last year’s spot was
| | |called Anambul. Some Dinka
| | |refugees are, however, going to
| | |build this year on the meshra,
| | |which is well suited for purposes
| | |of being irrigated by shadufs or
| | |sakias. This is the first meshra
| | |since Elwat, and the last until
| | |Kaka old wood station, though in
| | |the dry season Meshra Rom becomes
| | |a meshra.
| | |
| | |Jungle around Meshra Zeraf is
| | |mostly kittr.
| | |
Khor Makwé | 1¾ | 71⅜ |600-800 yards wide, and even in
| | |dry season impassable, for some
| | |way up. In dry season a track
| | |exists from here to Kaka wood
| | |station by the river bank. The
| | |track to the Dinka villages,
| 4¾ | 76⅛ |however, runs up this khor till
| | |Mile 76⅛, when the track leaves
| | |the khor and runs off southwards
| | |over a grass plain. Khor Makwé
| | |runs on to Aturuk, a deserted
| | |Dinka village.
| | |
Khor Turiak | 1½ | 77⅝ |Track runs along this khor, and 1
| | |mile further on crosses it. Arab
| | |name for this khor is Fo-alig.
| | |
| ¾ | 78⅜ |Enter forest now, which consists
| | |of trees and kittr bush,
| | |alternately with occasional
| | |patches of park-like land, for the
| | |next 7½ miles. Khor Turiak is on
| | |the left of track till spot where
| | |track crosses it, and this khor
| | |winds about on right of track till
| | |Mile 89⅛.
| | |
Gi-ka-kiu | 11¾ | 89⅛ |This is the chief village of Rom,
| | |and this is the name generally
| | |used, though the people speak of
| | |the grazing grounds near the river
| | |as Rom, probably denoting that it
| | |is the grazing of the Rom people.
| | |Sheikh Jok Wad Ageir.
| | |
Debba Fajak | 4 | 93⅛ |Site of old village.
| | |
Kolerang | 1¼ | 94⅝ |Small village, part of Rom.
| | |
Bafing | 1 | 95⅝ |Small village, part of Rom. Trees
| | |on horizon. Cross khor here.
| | |
| 2¾ | 98⅜ |Cattle zeriba left, belongs to
| | |Fiti (_see_ later).
| | |
Gio | 1¼ | 100⅝ |Large village of Gio, of district
| | |of Ageir, also called Faloich
| | |(name of the spot). Village of the
| | |Head Sheikh of Ageir, Akol Wad
| | |Shol. Good wells here that suffice
| | |for the needs of all the
| | |inhabitants all the year round,
| | |but not for all their cattle. From
| | |Gio the track runs W. to Demtemma
| | |along a well-defined ridge for
| | |several miles; villages cluster
| | |thickly along this ridge. Khor
| | |Kayaluk runs on left of track.
| | |
| 1½ | 102⅛ |One of the villages of Beia can be
| | |seen from here left. Trees 2 miles
| | |off right. Thick bush 1 mile left
| | |on other side of khor.
| | |
Debba Mioriak | 2 | 104⅛ |Debba Mioriak on left.
| | |
Ai-yowel | ¾ | 104⅞ |Village of Ageir on right with one
| | |big tree on east edge. Village of
| | |Kil 1½ miles off half-right.
| | |Village of Makwé is behind Kil in
| | |the forest.
| | |
_Jung-yom_ | 1½ | 106⅝ |Village, part of Ageir, on right.
| | |Good wells, ¾ mile off on left in
| | |bed of khor, available at all
| | |period of dry seasons. Travelling
| | |is now most uninteresting, no
| | |villages and hardly a tree to be
| | |seen.
| | |
Debba Fadiet | 4 | 110⅝ |Site of an old village. Vast grass
| | |plain on every side; not a tree or
| | |a bush to be seen, even on the
| | |horizon.
| | |
Debba Fojbe | 3¼ | 113⅞ |Site of another old village.
| | |
_Demtemma_ | 7 | 120⅞ |Situated in belt of trees on river
| | |bank. Was till recently a police
| | |post, but latter has now been
| | |moved to Melut, 3 miles down
| | |stream, to where the telegraph
| | |office is.
| | |
| 1½ | 122⅜ |Track crosses dry khor which would
| | |be a considerable obstacle in the
| | |rains.
| | |
| 1⅝ | 124 |Cattle zeriba of Beia on banks of
| | |Khor Adar—which is 60 yards wide
| | |here and 4 feet deep, muddy
| | |bottom, clean banks. A big debba
| | |on south side of the khor, and 1
| | |mile from the mouth of the khor.
| | |Broad swamp on right of track.
| | |
| 2⅝ | 126⅝ |Track descends to river bank;
| | |thick bush most of the way on left
| | |of track.
| | |
_Tiang-rial_ | 4⅜ | 131 |A cattle zeriba of Beia left.
| | |Backwater or small lake between
| | |track and river. Island in river,
| | |north end.
| | |
| ½ | 131½ |Thick bush left.
| | |
| ½ | 132 |End of backwater. March on river
| | |bank; track winds along river
| | |bank, occasionally through very
| | |bad kittr bush, which can be
| | |avoided in places by marching
| | |along the foreshore.
| | |
| 5⅜ | 137⅜ |Big ardeib tree—conspicuous
| | |landmark; backwater between tree
| | |and river. After 2 miles the bush
| | |ceases, and track lies over an
| | |open grass plain.
| | |
| 4¼ | 141⅝ |Cattle zeriba of village of
| | |Bekjuka (Beia). Name of locality
| | |Niayok. Khor Awilwil starts here
| | |and runs between track and river
| | |all the way to just south of
| | |Fashoda.
| | |
| 1¾ | 143⅜ |Cattle zeriba of Bawen and Addora,
| | |of district of Ni-el. There are
| | |three other zeribas between these
| | |last two points.
| | |
Mialek | 3¾ | 147⅛ |Cattle zeriba of Bawen (Ni-el).
| | |
Fanomdit | 2½ | 149⅝ |Debba and cattle zeriba of
| | |district of Dunjol.
| | |
Faloich | 1 | 150⅝ |Debba and cattle zeriba of Ni-el.
| | |
Wunakoch | ½ | 151⅛ |Cattle zeriba of Dunjol.
| | |
| ¾ | 151⅞ |Cattle zeriba of Bawen. Bush on
| | |right between track and khor.
| | |
Jomweira | — | — |Cattle zeriba of Dunjol 100 yards
| | |further on. Track now crosses
| | |broad shallow khor 2 miles wide.
| | |
| 1 | 152⅞ |Bush right; grass plain left.
| | |
| ½ | 153⅜ |Track enters bush right, leaving
| | |khor left. Forest of red talh and
| | |heglig, which continues 2½ miles
| | |to Mile 157⅛.
| | |
Faldiar Rowe | 3¾ | 157⅛ |Cattle zeriba of Dunjol Track
| | |leaving this zeriba crosses a
| | |shallow khor and passes through a
| | |thin belt of forest on to the bank
| | |of khor.
| | |
_Khor Awilwil_| 1⅛ | 158¼ |Awilwil, from whence Kodok can be
| | |seen for the first time. Track
| | |runs southwards along bank of khor
| | |for ¼ mile, when all bush ceases,
| | |and path is over vast, open,
| | |undulating plain.
| | |
Debba Denkar | ½ | 158¾ |Good high debba.
| | |
| 1⅛ | 159⅞ |Track bifurcates here, one
| | |following khor and going to
| | |Ayung’s zeriba (_see_ later), and
| | |the other running through the
| | |Dinka villages of Dunjol. The
| | |former track is the shorter by 2
| | |or 3 miles.
| | |
Amai-rial | 1¾ | 161⅝ |Village of Dunjol district which
(opposite to | | |is spread over a vast plain
Kodok) | | |opposite Kodok.
| | |
Amaal | 1¼ | 162⅞ |
| | |
Fiuweia | 1⅛ | 164¼ |
| | |
Ateptiap | 3⅜ | 167⅜ |
| | |
Khor Wol | ⅛ | 167½ |Track crosses this khor which has
| | |water in it in pools and
| | |excavations for 10 miles up. Can
| | |be ascended by small steamers at
| | |high Nile. French steamers used to
| | |ascend in 1898.
| | |
| 1⅜ | 168⅞ |Large cattle zeriba of Sheikh
| | |Ayung Wad Agwot, head of Dunjol.
| | |This spot is almost due south of
| | |Kodok. Between the river and this
| | |track is a broad swamp and the
| | |formidable khor Awilwil. From here
| | |a track runs inland through the
| | |remaining villages of Dunjol,
| | |keeping in touch with Khor Awilwil
| | |all the way, passing through or
| | |past the following villages and
| | |places:—
| | |
| | |Mile 2¼. Wunfit, debba with few
| | | trees.
| | |
| | | „ 3¼. Faiung, village.
| | |
| | | „ 4⅜. Wumakoch, village.
| | |
| | | „ 6¼. Tallen, „
| | |
| | | „ 8¼. Fanakwé, „
| | |
| | | „ 9¾. Fakok, „
| | |
| | | „ 10½. Ang-ak, „
| | |
| | | „ 12. Fobodiet, „
| | |
| | | „ 14. Temohuk, „
| | |
| | | „ 16. „
| | |
| | |eventually running to the Sobat
| | |River, which it joins near the
| | |Dinka district of Gnok.
| | |
| 1¼ | 170⅛ |Cattle zeriba of Fakwé.
| | |
Diem Ajak | ¾ | 170⅞ |Debba 600 yards right. Bush
| | |commences 200 yards further on.
| | |Khor Awilwil runs into the Nile
| | |somewhere here by native report.
| | |
| 1¾ | 172⅝ |Cattle zeriba of Fadweia. Track is
| | |good and winds along the khor,
| | |which runs from near where Awilwil
| | |joined the Nile to the south.
| | |
Wuntao | 2¼ | 174⅞ |Cattle zeriba of Dunjol. Name of
| | |the locality as well as the
| | |village to which the people
| | |belong. The Shilluk Mek’s village
| | |is due west.
| | |
Meshra Merial | 2¾ | 177⅝ |Said to be practicable all the
| | |year round as a means of
| | |communication between Dinka and
| | |Shilluk banks. Shilluk village
| | |Kwom opposite. Great numbers of
| | |partridges all along here,
| | |affording excellent sport walking
| | |them up.
| | |
| | |The track along here is all good
| | |going and would be quite passable
| | |in the rains.
| | |
| 2¼ | 179⅞ |Cattle zeriba of Fadok (Dunjol).
| | |
Diwot | 1¼ | 181⅛ |First Shilluk village met with on
| | |this (east) bank. End of the Dinka
| | |country on the river.
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------

44.—JEBEL AHMED AGHA TO AWITONG AND KASH-KASH.

BY CAPTAIN H. H. WILSON, JANUARY, 1903.

--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
Jebel Ahmed | — | — |The track up Khor Rau runs
Agha | | |northwards for 2 miles and then
| | |crosses the khor, and turning
| 2 | 2 |eastwards follows it closely.
| | |Country well wooded, though in
| | |places the forest gives place to
| | |bush.
| | |
_Gaibek_ | 7¾ | 9¾ |A village of the Dinka district of
| | |Gi-el, sub-division Baanwen. The
| | |whole of this country is in
| | |certain years under water, not
| | |from the local rains, but from the
| | |overflow of Khor Rau, which brings
| | |water down from the Abyssinian
| | |mountains. After such a flood,
| | |extraordinary dura crops are
| | |harvested, being sown as late as
| | |October, when the waters subside.
| | |
_Debba Mabiu_ | 5⅛ | 14⅞ |On R. bank of khor, which is here
| | |some 60 yards wide, with pools of
| | |water in places. Scene of fight
| | |between Dinkas and Government
| | |troops in reign of Said Pasha.
| | |
| ¾ | 15⅝ |Cattle zeriba of Kwach, part of
| | |Gi-el. Lake filled with weeds and
| | |ambach.
| | |
_Birket Rau_ | 1 | 16⅝ |Another cattle zeriba of Kwach,
| | |and just up stream a large open
| | |lake or swamp, filled up with
| | |weeds, &c. Quantities of wildfowl
| | |and snipe; also lion, giraffe and
| | |antelope, all of which were seen.
| | |
| | |From here a track runs inland to
| | |the Dinka villages, and a track
| | |exists up the khor, the ultimate
| | |destination of which it is
| | |impossible to judge from native
| | |reports. Track inland very bad,
| | |cracked cotton soil, and long,
| | |rank, unburnt grass, which, bent
| | |down by the strong north wind,
| | |presents all its spikes at the
| | |face of anyone marching
| | |northwards.
| | |
Awitong | 6 | 22⅝ |Built on a mound which is
| | |surrounded by water in flood
| | |years. Country wooded, small
| | |trees.
| | |
| 3 | 25⅝ |Very fine dura cultivation
| | |extending for miles. Large white
| | |dura; one “head” which was counted
| | |contained 2,600 grains.
| | |
Dry lake | ¾ | 26⅜ |Extends some miles and track winds
| | |along it. Many fruit-bearing sidr
| | |trees in bed of it.
| | |
_Water hole_ | 1 | 27⅜ |Situated in thick forest; Dinkas
| | |in zeriba near here water their
| | |cattle from this and do not go to
| | |river until it is dry. Elephants
| | |had drunk here the previous night.
| | |
Woniat | ¾ | 28⅛ |Cattle zeriba of these Dinkas.
| | |From here a good track goes to
| | |Jebel Gerawi, two days’ march; no
| | |water to be got on route.
| | |
Debba Fobung | 2¼ | 30⅜ |High sandy debba, from here a
| | |small hill can be seen, Jokdit,
| | |direction was pointed out by a
| | |Dinka up a tree; bearing 355°.
| | |
| ¼ | 30⅝ |_Water hole_ at N., foot of debba,
| | |dries up latter on.
| | |
| | |Track is now excellent, running
| | |through sandy goz, ground high and
| | |forest of fine trees (sabakh).
| | |This road is passable all through
| | |the rains, and devoid of long
| | |grass and mud. Leads to Renk.
| | |
| 1 | 31⅝ |Two small dry ponds.
| | |
_Goz Kash- | 2¼ | 33⅞ |Heavy sandy ground; very fine
Kash_ | | |forest of big trees. Six wells dug
| | |in the sand, water said to be
| | |available all the year round. One
| | |huge ardeib tree by wells. Many
| | |trees called “dorod” by Arabs,
| | |“gia” by Dinkas. An old track runs
| | |to the river on the Ahmed
| | |Agha—Renk road, which it joins at
| | |the spot where the old Dinka
| | |elephant pits are, but it is now
| | |disused and choked with grass.
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------

45.—ITINERARY UP KHOR ADAR.

BY CAPTAIN H. H. WILSON, JANUARY, 1903.

--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
Mouth of Khor | — | — |Khor at mouth is about 40 yards
Adar | | |wide and several feet deep, the
| | |depth being, from about 100 yards
| | |up-stream, uniformly 4 to 5 feet.
| | |Dinkas say there is a current in
| | |the rains.
| | |
| 1¼ | 1¼ |Cattle zeriba of Beia R.; bank;
| | |big Debba L.
| | |
| ¾ | 2 |Cross a small khor that runs in
| | |from N.
| | |
| 3¾ | 5¾ |Cattle zeriba on left bank. Khor
| | |bends off to the R., and is joined
| 1 | 6¾ |again at 6¾ miles, when track
| | |follows it. Cattle zeriba on L.
| | |bank ¾ mile away. Country is open
| | |grass plain, except close to mouth
| | |of khor where it is wooded, and a
| | |few patches of scrub here and
| | |there along the banks.
| | |
| 1 | 7¾ |Cattle zeriba Beia on R. bank.
| | |Khor bends off and is joined again
| 2 | 9¾ |at 9¾ miles, from where it makes a
| | |big bend southwards, and is not
| | |seen again till Rengachuk is
| | |passed.
| | |
| | |Going so far very bad over much
| | |cracked soil and few shade trees.
| | |
| | |Track now runs over a rank grass
| | |plain to the first Dinka village
| | |at
| | |
Tedao | 8½ | 18¼ |District of Beia; Sheikh Amwot wad
| | |Aiwel. From here villages can be
| | |seen ahead on all sides. Few
| | |trees, practically a vast plain,
| | |intersected with depressions that
| | |in the dry seasons are hard to
| | |define, and which in the rains
| | |might be serious obstacles.
| | |
Bekjuka | 2½ | 20¾ |Another village of Beia.
| | |
Abai-at | 2¼ | 23 |Village of Ni-el; mostly cattle
| | |thieves.
| | |
Jokdwet | 1¾ | 24¾ |Village of Jokdwet, of district
| | |Ni-el.
| | |
Wuntao | 1¾ | 26½ | „ „ „ „
| | |
| 2½ | 29 |Fairly thick trees and bush
| | |lasting 1 mile.
| | |
Rengachuk | 5¼ | 34¼ |Village of Ni-el, of the Addora
| | |people. Consists of two portions.
| | |From here track runs down to khor
| | |again.
| | |
| 2½ | 36¾ |At this point the khor is of
| | |greater dimensions than at the
| | |mouth, being 60 yards and 5 to 6
| | |feet deep; choked however with
| | |long reeds and sudd.
| | |
| ¾ | 37½ |Track here crosses a small khor,
| | |dry in January.
| | |
Khor Niagweia | ¼ | 37¾ |This is another important khor
| | |that is reported to come from the
| | |Burun country, but it was reported
| | |dry a few miles up (January,
| | |1903). It is probably the khor
| | |shown on some maps as “Ez Zamma,”
| | |a name which is not recognised by
| | |any inhabitants, 60 to 100 yards
| | |wide and 4 to 5 feet deep.
| | |
| | |Track now runs through jungle for
| | |3 miles.
| | |
Khor Adar | 7¾ | 45½ |Khor Adar is met here again,
| | |having, since fording Khor
| | |Niagweia, been on the R. at
| | |varying distances. Track now
| | |follows it. Country here is very
| | |uninteresting, no game and few
| | |trees, but the ever present long
| | |grass. Path meets the khor at
| | |
Raduk | ¼ | 45¾ |Width here 40 yards, depth 4 feet;
| | |track cuts across a bend and meets
| | |khor at
| | |
Gwatan | 3¼ | 49 |Cattle zeriba of Ni-el; people
| | |mostly wanted by the police, and
| | |who have retired to a safe
| | |distance. Khor close on L.
| | |
| 2¼ | 51¼ |Track crosses a khor that is dry
| | |100 yards up.
| | |
| | |Many elephant tracks on edge of
| | |khor, but made in the rains. From
| | |here a track exists through a
| | |country of unburnt elephant grass,
| | |the actual ground being well-nigh
| | |impassable, being ploughed up by
| | |elephants, and overgrown with a
| | |tangle of vegetation, through
| | |which nothing but fire or
| | |elephants could make a path.
| | |Looking from the top of an high
| | |ant-heap, the country is seen to
| | |be more wooded inland.
| | |
Khor Benatat | 7 | 58¼ |Is said to join Khor Adar about 7
| | |miles up. Dinkas also state that
| | |two other khors joins Khor Adar
| | |ahead, one from S. Khor Aturuk,
| | |and one from N. Khor Fao-eng.
| | |
| | |From here to the Nuer country is
| | |variously described as being from
| | |2 to 5 days.
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------

46.—J. JEROK, _viâ_ J. ERI, KILWEGA, TO WAD DELUKA (ABOUT 52
MILES S.E. OF MELUT).

BY MAJOR G. DE H. SMITH, MAY 1904.

N.B.—This is not a route that is much used, but it was opened up by cutting the bush, etc., in May, 1904, with a view to its possibly being suitable as a trade route from Beni Shangul to the White Nile at Melut. The going is nearly all over bad cotton soil and the water supply is at present very uncertain. It would no doubt be difficult during the rainy season.

--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
J. Jerok | — | — |Site of Military Post. From here
| | |route to J. Maiak is that taken by
J. Maiak | 19 | 19 |the Wad Mahmud expedition in
| | |February, 1904. _Water in pools in
| | |Khor Ahmar_ 1½ miles before
| | |reaching this hill.
| | |
_J. Eri_ | 11 | 30 |Pond of rain-water, very
| | |uncertain, about 1½ miles from the
| | |hill.
| | |
_Villages of | 9 | 39 |About 7 miles from Eri, a khor
Gum Gum | | |with rain-water (May) is crossed,
people_ | | |and further on, the villages of
| | |Gum Gum people are reached. They
| | |drink from pools to the east of
| | |Khor Gemmeiza and, at certain
| | |seasons, from rain pools about 1
| | |mile W. of villages.
| | |
_K. Gemmeiza_ | 8 | 47 |Water in pool in khor. A rain pool
| | |is passed about 4 miles further
_Kilwega_ | 7 | 54 |on, and the villages of Burun from
| | |Gum Gum, called Kilwega, are
| | |reached.
| | |
| | |K. Gemmeiza now runs, in a very
| | |winding bed, a mile or two to the
| | |south of and parallel to the
| | |track. A path has been cut to a
| | |watering place in the khor, called
_Sami_ (K. | 10 | 64 |Sami. Past old burnt village of
Gemmeiza) | | |Kurara Buruns, who now occupy
| | |village on new road-cultivation
| | |here, and water used by people
| | |from J. Ulu in dry season. Khor
| | |very narrow and covered up with
| | |willows; on both sides are swamps.
| | |Khor losing traces of sand. Two
| | |water holes here could be much
| | |improved.
| | |
| | |From Sami, track cut along high
| | |ground until Ulu track is met,
| | |going to
| | |
Khamiret El | 14 | 78 |Khamiret El Tin, about 4 miles
Tin | | |off. This is a good track and much
| | |used but very tortuous, and
| | |follows along ridge of high
| | |ground. Before this, at 3rd mile,
| | |a track from Ulu to Um Adil on
| | |Khor Sami is crossed; this is
| | |apparently called Um Ebeil on
| | |Pruyssenaere’s route.
| | |
| | |About one hour from Khamiret El
| | |Tin, track leaves khor and goes
| | |along a depression in which, later
| | |on, the 7 _Hafiras_ of Khamiret El
| | |Tin village are. These are roofed-
| | |in ponds of marsh water and
| | |zeribaed to prevent animals, etc.,
| | |drinking; water unpleasant; 5 of
| | |these now full of water.
| | |
| | |There are two water holes in Khor
| | |Sida, which is the same as Khor
| | |Sami, S.W. of village and used by
| | |some people who live there. This
Khamiret El | 6 | 84 |is better water. From here 6 miles
Kurda | | |off is Khamiret El Kurda; people
| | |from here now drink at Kumara
| | |Hellet Bishara. These villages are
| | |under Sheikh Ata Mannan.
| | |
_Kumara Hellet| 7 | 91 |Khor, after Khamiret El Kurda, as
Bishara_ | | |also here, goes into Farashes and
| | |is apparently lost.
| | |
Hellet Bitter | 12 | 103 |From here, 12 miles, general
| | |direction S., is Hellet Bitter;
| | |water not obtainable here all the
| | |year round; people drink at
| | |Bishara, etc., according to time
| | |of year.
| | |
Hellet Banjom | 6 | 109 |No water here at present; road bad
| | |going.
| | |
Wad Deluka | 14 | 123 |About 14 miles off, in S.W.
| | |direction. Water here in two
| | |wells, one has fallen in.
| | |
Melut | 52 (?) | 175 |On the White Nile.
| | (?) |
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------

47.—URYONG ON THE SOBAT TO THE WHITE NILE OPPOSITE KODOK.

BY MAJOR C. W. GWYNN, C.M.G., D.S.O.

--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
Uryong | — | — |Uryong is a small Dinka village on
| | |the right bank. From this point
| | |there is a much used short cut
| | |straight across to Kodok. The road
| | |from Uryong as far as the
| | |beginning of the Dunjol villages
| | |must be almost entirely under
| | |water at high Nile, but even then
| | |the Dinkas can find the track,
| | |which is marked here and there by
| | |small mud heaps. In the dry season
| | |from Uryong to Dunjol is generally
| | |traversed by night, as there is no
| | |water obtainable till the Dunjol
| | |wells are reached. From Uryong the
| | |road traverses open marsh land for
| | |about 2½ miles and then enters a
| | |belt of thick white thorn about 3
| | |miles wide. After this the country
| | |gets more and more bare, and for
| | |the last half of the way to Dunjol
| | |there are no trees at all.
| | |
_Dunjol_ | 31 | 31 |At Dunjol there are a number of
| | |Dinka villages which stretch north
| | |along a very shallow khor, in
| | |which wells are sunk some 30 feet
| | |deep in the black clay. They are
| | |revetted with grass.
| | |
| | |The tree belt near the Nile is
| | |visible from these villages, and
| | |there are many paths leading off
| | |it. After following the line of
| | |the khor for about 5 miles, the
| | |road strikes off towards the Nile
_Village_ | 9 | 40 |and passes through a village which
| | |draws its water from the Nile,
| | |then it turns north again and
_Village_ | 6 | 46 |passes through another village
| | |before descending into the marsh
| | |ground flooded at high Nile.
| | |
Opposite Kodok| 2 | 48 |The road from Dunjol to this last
| | |village is sandy, and would
| | |probably be generally dry.
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------

[Footnote 20: For description, _vide_ Part I, p. 119.]

[Footnote 21: In 1904, there was a small village and well at J. Mazmum.]

[Footnote 22: A road has been cut (1904) direct from Agadi to Gule.]

[Footnote 23: A good deal, if not all, of this wad has been cleared (1904).]