The wells of Bao are at the head of a small valley draining northward, in which shrubs and trees are plentiful. There are several wells, with perennial supplies, though the water becomes scarce in the dry season and the wells have then to be deepened.
From Bao to Furawia is 145 km. in a south-southeasterly direction, over ground partly covered with grass and small trees. About 55 km. before reaching Furawia, Hassanein Bey passed close to a hill called Tameira, on which is a sign-post, formed of a dead tree, marking the boundary between French and Anglo-Egyptian territory. No astronomical observations were taken here, but Hassanein Bey’s adjusted traverse-data indicate the approximate position of the hill to be Lat. 15° 48′ N., Long. 23° 27′ E. The Wadai Hawar (“Howa” of the Anglo-French convention map) was crossed about 7 km. beyond Tameira Hill.
Conclusion.—In concluding this analysis of Hassanein Bey’s results, the reduction of which has occupied a large part of my time for over two months, I may be permitted to remark that his expedition appears to me to be an almost unique achievement in the annals of geographical exploration. The journey of 3345 km. from Sollum to El Obeid, most of it through inhospitable deserts sparsely inhabited by fanatical and predatory tribes, is one which, without a strong military escort, could have been undertaken only by a Moslem, and by one of remarkable grit, tact, and perseverance. But Hassanein Bey has not only accomplished this difficult journey and brought back interesting descriptions and photographs of the country through which he passed. Before setting out from Cairo he had applied himself strenuously for several weeks to acquiring facility in the use of the theodolite, and instruction in the particular methods of reconnaissance-survey best adapted for exploration of the kind on which he was to embark; and throughout his travels he made excellent use of the surveying knowledge thus acquired. How complete and accurate were his observations will be obvious from the foregoing analysis; and the really remarkable thing is that he managed somehow to carry out all this observation single-handed, and to maintain the continuity and accuracy of his measurements and records over the distance of more than 2000 km. which separates the points on his route whose positions were previously known. Thanks to the detailed and systematic character of his observations, their reduction has been a pleasant labor, and it has been comparatively easy to map his route and the newly discovered places along it with a high degree of accuracy.
The principal additions to our knowledge of northeastern Africa which have resulted from the expedition are:
(1) The true positions of Zieghen and Kufra, resulting in changes of about 100 and 40 kms. respectively from the positions hitherto assigned to these places on maps of Africa.
(2) The discovery of the oases of Arkenu and Ouenat, previously unknown, and the determination of their positions and approximate extent, thus opening up possibilities of new desert travel from Egypt into regions of the Libyan Desert still unexplored.
(3) The discovery of a route from southwestern Egypt across the Erdi and Ennedi plateaux of French Equatorial Africa into Darfur, and the positions of the water-sources along it. Incidentally, this establishes a connection with, and extension of, Lieutenant-Colonel Tilho’s recent brilliant explorations in the French Sudan.
(4) The determination of careful barometric levels along the entire route, affording valuable information on the orography of a vast region of which little was previously known, and confirming Lieutenant-Colonel Tilho’s conclusion that there is no possible drainage-outlet from Lake Chad in an easterly direction.
[1]Since the above was written, I have received information from the director of Sudan surveys that a recent extension of the Sudan triangulation-net includes Gebel Furawia as one of the points, and that the precise position found for the summit of the hill is Lat. 15° 20′ 59.9″ N., Long. 23° 36′ 48.1″ E., altitude 954 meters above sea-level. This position differs by about 2 km. from that shown on the map above referred to; but in view of the fact that the distance and bearing of Hassanein Bey’s camp from the hill is unknown, though his observed latitude shows his camp to have been on a parallel about a kilometer and a half north of the hill, I have not thought it worth while to make any change in the adjustment of Hassanein Bey’s data. The longitude adopted for the camp ([p. 320]) may be slightly in error, but it is unlikely that the error can exceed a mile or so. The difference of level between the top of the hill and Hassanein Bey’s camp being unknown, the triangulation-level affords no control over Hassanein Bey’s barometric value for the latter place, and consequently I have judged it best to use El Fasher as the south control point in adjusting the level-determinations.
[2]No observations are known to have been taken at Jedabia. The position given is that which I adopted for it in preparing a former map in 1921, and was arrived at by estimation from a car-and-compass traverse carried out by Captain Williams from Zuetina in 1918.