Galts are generally named after the mountain in which they occur, though when large and well known they may have special names given to them, as in the case of the Galt el Aguz mentioned above.

Remarks on Water Transport.

As will be gathered from the map on [Plate III,] water supplies are seldom more than two days’ march apart in this part of Egypt. For the ordinary traveller it will therefore be usually an ample provision to carry four days’ supply; in special cases, where it is desired to camp for any purpose remote from water sources, special provision will of course have to be made. There is seldom any trouble with the Arabs about their own water, as when their supplies run short one or two camels can always be detached from a caravan to fill their skins from the nearest well, and they are always content to travel day and night for this purpose. With regard to the quantity of water to be carried, I found ten gallons per European per day to be ample, including water for cooking and for one’s personal servants. Water is best carried in rectangular galvanized iron tanks, each holding ten gallons, fitted with a good brass or wooden plug; two of these carried horizontally make a light camel load, and on the march one can add a little in the shape of tents or bedding to the load. I have tried the barrel-shaped galvanised steel tanks used by the mining companies, which hold sixteen gallons each and are easily carried vertically, a pair forming a camel load; but I have found them much more liable to damage than the smaller rectangular tanks, and do not recommend them for regular desert travel.

List of Water Sources.

In the following list I have summarized all the water sources known to me in order of latitude from north to south. I believe the list contains all sources that are of importance, but it is doubtless far from being complete as regards the rock basins of the mountain areas for two reasons. Firstly, the Arabs are often reluctant to point out the sources, more especially in the more arid parts of the Ababda country; and secondly, as already remarked, since the rock basins depend for their supplies entirely on comparatively recent rainfall around them, they vary very much in yield in different years, so that basins which are of great use in one year may be totally dry the next, and vice-versa, and guides seldom take the trouble to point out a dry basin, even if in some other year it may have held a useful store of water.

With regard to the accuracy of the positions given in the list, it may be remarked that in the case of wells actually visited the position is given to seconds, and the localisation may be relied on within at most a few hundred metres; while for wells not actually seen but whose positions were pointed out by guides from some distance, the coordinates are usually only given to minutes, and these positions are uncertain by larger amounts, up to two or three kilometres in extreme cases.

It must not be assumed that water supplies can always be obtained at all the localities named. As already remarked, rock basins will usually only be full if rain has fallen in the district comparatively recently, large rock basins may furnish supplies for a year after rainfall, but the smaller ones last only a few months, weeks, or even days. The reserves are the wells, most of which never run dry except after a succession of rainless years. But when rock basins are full, many of the wells are filled with downwash, and digging must be resorted to in order to re-open them. A traveller arriving at a “well” sometimes finds no evidence whatever of its existence beyond the guides pointing to a spot on the ground with the statement “el bir hena” (the well is here). The explanation is that the well has been filled with alluvial matter washed down the valley by recent rain; but that same rainfall will have filled the rock basins in the hills, and the Arabs leave the digging out of the well until the basins are empty again. In other cases a well may be found to be dry through the water-level having sunk below the depth to which the well was last opened, and by deepening it a foot or so one may obtain a supply.

The notes in the column headed “Remarks,” on the quality of the water of the various sources, are mostly based on the observations of a single year, and must therefore only be taken as general guides. Usually, the shorter the interval since rain has fallen, the better are the supplies, both in quantity and quality.

List of Water Sources.[121]

Name.Latitude N.Longitude E.Remarks.
°′″°′″
Galt Um Tundeba245525344553Rock basin in ravine, 1kilometre from Wadi Um Tundeba. Gave good supply of pure water in1906.
Galt in Gebel Ghuel2454034390Large rock basins, yielding a good supplyin 1905-1906.
Bir Muelih245135335952In Wadi Muelih. Very salt, only drinkableby animals.
Hangalia well245027343540Modern well in Wadi Hangalia, sunk byminers. Supply small and of poor quality.
Galt Um Karaba (Migif)244848342755Large rock basins, yielding a good supplyin 1905-1906. Rather difficult of access for camels.
Bir Ghadir24482534470Well in Wadi Ghadir. Filled by downwashin 1906.
Megal el Harami244734343415Small spring in ravine on west side ofWadi Nugrus. Yields for some months after rainfall. Water verygood.
Bir Sibrit2443033580Well in Wadi Sibrit; water about 8 metresdown, of good quality. Supply stated to be constant.
Bir Murra2441034110Well in Wadi Shait. Water salt, onlydrinkable by camels.
Hamish mine244103460Water in mine shafts, that in thewesternmost of three shafts good in 1906. Well in Wadi Hamish,close to mines, 15 metres deep, dry in 1906.
Sikait, spring244050344710Tiny trickling spring of good water.Yields only about 50 litres per day, but supply of very goodquality and said to be constant.
Sikait, north well24401234460Modern well, sunk by miners. Was yieldingfair quantity in 1906, but of mediocre quality.
Sikait, south well243938344745Similar to last; both wells are in thefloor of Wadi Sikait.
Bir Um Gubur243703450Well in Wadi Shait. Water about 8 metresdown, good and plentiful in 1906.
Bir Abu Had2434034360Well in Wadi Abu Had, near its head, atjunction of two roads to Sikait. Water salty.
Bir Masur2431034130Several wells in floor of small wadi.Water good, about 10 metres down in 1906, but supplies cannot berelied on.
Bir el Ranga2426035130Very salt well, close to sea.
Galt Um Gerifat242255344020Rock basin in gorge off Wadi Huluz. Wasyielding good supply in 1906.
Bir Metawit2417034310Well in Wadi Metawit, on road between BirShadli and Bir Masur. Said to yield constant supply. Water about 8metres down, good and clear in 1906.
Bir Khashab2416034230Well in Wadi Khashab. Not to be dependedon. Dry in spring of 1906, but yielding a small supply of mediocrecharacter in the autumn of the same year.
Bir Shadli24123343755Spring or well near tomb of Sheikh.Perennial supply of variable quality and quantity. Favouritemeeting place of Ababda Arabs.
Bir Abu Hamamid2412034290Well sunk about 7 metres in floor of WadiAbu Hamamid. Yielding large supplies of rather salty and muddywater in 1906.
Amar Spring241003590Spring of good water in diorite hillssouth-east of Gebel Hamata.
Well in Wadi Abu Hamamid247034260Wells sunk in wadi floor. Dry in1906.
Bir Helie245034320Well in Wadi Helie. Excellent water inspring of 1906, but rather salty later on in the year. Qualityevidently varies considerably with interval since rainfall.
Megal Um Gunud235850351050A smaller rock basin in Gebel Um Gunud,off Wadi Lahami, near to Galt Um Gunud.
Galt Um Gunud235810351120Rock basin, in Gebel Um Gunud. Yieldedsupplies in 1906. Accessible from Wadi Lahami.
Megal el Selaia235655345250Small spring in sand at foot of rocksnear Gebel Selaia. Yield small and not to be depended on for longafter rain.
Galt Batoga235120352130Rock basin at foot of Gebel Batoga offWadi Kalalat. Water good, plentiful, and fairly easy of access in1907.
Galt Um Maiyat23502351815—
Galt in Gebel Dahanib23444535950Rock basin in ravine, containing waterafter rain; about a cubic metre in 1907.
Bir Shenshef2344035230Several small wells in Wadi Shenshef nearruins. Water good.
Bir Abu Hashim23415634426Several wells in alluvial floor of wadi.Water good and plentiful, about 8 metres down in 1907.
Bir Betan, west well2338035315Well in floor of Wadi Betan, about 600metres lower down than foregoing, close to where Wadi Um Eleigaenters Wadi Betan. Filled by downwash in 1907.
Bir Betan, east well23375535335Well in floor of Wadi Betan, near smallseyal tree. Filled by alluvium in 1900.
Galt near Gebel Abu Dahr2337035520Rock basin in north-west flank of GebelAbu Dahr. Was yielding a good supply in 1907.
Bir Rahaba23333035954Well in alluvium of Wadi Rahaba. Filledby downwash in 1907.
Bir Abu Reye233303590—
Galt el Aguz23323034350Large rock basin in sandstone, near easypass over watershed at head of Wadi Arned. Yields excellent waterfor short time only after rain.
Bir el Gahlia233103580—
Bir Abu Beid2331034580Well in Wadi Abu Beid. Was yielding afair quantity of good water in 1906.
Bir el Sunta232550344740Spring forming pool at foot of sandstonescarp of Gebel Abraq. Good water.
Bir Abu Dibesat23256344710Spring forming small pool at foot ofsandstone scarp of Gebel Abraq. Water good.
Bir Abraq232456344720Spring forming pool in gully of GebelAbraq. Supply constant, good, and plentiful.
Bir Gumbit2324034490At edge of sandstone hills; probably aspring similar to those of Abraq.
Bir Orga232103530Well stated to exist in Wadi Orga elRayani.
Megal near Abu Saafa231930344840Spring? in small wadi off Wadi Hodein.Unimportant, being close to Abu Saafa Springs.
Abu Saafa Springs23189344745Four springs yielding constant supply ofvery pure water, at foot of sandstone scarp in Wadi Hodein. Poolseasy of access to camels.
Galt in Wadi Gihab23175344810Large rock basin in Wadi Gihab Yakub AbuDerb. Pool of good rain water 6 metres diameter in 1907. Easilyaccessible to camels.
Bir Um Reit23133634353Well sunk in floor of Wadi Um Reit. Waterof mediocre quality.
Bir Dif231242344955Spring forming two pools in the stony bedof Wadi Dif. Water good.
Bir Shalatein2385353628Very salt well near sea at mouth of WadiHodein. Drinkable only by camels. Point on administrative boundarybetween Egypt and the Sudan.
Bir Beida, north well22586351810In Wadi Beida, about 500 metres furtherdown than south well, at a bend in the wadi. Good water, yieldsthree years after rainfall, but supply infiltrates slowly.
Bir Beida, south well225753351810In Wadi Beida, close to where track toBir Meneiga leaves it. Dry in 1907.
Bir Madi22474635148Well sunk in alluvium of Wadi Madi, at abend in a narrow gorge at foot of a high granite hill. Plenty ofgood water in 1907-1908.
Bir Meneiga, north spring22478351220Similar to Bir Meneiga, south spring, towhich it is very close. Point on administrative boundary betweenEgypt and the Sudan.
Bir Meneiga, south spring224655351215Tiny pool in rocky floor of Wadi Meneiga,which refills as fast as emptied. Easily accessible to camels.Water excellent.
Bir Korbiai224655351035Two wells of excellent water in the rockygorge of Wadi Korbiai. Said to yield for three or four years afterrain.
Bir Muqur22422635185Trickling spring with pools inserpentine, in Wadi Muqur. Was yielding about five litres perminute in 1908.
Bir Sararat Seyet22411035159Deep well in Wadi Seyet; filled bydownwash in 1907-1908.
Bir Diqdib2241035130Spring? high up in Wadi Diqdib, southpart of Gebel Gerf.
Bir Adal Deib22403036430Salt well, close to sea.
Ti Dabei Hamra Dom223955353840Shallow excavations in alluvium and sandin the hills of Hamra Dom, only yielding supplies for a short timeafter rainfall.
Bir Baaneit223930351840Spring? situated a short distance up WadiBaaneit. Said to yield constant but limited supplies.
Bir Bint el Dreb223403590—
Bir Um Rasein222910352020Near Gebel Um Rasein.
Bir Nabit222650362150Close to sea. Probably salty.
Bir Um Bishtit222633353345In narrow winding gorge off Wadi UmBishtit. Said to yield good water supplies for a year afterrainfall and small supplies longer. Full of downwash in 1908.
Galt Osnei222535355040Rock basin in small granite hill; fullonly after rain.
Meis-heit-ar, north galt22224353512Galt in rocky gorge off Wadi Meisah.Yielding good supply in 1908; preferred to Bir Meisah forquality.
Bir Abu Hodeid2222035170Large and important spring in Wadi AbuHodeid.
Bir Odis Maaleq2222035160Large and important spring in Wadi Odis,reached by a mountain track from Wadi Delawet.
Bir Meisah22218353550Well-known well in Wadi Meisah. Filled bydownwash in 1908. Water said to be of only moderate quality.
Bir Qidmib2221035290—
Bir Abu Ramad222040362650Close to sea. Probably salty.
Bir Shinai2220035150—
Meis-heit-ar, south galt222115353520Galt in rocky gorge off Wadi Meisah.Yielding good water in 1908.
Megwel Adar Aqdeib221750353840—
Megwel Um Edwa221650353245Chain of rock basins and small spring instony gorge on east side of Hadal Aweib Meisah. Rather difficultfor camels. Water good.
Megwel Didaut221625353710—
Megwel Akau221450362110Small spring? on north side of GebelElba.
Bir Kansisrob22143536220Large well; water good and plentiful.Bisharin camping ground.
Megwel Hamida22142535470A tiny trickling spring of saline waterin a narrow gorge. Rock basin above it, dry in 1908.
Halaib wells221325363840Several wells in village. Waterplentiful, strongly purgative to Europeans, though it has no effecton the natives of the place.
Bir Akwamtra22131361758An excellent well at the foot of GebelElba; important Bisharin camping ground.
Bir Hilwit Hasium2213035140—
Bir Nubitra221250354620Said to yield only small supply.
Megwel Um Ein221230353940—
Bir Meheriqa221210355635Spring on east side of Wadi Di-ib. Waterrather salty, but drinkable and clear.
Bir Kagog2211035160Small well in Wadi Hasium, near itshead.
Galt in Wadi Kirir2210035190—
Bir Sararat Serimtai22850362415—
Bir Mashushenai22830354930—
Megwel Aqwem228035410—
Bir Guqub228034270Galt and spring? Water good but variablein quantity. Was yielding in 1906.
Bir Salalat O Sir2272336190—
Ti Kureitra22550364640Four wells sunk in gypseous strata nearsea; water strongly purgative.
Bir Egat225034540—
Bir Frukit222036360Well in Wadi Aqilhoq; water good andplentiful.
Bir Himeitra220035150—
Bir Qabatit215755365117Well in Wadi Qabatit, 1½ kilometres fromsea; water salty, but said not to be purgative.