Senga.—Headquarters of Senga District: will probably be headquarters of Sennar Province in 1905. A large and increasing village, and next in importance to Wad Medani; left bank Blue Nile about half mile long and some distance inland; all built of straw huts except the Government buildings, which are of brick. Soil fertile, and district much wooded. Population about 1,600. Yearly increasing trade and daily market. Founded by Abdalla Wad El Hassan about 19 years ago. Inhabitants mostly Jaalin and Kenana. Post and telegraph offices.
Sennar.—Almost in ruins owing to Dervish occupation. Has lost all its former importance. Extends about ¾ mile along the river, surrounded by an old trench and embankments. There is a large mosque of red burnt bricks, in a very bad state of repair. At the time of its re-occupation in 1898, Sennar town was in ruins and uninhabited; it was made headquarters of the province till, in April, 1900, it was superseded by Wad Medani, Sennar remaining headquarters of a District. In March, 1903, the headquarters of the District were removed about 3 miles south of Sennar to Kabush on the river bank, where new buildings have been erected; people are now moving and settling between old Sennar and Kabush. Bi-weekly market Monday and Thursday. In surrounding district soil very fertile, all land cultivated by rains, except in Sennar town, which is irrigated by five sagias. Near Kabush there is thick forest along the river, known as the forest of Kabush, extending nearly up to Ereidiba. Population 350. Inhabitants: Kenana, Gawazma, Rufaa, Jaalin, Kawahla, etc.
Wad El Abbas.—Population about 1,200; right bank Blue Nile; founded about 50 years ago. Inhabitants, Jaalin and Gezira tribes, with some 300 blacks. Weekly market on Wednesdays.
Section 2.—Country South of Sennar-Goz Abu Guma Line to the Sobat.
(a) General Description.
Topography.The country between the Niles south of north lat. 13° 30′ (approximately) forms the southern portion of that known as “the Gezira” or “El Hoi,” and is, save for the riverain population of the Blue Nile and the few villages on the White Nile between Goz Abu Guma and Jebelein, practically uninhabited as far south as north parallel 12°, which is the northern limit of Dar Fung.
With the exception of the water in natural tanks at Jebels Mazmum[77] and Gerebin (which are however apt to run dry) this level plain is waterless in the driest season, though the soil is of the richest description, and beyond here and there a few isolated granite hills, the highest of which is Abu Gurud, its surface is devoid of all inequalities and undulations. Not a single khor or wadi is discernible, and except for fairly wide belts of kittr bush, especially near the two rivers and round the bases of the hills, the country is on the whole fairly open until nearing Dar Fung.Dar Fung, when dense forest commences and stretches, apparently continuously, east and west from Nile to Nile.
Owing to the scanty water supply during the dry season and the spongy nature of the soil, it is almost impossible for caravans to travel otherwise than on the few existing tracks.
South of Gule this forest of talh, hashab, soffar, etc., extends uninterruptedly to the hills of Tabi on the south-east, and to Surkum and Keili to the south. About 30 miles south of Gule khors draining the Tabi hills become frequent, and the surface of the ground becomes stony, making the going along the already narrow and much overgrown paths exceedingly bad.
Fazogli and Keili.The districts of Fazogli, Keili, and the greater part of Dul and Kirin are undulating and much cut up by watercourses, and boast far more hills than the country further west towards the White Nile. The hills in these districts are scattered promiscuously, and rise steeply from the surrounding country. They are generally covered with detached boulders and stunted trees. The plain itself is for the most part gravelly or stony, and is intersected with dry rocky khors. It is covered near the foot of the hills with a thick low growing forest, but away from the hills the bush is generally thinner. Before it has dried up, the grass among the bush would make it very difficult to leave the paths, but in the dry season there is generally no difficulty in getting through the bush, excepting at the khors. The whole of this country suffers greatly from want of water, and even where there is water in the streams near their sources, it soon disappears into the ground. Water can, however, often be found in many of the stream beds by digging.