There are at least three roads.
The western goes by Abu, or El, Gassas, a district apparently included in another called Rotamat (I am not sure of this). Last water at Abu Gassas. It afterwards passes some cultivation, but no water except in autumn.
The eastern goes by Tundub and Wad Arrak, where last water is, and joins the middle road about 10 miles from Geili.
The middle one was followed, and is described below.
No real road to begin with, simply tracks from village to village. For the first 9 miles, as far as the village of Kemeilab, through cultivation all the way. Several villages on either side of road. Then through thin laot bush, but plenty of cultivation round about.
| Place. | Hours. | Miles. | Description. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inter-mediate. | Total. | Inter-mediate. | Total. | ||
| Rufaa | — | — | — | — | Track is good all the way; no steepgradients, difficult khors, nor thick bush. Probably bad afterrain. |
| Tunbul El Jaalin | 4 | 4 | 12 | 12 | Good sized village of Jaalin, with well.There are two other villages close by called Tunbul El Agada andTunbul El Eishab. Cultivation all the way; many villages seen. |
| Abu Zeid, Wad Um Balli | 3 | 7 | 9 | 21 | A poor village. Well 250 yards S.E.;village of Musaiab close by to N. Track continues mostly throughthin low laot bush, but some cultivation is passed. Some villageslie on right, but are not conspicuous. Passes village of UmHageir. |
| Um Shinshin, or Um Shinashin | 2¾ | 9¾ | 8 | 29 | Thin straggling village; well, on road;last water on road. On through low laot and grass, with very littlecultivation, passing the small village of El Gura; no well; lastvillage on road. |
| Um Ganatir | — | — | 5 | 34 | Tank, a boundary point of Rufaa District,used to be a man’s depth, but now nearly filled up. |
| Mufad Wad Dereid | — | — | 7 | 41 | Tank. |
| 4½ | 14¼ | 1 | 42 | Road crosses a belt of laot giving goodfirewood; no more for two hours, though there are belts of kittr amile or two on each side. Geili just visible 29½° (true). JebelLebaitor just visible in early morning to S. On over grassy plain,apparently rising. Direction of road some degrees E. of Geili. | |
| Wadi Mofad | 2¼ | 16½ | 6½ | 48½ | Marked by a belt of thin kittr some 250yards wide. Must be boggy after rain. Two tanks on each side ofwadi. The place is called something like Rufa Wa Fagusa, Rufaapplying to one pair of tanks and Fagusa to the other, but I am notsure of the names, nor which applies to which. |
| The Wadi Mofad, I was assured, rises nearAbu Deleig, and flows S. The wadis of Bahogi and Ankia passed onthe Um Dibban—Geili road form part of it. | |||||
| E. of the wadi the Tundub road joins in,and the united road makes straight for Jebel Geili. | |||||
| 2¼ | 18¾ | 6½ | 55 | Road crosses a branch of Wadi Mofadcoming from the E. of Jebel Geili. Some kittr and other trees.Track begins to get stony, particularly as Jebel Geili isneared. | |
| J. Geili | 2¼ | 21 | 6½ | 61½ | Wells at S. end of Jebel Geili close tothe carved rock. |
19.—GEDAREF to KASSALA.
By Lieut.-Col. Mitford (1899) and Captain H. H. Morant (1900).
The direct and more generally used road to Mogatta starts from Gedaref in a nearly northerly direction, and leaves J. Buadra about 1¼ miles to the right, and the scene of the battle of Gedaref ¼ of a mile on the left hand. After passing through much cultivation and high grass, the filthy village of Wad Gabu on the top of a small hill is reached. The water supply of this village is from a well some 2½ or 3 miles to the W. or S.W., and animals have to be sent there, as very little water is obtainable at the village itself. There is a rest house here.
J. Kassamon is visible nearly due N. About 2¼ miles further on the telegraph line and an alternative route from Gedaref, viâ Seraf El Buadra and Bir Rowajda, which is generally dry, joins in.