Fulas.“Fulas,” or artificial ponds, exist near many villages. They are usually made by damming a khor, but the ground is so porous that the water seldom lasts after October. The lakes have already been described.
Tebeldi trees (Adansonia digitata).The tebeldi trees (locally termed “Homr”), which are naturally hollow, and are besides often artificially scooped out, when used for storing water have a hole cut in the trunk, generally just above a big branch, on which a man can stand when drawing water. The hole is about 18 inches square. Round the bottom of the trunk a small pool is formed. This catches the water during a storm and it is then put into the tree by means of leathern buckets (dilwas) or girbas. Some trees, however, in consequence of being open at the top and having branches so formed that they act as gutters, fill themselves; these are called El Lagat, and are naturally very valuable. The trees vary in diameter outside from 10 to 25 feet, and the water-holding portion is often 20 feet high. The bark is frequently much cut about as it is used to make rope and nets. The largest trees are not used for water as the trunks are generally cracked. Water so stored remains sweet to the end of the hot weather, so that good trees are a valuable form of property, and are let or sold, either with or without the adjacent land. Near a town they are a source of many quarrels. On the main routes across Dar Hamar, i.e., from Obeid to Nahud, or Shidera to Nahud, the Hamar make a living by selling water to travellers. During the Dervish rule many of these trees were destroyed by raiding parties cutting holes at the bottom of the trunk.
Melons.The melons, on which whole villages, including horses, cattle, etc., depend, are small, almost tasteless, and full of black seeds. The natives grow them on the same ground as the dukhn, or else separately. When ripe, they are gathered and stored in heaps for future use. They are also found wild all over Dar Hamar. The skins are saved and given to the goats when the grass dries up. These water melons are not the same as the ordinary well-known water melon.
Produce. Dukhn.Dukhn or millet is the food of most of the Arabs. It is grown on the sandy ridges during the rains, and requires little water. It will not grow in the low ground as there is generally too much salt in the soil. It is also given to camels and horses, but is considered heating. It is easily grown. The ground is first cleared of grass. Before the rains, about May, holes are made with a crooked stick (mach-far) a few inches deep and 5 or 6 feet apart, and a few grains are dropped into each hole, which is then closed with the foot. As soon as the rains commence the grain sprouts, and the crop is gathered at the end of October or beginning of November. The heads of corn are piled to dry before threshing. When the young plant is a few inches high it is liable to attacks from a large millipede called surffa. The natives make no efforts to kill this, as they say it only eats at night. This is an error, but even when it is proved to the Arab that they feed by day he is too lazy to destroy it. Later on the dukhn is liable, like other crops, to attacks from locusts and voracious small birds. When required for food, it is ground between two stones, the lower one being fixed, the upper rubbed backwards and forwards. Mixed with water it is baked in flat wafers, called kisra, or boiled into asida. It is also made into a sweet beer called Merissa or Um Bilbil. The dukhn of Kordofan is famous for its good quality.
Dura.Dura is grown south of El Obeid, in the valley of the Khor Abu Habl and Nuba hills. It requires much more water than dukhn. It is cooked in the same way, and is considered much better food, but does not make such strong merissa. As forage, it is supposed to be less heating than dukhn, and being larger, animals are obliged to masticate it more; this is an advantage, especially in the case of camels.
Simsim.Simsim is grown in small quantities everywhere. The seed is crushed in primitive mills, made by hollowing out the stump of a sunt or haraz tree. The pestle has a long arm attached to it, and is turned round by a camel or a bullock. The oil is used for cooking and hair-dressing. The refuse is excellent food for animals out of condition.
Tobacco.Tobacco is grown in small quantities in the Nuba hills. It is wetted and made into hard cakes and smoked in large pipes by the blacks. It has a singularly unpleasant flavour.
Cotton.Cotton is grown in many parts of the Province and must have been formerly extensively cultivated, as the old plants are to be seen in the vicinity of most ruined villages. It is woven on hand looms into damur (coarse cotton cloth) of an inferior quality.
Salt.Salt is made in two ways. One method consists in mixing earth that contains salt with water, allowing the sediment to settle, and then evaporating or boiling away the water. The other method, which is followed at El Ghar, and other places where there are salt-water wells, is simply to boil the water until it has all evaporated. It is generally of a dark colour and somewhat bitter.
Iron.Iron is plentiful, but now seldom worked. Some is smelted at El Nahud and Um Semeina, and spear heads, hoes, and axes are made. The works at Jebel Haraza are not now used. The absence of fuel will always preclude its becoming an extensive industry. A clay full of iron is found some 60 miles to the north-west of El Obeid.