By Captain H. H. Morant, April, 1900.
General Remarks.The most direct road to Maman is the old telegraph route which leaves Kassala in N.N.E. direction past the north end of J. Mokram, and after following the new telegraph line for about 10 miles then turns nearly due north and leaves the new telegraph to the east. Country: good going, covered with scattered bush, but thicker along khors, some of which are more or less serious obstacles in the rains. Though water is not plentiful along this route it was sufficient in April, 1900, to enable a party of 50 Camel Corps, 2 horses, 50 natives on foot, and 2,000 head of cattle and sheep to reach the wells at Tukruf, near Kassala, without any special arrangements for water.
Maman is on the direct road to Suakin: for portion of route to Suakin N. of Maman, vide [Route 8.]
| Place. | Miles. | Description. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inter-mediate. | Total. | ||
| Kassala | — | — | |
| Khor Girger (Wells) | 19 | 19 | Bir Galgal in Khor Girger; very littlewater in April, 1900. |
| Tendelai-i ( Wells) | 12 | 31 | From here the trackcontinues N.N.E. by N., passing about midway between Jebels Roreband Shushaieb to the northern extremity of the latter, where thereare several wells in the khor called Tendelai-i. These wells hadalso very little water. From here the track continues in the samedirection, good going, country open and grassy, scattered bushexcept along khors, several of which are crossed, to Khor Telkuk,before reaching which Jebel Obillit is passed about 2 miles to thewest. There was said to be a well in the khor somewhere near thisjebel. From here to Maman, country very open; good hard going andshort grass. Three more khors are crossed, chief of which isTogan. |
| Khor Telkuk, or El Ku, orObillit | 20 | 51 | |
| 9 | 60 | ||
| Maman | 5 | 65 | The wells in K. Maman. Many GemilabHadendoas here. |
11.—ADARAMA to BIR OSHI (KHOR LANGEB).
By Captain Kenrick, 11th Hussars, September, 1901.
N.B.—The localities of wells and water in the country described in both the following Route Reports depend largely on the season and the year, and to a great extent on local rain storms. Much reliance cannot therefore be placed on previous reports.
| Place. | Miles. | Description. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inter-mediate. | Total. | |||
| Adarama | — | — | Afterleaving Adarama the road goes E. for about 6 miles over sandy soilcovered with tufts of dry tabas grass. Jebel Asoteribab is visibleto the S.E. Khor Amab is then crossed; this is always dry, I wastold; it comes from S.E., and runs a little way further to the N.Osman Digna is said to have had his extreme E. outpost of 20 menhere to levy blackmail on anyone coming to Berber. There are acaciabushes in this khor. Two miles after crossing the khor, the rangeJebel Tobrar comes into view. All bushes cease here, and for 4 or 5miles the way is over an undulating sandy country with tufts ofwithered grass. On descending a low sandy hill, Khor Shedieb is metrunning S.W. and draining a black, light sandy plain running E. andW., along which the way proceeds for 6 miles; low sand hills to theS. The plain is treeless, except a few stunted bushes in KhorShedieb. After marching E. over this plain the sand hills begin toclose in at a place called El Yukreik, where there is a littleshade from a few small tundub bushes; this is said to be full ofwater and green grass in a rainy year, but it is quite dry now;this is about 20 miles distant from Adarama. The direction is theneastwards through a succession of valleys shut in by low sand hillsrunning N. and S. about 3 miles by 3 miles. One valley, just beforeentering the Hegerib Plain in which Bir Kerikun lies, is full ofbushes and is cotton soil, but not bad going; there must be a gooddeal of water all over this country in a good year, but it is quitedry now. There is no grass for horses the whole way; the going isgood, but a little heavy over the sand hills from one valley toanother, and also, except just when entering Wadi Hegerib, 3 milesbefore reaching Bir Kerikun. | |
| Jebel Tobrar | 2 | 8 | ||
| Khor Shedieb | 5 | 13 | ||
| El Yukreik | 7 | 20 | ||
| Bir Kerikun | 15 | 35 | ||
| ¾ | 35¾ | On leaving Bir Kerikun, marchN. about ¾ mile to get over the low sand hills, the way then goesE. and slightly N. The road winds a little when passing over thesand hills to get out of the valleys, which are exactly similar tothose about 12 miles before Kerikun, except that there are moreselem or samr bushes in them, which give a fair amount of shade.Just before entering Wadi Todabanob there is a valley which theArabs told me is capital grazing in a good year. | ||
| Khor Shanfaiet | — | — | KhorShanfaiet comes in at the S.W. corner of this valley. Largegraveyard of Shebodinab Arabs here. Going good; sand a little heavyacross the sand hills. No grass fit for horses. On entering WadiTodabanob the wells lie at the foot of a sand hill. They are about8 in number (though there are others quite filled up in other partsof the valley); three only of these are open, and two of these onlyhad water in them; they are unlined. They were:— | |
| Todabanob | 13¼ | 49 | ||
| Depth to water | 14 feet. | |||
| Depth of water | 2½ feet (approx.). | |||
| Circumference | 3¼ feet. | |||
| I got about 3 camel fantassesfull out of them. I have now learnt from three sources that it was,as I suspected at the time, only rain water from the shower twonights before. They are now almost dry. Excellent shade inTodabanob from large sayal trees; no grass; must be swamp in a wetyear. No Arabs at all on the route. Wadi Todabanob runs N. and S.Khor Derudeb comes in at S. E. (about). | ||||
| J. Sanai | — | — | Afterpassing eastwards over the sand hills leading out of WadiTodabanob, J. Sanai comes into view in the E., and J. Ararab toS.E.; after a switchback course of about 2½ miles over the sandhills the road drops into Wadi Shakauni, half of which is coveredwith withered Tabas grass, and a little green grass, tundub bushes,and Senna, the remaining half barren sand; this is crossed aftermarching 3 miles. On ascending a slight ridge the sand hills areleft, and Khor Derudeb comes into sight about 6 miles off, runningin a half-circle from N.E. to S.W. J. Tebilol, in the E., is alsosighted. The ground just before coming to Khor Derudeb, as in thelow-lying parts of all these khors, is cotton soil, but the goingis not bad. About 12 miles from Bir Todabanob, Khor Derudeb iscrossed at a point called El Garud, where there are rain pits;these cannot be relied on for water. The way now goes eastwards forabout 11 miles over a stony plain, but good going on tracks, pastJ. Tebilol and Khor El Ashob. There was very little water when Icame here, but a violent storm came on in the night and broughtdown the khor; after such a storm there is plenty of water,sufficient, I think, to last for four or five months. There was onelarge pool of water, 40 yards long, 8 yards broad, and 10 feetdeep. Plenty of shade near the khor, and good grass on the banks.The plain just before Khor El Ashob is treeless; the going thewhole way is good. | |
| J. Ararab | — | — | ||
| Wadi Shakauni | 2½ | 51½ | ||
| J. Tebilol | — | — | ||
| Khor Derudeb | — | — | ||
| El Garud | 9½ | 61 | ||
| J. Tebilol | — | — | ||
| Khor El Ashob | 10½ | 71½ | ||
| Jebel Wararaweb | — | — | The roadgoes eastwards through the pass of J. Wararaweb, but there areseveral miles (3) of cotton soil to pass first. The pass itself isvery stony, broken ground and bad going for about 3 of 4 moremiles. Then S.E. over a very stony plain for 10 miles to KhorGodamaieb; this plain is crossed by small khor, near which and inwhich there is always a little green grass and some shade. KhorGodamaieb was dry. The well Tisharam is on the west bank, and is avery good one, though unlined; its dimensions were:— | |
| Khor Hambokeb | ||||
| Khor Godamaieb | — | — | ||
| Tisharam | 38½ | 110 | ||
| Depth to water | 9 feet. | |||
| Depth of water (good) | 5 feet. | |||
| Circumference | 7 feet. | |||
| I was told Osman Digna usuallywent viâ Khor El Ashob, Bir Delai and Khor Delai to KhorAraf. Plenty of dom palms on each bank, some coarse green grass;remains of a very large old well filled up. | ||||
| Khor Angwatiri | 2½ | 112½ | CrossKhor Godamaieb, about 50 yards wide, march N.E. over a road for themost part stony, except 2½ miles from Khor Godamaieb, where KhorAngwatiri is crossed; there is green grass in plenty, and someshade from thorn bushes. It was full of Gemilab Arabs and theirflocks, who water away to the E. in Khor Amboreb, where there aresome pools of water. After 5 miles further you enter the hills, andthere are 4 miles of very bad stony going in and out of small khorsin the midst of stony mountains till you descend into Khor Barshoi,about 1 mile long, with dom palms on both banks; then Khor Arafcomes in from the N.W., and the way to Khor Langeb is up this khor,averaging 30 or 40 yards in width, thick dom trees on either bank,coarse green grass in places, but not in any great quantity. Themountains all through run down to the dom palms on the banks of theKhor Araf on each side; away in the distance are some very highstony peaks. A very few Gemilab were in the khor. The going on thewhole is very good in the khor, except in a few places where thesand is heavy. About 5 miles from junction of Khor Araf with KhorBarshoi was a pool of rain water near the left bank, about 15 yardslong, 4 yards broad, and 2 feet deep. The pool to be relied on isEl Getite, on left bank of Khor Araf, about 16 miles from junctionof Khor Araf and Khor Barshoi, and 31 from Bir Tisharam; it israinwater and will last 4 months. It is close up to the rock wherethe hills run down into the khor. It is 209 yards long, 10 yardsbroad, and 10 or 12 feet deep. Muddy water, but quitewholesome. | |
| Khor Amboreb | 7½ | 120 | ||
| Khor Barshoi | 4 | 124 | ||
| Khor Araf | 6 | 130 | ||
| El Getite | 11 | 141 | ||
| Umna Dunyin | 10 | 151 | The roadthen goes on down Khor Araf with many twists and turns till thepool of rain-water called Umna Dunyin is reached, about 10miles from El Getite,but 15 yards long and about 6 yards broad, 4 or 5 feet deep in thecentre, will probably last 2 months more. After 2½ miles from UmnaDunyin, J. Hambolib is in sight, round which the khor twists forabout 3 miles, till the wells called J. Hamboliebare passed. They are filled up with sand, and only a person whoknew them well would know they had ever existed. However, I wastold there is water underneath; if so, a small fatigue party couldclean out the sand in a few hours. I think Khor Langeb joins KhorAraf just near here, running due E. here. Dom palms, tarfa jungle,and small quantity of green grass on the banks. Five miles up thiskhor, on left bank, is Bir Oshi, at mouth of small Khor Oshi; thesame remarks apply to Bir Oshi as to Bir Araf. Bir Gabati,slightly further on, I was told is the same. There is, I am told,water in Khor Odi, and a big pool at Areiwat, andno lack of water further on. On the right bank on entering KhorLangeb are some graves on a hill, said to be the graves of Romansoldiers; the Hadendoas are afraid of opening them, though theythink there is treasure there. | |
| J. Hambolib | 2½ | 153½ | ||
| Bir Oshi | 4½ | 158 | ||
| Bir Oshi is distant about 48miles from Bir Tisharam, this is owing to the twists the khormakes, and one is not able to leave Khor Araf often on account ofthe hills coming down close to the banks of the khor and renderingthe ground impassable. | ||||
12.—EL GETITE (in KHOR ARAF) to ADARAMA, viâ BIR DELAI and TENDERA.
By Captain Kenrick, September, 1901.