Cattle.In the south, among the sedentary inhabitants, cattle and sheep are to be found in abundance.
The cattle are of two kinds: the humped species and the so-called African species, with long horns. The former are compact, well-made animals, and become very fat; the others are not worth much.
Sheep.The sheep have but little wool, but their flesh is good; among the Zaghawa there is a species with long curly hair. Zaghawa is leased to the present sultan’s sister, Miriam Tajer.
Goats.Goats abound everywhere.
Horses.The Baggara Arabs confine themselves chiefly to breeding cattle and horses. The Messeria are large horse-owners.
Horse breeding is largely carried on by the Mahamid tribe. The horses are small in size but very strong, and are said to be able on an emergency to travel for 60 hours without water. They are chiefly of a local breed (Tama).
The sultan has a stud farm in the Zeiadia country, with the object of improving and reviving the breed of horses.
Towns.
El Fasher.The old capital was Kobe, but at the end of the 17th century it was moved to El Fasher which is now the chief town. Colonel Gordon in 1877 described it as a most miserable place, though once a populous and thriving town under the sultans. It is 388 miles by road from El Obeid, or about 650 miles from Khartoum, and about 300 miles nearly due east from Abesher.
El Fasher or Tendelti stands mostly on the western bank of the Wadi Tendelti or Dindil in an angle formed by the junction of the latter with the Wadi El Ko.