The going over the single track is good for horses, but bad for guns, as both horses and wheels must go through the long grass, and horses’ feet are continually slipping inwards as the track is narrow and generally deep. At times, as between Sofi and Mogatta, the path is completely lost and overgrown with kittr—bad enough for single horses, but still worse for pairs or led horses; the gun horses on two occasions coming in red with blood from shoulders down. I would suggest outside blinkers for gun horses in bush to protect the eyes from thorns.

Water.During first portion of road, El Damer to Goz Regeb, the river is difficult of access owing to thick bush and high banks, except in recognized meshras, often far apart. Water very good; camps good and shady.

On second portion, Goz Regeb to Fasher, river often 3 miles away, and very difficult of access. Meshras very few owing to broken ground, thick bush, and deep khors running in every direction; camps fair and shady.

Grasses.On Atbara up to Goz Regeb, halfa grass is plentiful along the banks. After El Fasher plenty of green abu rokba, abu arid, and neghil, by far the best being abu arid, which, green or dry, is always taken by the natives in preference to any other for horses and cattle. Naal is apparently no use as food, but adaa or false dura is better than nothing.

Place.Miles.Description.
Inter-mediate.Total.
El Damer——
El Basli1414Road across stony desert. Small village,150-200 inhabitants, about 4 miles S. of Abadar Meshra. Dom fringe,½ mile broad; outside this, stony desert. Two roads—one throughdoms, the other outside—single track over stones.
From El Busli.
Outside road taken.
¾14¾Meshra Umdebia.
Amerab3¾18½Amerab village, ½mile from river; 50 grass tukls, two mud houses. Big house standingalone. Sheikh Omar.
220½
Minawi1¼21¾Meshra very good.
Goz El Halag425¾Opposite to Goz El Halag (meshra) a fewtukls. Road still 2 miles from river. Country changes. Soil becomesloamy, with some sand and scattered bush. River bank lined withdoms.
Girsi5¼31Village. Cultivation by sagias; bigmeshra 2 miles north. Road shortly goes through dura (rain crops),therefore patrol skirted outside this. Country as before; openbush, mostly tundub; no road.
Debbet Bush334Opposite to big village Debbet. Bush W.of outer road; about 2 miles from river. Water from 2 wells.
Burush438Opposite to; a few tukls, meshra.
Abaka341Ditto.
Helal748Ditto, meshra. Cultivation, and a fewtukls fairly close; bush mixed with doms, about 1 mile broad fromriver.
Shigil250Meshra. Cultivationon and near river. Meshra in a small pool, nearly dry (Oct. 16th).Island, ½ mile long; plenty of neghil grass. Village of Shigil,about 20 tukls; ½ mile from river in bush.
151
Garada152Meshra. Road enters dura 1½ miles fromriver; narrow path through thickets.
Marzuga254Meshra.
559Bush ends. Road enters open sandy desertwhich stretches down to river, on banks of which fringe of doms,½-1 mile wide.
El Rimta3½62½Arab encampment. (No meshra.) Road closeto river. Road runs along river bank through doms and cultivationfor ½ mile, then open sandy desert with sunt and tundub right downto bank; sand hills.
El Awadi3½66Meshra (very good). Good shade for camp.Heavy going for guns. No road.
1076Good meshra. No signs ofcultivation.
Adarama480Meshra opposite Adarama.
383Ferry for Adarama. A fringe of bush,about 1 mile broad, along river; outside this, open flat desertwith a few tundub bushes. Road at times 2 miles from river, acrossbends, and approaches it at mile 97.
1497Meshra, very good (rocky bed);shady camp. Fringe of bush impenetrable (except at meshras) alongbank, about 10 yards broad. This continues for a long distance.Road close to river.
Amiam10107Meshra, by small khor; sandy bank, ¼ milebroad; no inhabitants; going, sandy and bad.
Taroma6113Meshra. Bisharin tuklvillage; about 30 people; flocks; cultivation of dukhn on sandybanks. Meshra, good; dukhn on sandy banks. No signs ofinhabitants.
4117
11128No meshra, but able to get down to riverby group of doms; sandy banks, not much grass (halfa). Road goesaway from river to cut off bend.
5½133½Road divides: right hand to Goz Regebdirect, left keeping near river. Followed left; going becomesworse, with small khors when near river.
Auli2½136Arab encampment. Meshra.
6142Very good meshra; open space onbank. Fine view of river part of Auli. No grass.
2144Meshra. Arab encampment; dukhn,plenty of halfa grass. End of Bisharin tribe.
3147Arab encampment. Arteiga branch ofHadendioa. Great quantities of sheep, cattle and camels.
G. Tukwe on west, J. Ofreik on east, justvisible from here.
Succession of small meshras andencampments.
4151Meshra.
2153Meshra.
1154Cemetery; stony ground.
3157Path debouches into open alluvial plain(short grass and tundub bushes) cutting off bend.
5162Approach river, near which country isbroken and stony. Meshra bad; no grass except a little aburokba (slightly bitter taste when green, and of which some horseswill not eat at first until accustomed). Flocks and cattle. Roadfrom 148th mile close to river, over very rough, broken, stonyground, and at times thick bush. Several small meshras. Goz Regeb’stwo hills visible for first time.
Saraf6168Arab encampment; meshra.
Goz Regeb12180Meshra—1 mile short of it—under palms.Camp (bad), 2 miles further on, at ferry. Camel post opposite;grass, halfa.
This road makes Goz Regeb 100 miles fromAdarama.
From Goz Regeb the road proceeds at about3 miles from river on a flat table land, as the ground between itand the river is rocky and broken by innumerable small watercourses and khors called by natives “karrab.” The going is overalluvial soil, rather heavy. A single track with naal grass oneither side.
Distances are given exclusive of detoursdown to meshras.
Gebuib18198Meshra, very good. Good camping ground;halfa grass. No inhabitants.
10208To meshra, about 3 miles.
6214Ditto.
Umraho4218Ditto. Very good meshra; deep khors oneither side. Bend in river to east; ford (27th Oct. 1901). Countrynear meshra very broken and rough. On turning down this meshra thetops of two small hills are visible on right front. From here roadabout 3 miles from river; going gets harder when nearingAsubri.
8226In line between the two hills and Kassalahill.
10236To meshra.
Omara1237Small village, about ½ mile E. ofroad.
3240To meshra, good. E. 3 miles toriver. Fair camp; abu rokba, but no halfa grass.
3243To Asubri. The road here divides at rightangles: left to Asubri, right direct to El Fasher, described asabout 30 miles and track far from river. Therefore took riverroad—very bad.
Asubri3246Asubri. From here road goes about 1 milefrom river and becomes very good and hard. Country open with treesand short grass. After 10 miles becomes “Karrab” (ground broken bysmall water courses) again.
12258A meshra. Hundreds of camels,thousands of sheep and goats belonging to Lahawin Arabs. Goodmeshra. Bad camp; no grass.
13271El Fasher District. Country changes topark-like land—short grass dotted with trees.
El Fasher2273El Fasher village and fort. Water fromford.
Ford4277Ford; good meshra and camp. Last ½ mile“karrab”; Abu Rokba grass.

17.—KHARTOUM NORTH to ABU DELEIG.

Compiled in Intelligence Office, Khartoum.

Place.Miles.Description.
Inter-mediate.Total.
Khartoum, North——Railway terminus,&c. The road leads nearly due east, viâ tomb and wellof Haj Yusef (Batahin), about 80 feet deep, water good but notplentiful, to Bir Babekr, about 110 feet deep, water good andplentiful. Scattered salam and tundab bush. InhabitantsBatahin.
Bir Haj Yusef4½4½
Bir Babekr4½9
After leaving Babekr the road traversesbare level ground covered with scattered samr and selem trees.Hafir Medeisis, where Hassania Arabs live and extract salt duringthe rainy season, is passed, and later Hafir El Wadi, near which is a low stony hillnamed El Gaber. Near Kalamon are hafirs named Nuba and Um Denun,where also salt is extracted by the Hassania.
Bir Kalamon817Well 180 feet deep,water rather salt, but very plentiful. From here the direct roadpasses Hafir El Kheila, the country is flat and covered withscattered samr trees and homra and meharib grass. The road leads toa stony hill named J. Dura, after which the following tanks arepassed: Jan Kilwa, Um Gedodeima, and Gala Um Johanis, over whichthe road passes; beyond this is Wadi Safra, where Hassania Arabscultivate.
J. Dura1229
Wad Hassuna3059A village of mud houses and well of thisname; also the tomb of Sheikh Hassan Wad Hassuna, near which is alarge hafir called Ghobasha. Natives here Hassania, under SheikhHassan Meki. Country continues flat, and covered here and therewith kitr and samr trees, also homra and meharib grass; road isstony and several khors cross it.
Hafir Kabarus4½63½After Hafir Kabarus, three others by nameEl Biyut are past.
Hafir Amria770½A very large tank, J. El Sada, is passedto the south.
Bir Agab8½79Two wells, about 90 feet deep, water goodand plentiful. Mogharba, Hassania, Batahin and Ababda Arabs liveabout here. Several hafirs here, chief of which are Alatib andBalako. The latter lies 1½ miles south of the road, and is said tohave been dug by the “Kufr” or heathen.
Khor Jegjegi——After leaving Agabthe road soon runs alongside Khor Jegjegi, which it continues tofollow to Abu Deleig. Kittr, sayal, heglig, and samr trees borderthe khor, which some 8 to 10 miles further east joins Wadi Hawad.There are about 50 wells in the Abu Deleig district, 70 to 100 feetdeep, but in the rainy season water can be obtained from KhorJegjegi near the surface. At Abu Deleig all the natives live indom-mat tents, and here is the residence of Sheikh Mohammed Talha,head Sheikh of the Batahin, who are the principal inhabitants.There is a police officer and police post here.
Abu Deleig1089

18.—RUFAA to GEILI.

By Colonel Hon. M. G. Talbot, January, 1903.