During the rest of the year, the temperature naturally varies considerably; but it may be said that the winter is bright and invigorating throughout, and not too hot. There are even unpleasantly cold winds at times.
Except during the rainy season, the prevailing winds are, in the valley of the Nile, always from a northerly direction. In other parts, the wind varies according to season, but all get their share of the north wind.
METEOROLOGICAL NOTES (KHARTOUM), 1902 and 1903.
| Month. | Temperature, Fahrenheit. | Prevailing wind. | Rain, inches.[15] | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum. | Minimum. | Mean. | ||||||||||||
| Highest. | Lowest. | Highest. | Lowest. | |||||||||||
| 1902. | 1903. | 1902. | 1903. | 1902. | 1903. | 1902. | 1903. | 1902. | 1903. | 1902. | 1903. | 1902. | 1903. | |
| January | 97·7 | 91·4 | 70·7 | 68·9 | 68·9 | 62·6 | 48·2 | 42·8 | 61·2 | 65·5 | N. | N. | — | — |
| February | 105·8 | 100·4 | 88·7 | 71·6 | 74·3 | 64·4 | 59·0 | 48·2 | 70·8 | 67·1 | N.E. | N. | — | — |
| March | 107·6 | 104·0 | 88·7 | 81·5 | 79·7 | 68·9 | 57·2 | 55·4 | 84·2 | 74·3 | N. | N. | — | — |
| April | 110·3 | 113·0 | 98·6 | 96·8 | 82·4 | 79·7 | 65·3 | 61·7 | 78·8 | 86·4 | N. | N. | — | — |
| May | 113·9 | 109·4 | 102·2 | 104·0 | 85·1 | 82·4 | 73·4 | 65·3 | 93·0 | 90·0 | N.W. | S. | — | 1·0 |
| June | 113·0 | 112·1 | 99·5 | 103·1 | 86·0 | 82·4 | 72·5 | 68·9 | 96·5 | 91·4 | W. | S. | — | ·7 |
| July | 106·7 | 105·8 | 86·0 | 87·8 | 80·6 | 81·5 | 66·2 | 71·6 | 83·0 | 77·9 | S. | S. | 4·962 | ·5 |
| August | 108·5 | 104·9 | 92·3 | 90·5 | 81·5 | 83·3 | 69·8 | 64·4 | 87·5 | 87·8 | S. | S.S.W. | ·197 | ·6 |
| September | 108·5 | 105·8 | 96·8 | 96·8 | 80·6 | 78·8 | 69·8 | 60·8 | 85·0 | 86·1 | S. | S.S.W. | ·070 | — |
| October | 106·7 | 106·7 | 97·7 | 95·0 | 83·3 | 78·8 | 61·7 | 67·1 | 88·9 | 86·9 | N. | N. | ·320 | — |
| November | 104·9 | 105·8 | 89·6 | 93·2 | 80·6 | 78·8 | 54·5 | 64·4 | 81·7 | 85·5 | N.E. | N.N.E. | — | — |
| December | 91·4 | 101·3 | 77·0 | 86·9 | 69·8 | 69·8 | 49·1 | 56·3 | 74·7 | 78·6 | N. | N.N.E. | — | — |
GAME.
The efforts of the Government are directed towards preserving the numerous species of game of all sorts which abound in the Sudan, and to preventing them being exploited wholesale for commercial purposes.
Thus the Government, in the matter of ivory and feathers, has laid down stringent regulations which control the killing of elephants and ostriches. By imposing heavy duties and strictly limiting the numbers it is keeping within reasonable limits the export of live animals for menageries, etc., in Europe; and traffic in skins, trophies, etc., of wild animals is strictly prohibited.
As regards the shooting of game for sport, a sanctuary and game reserve have been instituted, and the licence with which a sportsman has to provide himself is expensive and only covers the shooting of a limited number of each species, some species being tabooed altogether. (For full details of the Game Laws, vide Ordinance for Preservation of Wild Animals, etc., 1903, and for practical hints, etc., re shooting, see books mentioned on [p. 213.])
SLAVERY.
Slave-running is practically dead, save perhaps in the remotest parts of the Sudan. The Egyptian Repression of Slavery Department is well represented by a number of posts dotted about in the regions most likely to be favourable to this traffic.