The last 15 miles before reaching Nimule are quite impassable to any steamers or boats.
From here on, the river is free of any obstacles up to Lake Albert.
Between Dufile and Lake Albert the Nile is very sluggish, and papyrus islands abound in it. Breadth of channel varies.
Boats and Steamers.
The usual Nile boats are the “Nugger” and “Gayassa,” varying in capacity from 5 to 400 ardebs. The latter solidly built, with high bows, and free board, and lateen-rigged, is the Egyptian boat, whilst the former, which is found from the 2nd cataract southward, is flat, with low free board, and is roughly though solidly built without ribs. Rafts, canoes, inflated waterskins and water-tight pots are also used for individual navigation. Further up stream “dugouts” and ambach canoes are seen. Of steamers there are 10 gunboats, 21 other steamers, and 6 launches on the river, mostly stern-wheel; a few are screw, and one or two paddle. (Vide [Chap. X,] Part I.)
Landing Places.
From Halfa to Khartoum and from Khartoum up to Goz Abu Guma it is possible to land almost anywhere on either bank. From there up to Kodok, owing to the broad reed fringe on either bank, landing is difficult except at the following places, viz.:—Jebelein, Um Ashrin, Karshawal, Renk, Meshra Leungtom or Domaia, Meshra Zeraf, Meshra Rom, Kaka, Kaka Wood Station, Melut and Demtemma. All these, except Kaka and Um Ashrin, are on the right bank.
As Gordon states, in the stretch between Kodok and 100 miles north of it, “People do land, but it is over your knees in the rainy season,” and even if a landing is effected, progress inland is always liable to be arrested by wide and deep khors which are really branches or overspills from the main stream: these obstacles are encountered even in the dry season.
There are easy landing places in many spots between Kodok and Lake No, then nothing except Hellet Nuer, Shambe, Abu Kuka, and Kanisa for 360 miles till Bor; south of Bor the best known ones are at Kiro, Lado, Mongalla, Gondokoro and Rejaf, though elsewhere a landing can generally be effected, especially on the left bank of the western channel, which leaves the main river near N. Lat. 5° 30′. Above Rejaf one can land anywhere up to the Fola Rapids. Between Dufile and Magunga (on Lake Albert) there are five landing places.