From here to R. Atbara, at Mogatta, there is no water, and the country is most uninteresting. In the rains the scrub and scattered bush is almost concealed by high grass; this is burnt in the dry season, and the country then is bare black cotton soil, and devoid of any grazing for animals. About 12 miles from the river dense bush, chiefly kittr, begins, and continues until the halting place at Mogatta is reached. This road is nearly 20 miles shorter than that viâ Sofi.
| Place. | Miles. | Description. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inter-mediate. | Total. | ||
| Gedaref | — | — | The track to Sofi leaves Gedaref in aN.E. direction, passing down a valley between gardens, cultivationand high grass; several hamlets half a mile distant on either sideof road. A gentle ascent on N. side of valley to N.E. corner of alow flat hill called J. Buadra. |
| Khor Seraf El Buadra | 3 | 3 | This khor crosses the path near corner ofJ. Buadra. One well, upper portion stone faced; 24 feet deep, 5feet diameter, 4 feet of water. Two similar wells near track, one ½a mile, the other 1 mile further on. From this point track is a single camel path,winding among high grass or through bush; in places very stony.Ground on either flank cracked cotton soil. |
| 2 | 5 | Top of pass is reached; the small hamletsof Um Shedra, Hissainad, and Turfur are seen in succession on theleft hand of the track. | |
| 2½ | 7½ | A rise in the ground known as Gumerab isreached. On far side of it track descends sharply for 40 feet, overrocks and stones on to a plain. General direction E. by N. Somedukhn or dura patches; rest of the ground covered with high aadaand shush grass. 5 feet high. | |
| 4¼ | 11¾ | A copse of talh trees is passed through.For the next 5 miles are scattered trees along the path, withcopses of hashab trees a few hundred yards to a mile on eitherside; shush, aada, naal and Umdenaib grasses. | |
| 4¾ | 16½ | A shallow excavation to catch rain-wateris seen on left, 100 yards off. General direction E.N.E. At the24th and 27th miles, two more small rain-water reservoirs arepassed. | |
| Khor Bitnasr | 15½ | 32 | This khor is here crossed; it trendsnorthwards and runs into the Khor Tomat. Ground now ascendsslightly and is more broken, and track crosses several small khors.At the 34th mile the edge of the plateau is reached, and a sharpdescent of 90 feet ensues. |
| Sofi (Rest house) | 3 | 35 | A straggling village of a hundred men(Jaalin) on spurs running down to the Atbara 400 yards away. Atdate the river is easily fordable, the water not being knee deepand 20 yards broad near the village. From this point the track asfar as El Fasher follows the course of the river on the left bank,and distant from it 1 to 5 miles. The bush and jungle preventapproach from the track, except at the watering places in use. FromSofi the track winds up to the plateau in a N.W. direction alongand in khors. On reaching this plateau, after a mile, the trackbears generally due N. Quarter of a mile of dura cultivation ispassed through, then the path runs along the flat top of awatershed draining into the Atbara on the right, and into the KhorTomat on the left. |
| One and a half miles E. of the Atbara theSetit runs parallel with the river and the khor until its junctionwith the former. Going is now very bad, kittr, laot, talh and santclose to the path; cracked cotton soil. At the 43rd mile the trackdescends with twists and turns towards the river, and just beforereaching Khor Tomat some salt workings are passed through. | |||
| Khor Tomat (Rest house) | 9½ | 44½ | The khor near its junction with the riveris 30 yards wide and 4 feet deep. It takes its name from a moundnear the khor with two knolls (Tomat = twins). Formerly there wereseveral hamlets in the neighbourhood, but no traces exist.[11]The nearest hillet to the river was Wad Abu Hamed, just N. of thekhor. Easy access to water at date. Track winds over undulatingground intersected by khors, below the plateau 1 to 2 miles distantto the westward. Trees not quite so thick or close. |
| Khor Um Garra | 4 | 48½ | The Atbara is again reached here, about 1mile N. of its junction with the Setit, which brings down at thistime of the year more water than the Atbara, and appears to be abroader and finer stream. |
| Good watering place. | |||
| The path leaves the river in a N.W.direction over broken and undulating ground for 1 mile. The plateauis reached and again thick bush and trees are passed through. At 55miles J. Akelai is visible through a break in the trees, nearly dueE. | |||
| Khor Fatut | 11½ | 60 | Track winds down to this khor, and thenfor 1½ miles passes over very broken ground. Track then improves;the country is not so closely wooded, and several open spaces aretraversed. |
| Mogatta (Rest house) | 10 | 70 | No village; grazing and watering place ofthe nomad Arabs. The river is 12 miles from the track. Severallarge islands in the Atbara here, the water in the dry seasonpassing down by the left bank. Lions are plentiful here. |
| Here the direct road from Gedaref comesin. From this point the road improves considerably. Troops can moveon a broader front, and the soil, though still cotton, is not so cracked;the earth has a slightly red tinge. Occasionally belts of bush aretraversed. At the 92nd mile the track descends, and the groundbecomes very broken. The remains of an old Dervish post on a spurare seen 400 yards to right. | |||
| M. Khashm El Girba | 23½ | 93½ | Track here meets the river; a tributary,or branch of the Atbara, comes in here on the opposite bank, withwater still in it. Broken country is again traversed, and manyknolls and khors are passed until the plateau is again reached.Trees are larger, and ground covered with gau grass, excellent forgrazing cattle and sheep. |
| Dervish earth work | 3 | 96½ | A square Dervish earthwork, each sideabout 80 yards long, is passed on right. This was the site of ElFasher village when it existed. |
| El Fasher ford (Rest house) | 4 | 100½ | At date, river was 50 yards broad, 18inches deep at the most at the ford. |
| Bottom of bed consists of shingle.Quarter of a mile up stream on the right bank is the site of thepost held by a detachment from the Kassala garrison in 1898. | |||
| On leaving the ford, track leads up theascent to the plateau for 2 miles, and passes over very brokencountry intersected by khors. Then the path is excellent; largeopen spaces are divided by belts of trees. J. Kassala bearsE.N.E. | |||
| El Mellawiya | 22 | 122½ | An open (now) grassy space, whererain-water collects and stands from July to October. Serut fliesbad at that season, also snakes. Attempts to make a well here haveso far been abortive. |
| Old well | 5 | 127½ | An old government well is passed onright, now filled in. Country now becomes closer, and trees withbright green leaves become more numerous; track narrowsconsiderably[12] as the Khor El Gash is reached, though movementis possible between the trees on either flank. At the 135th mile,the minaret of the Khatmia is visible to the right, and soon thefactory chimney of Kassala is visible to the front. |
| Khor El Gash | 12½ | 140 | The left bank of this khor is reached;600 to 700 yards broad. |
| Kassala | ½ | 140½ | Old town and Egyptian fort, now inruins. |
20.—GEDAREF to GALLABAT.
By Col. Collinson and Captain H. H. Morant, 1898.
(Corrected up to 1900.)
| Place. | Miles. | Description. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inter-mediate. | Total. | ||
| Gedaref | — | — | From Gedaref the roadusually taken leads in a S.E. direction, and passes through muchcultivation to wells situated in a khor midway between the villagesof Dalasa and Gabeisha. From here the road continues to passthrough rain cultivation, which extends on both sides of the roadsmore or less continuously almost as far as the eye can reach until6 or 7 miles from Shasheina, after which only occasional patchesare seen. |
| Wells | 2¼ | 2¼ | |
| Shasheina (Rest house) | 14¾ | 17 | Several groups of tukls belonging toDebania and Takruris on western slope of a low ridge. Two goodwells with any amount of good water, roughly 30 to 40 feetdown. |
| 7 | 24 | Leaving here the track skirts the bottomof the ridge and leads in a southerly direction over stony, badgoing for about 2 miles, when it bends to S.E. and passes over anopen plain to the E.; on the W. forest begins. The wells of Amzuaniand Galaat Eila are passed 2½ miles and ¾ mile to the E. of thetrack. | |
| J. Doka is now visible right ahead. | |||
| The path here enters forest whichcontinues to Doka. The soil black cracked cotton soil and the pathis occasionally stony. Hashab, soffar and talh are the trees thatpredominate. | |||
| Doka (Rest house) | 21 | 45 | A very wretched village that has seenbetter days. It used to be the residence of a mudir or importantofficial in the old government days. The remains of his palace,&c., are still standing. Two wells, very indifferent supply;generally dry in the middle of the day a few months after therains. |
| There is a path from here to Abu Guludand Sofi, also to Nogara. On leaving Doka several hills are passed,the principal being J. Doka 2 miles to the E., and Ajerawi orKajerawi to the W. About 4 miles from Doka the route from Asarjoins in from the right. This road is very little used, and ishardly noticeable. The track here becomes stony for a mile orso. | |||
| Khor Kefaia | 8 | 53 | Khor Kefaia, running W. |
| Khor Kanin | 3½ | 56½ | Khor Kanin, also running W. |
| Seraf Said (Rest house) | 10 | 66½ | Several small villages and two wells inthe khor of this name which is the boundary between Gedaref andGallabat. Wells 30 to 40 feet deep; fair supply. From here a roadgoes W. to Durraba[13] near the Rahad, and there is a track,made by honey hunters, to the Atbara, which is 13 or 14 mileseastwards. |
| For the first 2 miles after leaving thewells a good deal of dura and dukhn cultivation is passed through,and then forest with some quite fine trees begins and continues towithin a mile of Gallabat. | |||
| Khor Kuneina (Rest house) | 15 | 81½ | The hills of Ras ElFil, where this khor originates, are passed 2 miles on the right.Up to January water is obtainable slowly from holes about 3 feetdeep in its bed. Later these become dry. Fine ardeib tree. Thickforest, chiefly talh and heglig, continues to Khor Otruk, wherewater stands in a pool all the year round. There are also wellsnear, from which several small villages obtain their water. |
| Khor Otruk | 7 | 88½ | |
| The road now ascends an easy slope forabout 2 miles, and hills are passed to the right and left. From thetop of this ascent Gallabat is visible, and ½ mile before reachingit a small khor with running water is crossed. | |||
| Gallabat | 4½ | 93 | Old fort of Zeki Tumal’s, 120 feet abovethe town which lies at foot of slope about 400 yards E. Water fromstream, which constitutes boundary with Abyssinia, 800 yards E. offort. |
| [There is an alternative routeviâ Asar. This is however very little used. It was takenby the two companies of Soudanese troops who first occupiedGallabat in December, 1898. It had been previously used a good dealby Dervish fugitives to and from Gedaref. The water supply alongthe Doka road is now better and is sufficient, if troops march atnight, without carrying any great amount of water:— | |||
| Gedaref | — | — | A rather stony trackin places leads across open country covered with high grass anddura to Asar. This is a Debania village and residence of their headSheikh, Wad Zaid, and is situated at the S.W. end of a ridge 300feet high and 1½ miles long, running nearly N. and S. Here thereare two good wells which supplied Ahmed Fedil’s force of 3,000 to4,000 men besides women, &c., for more than three weeks. A roadleads from here to Beila, also to Shasheina. |
| Asar | 10 | 10 | |
| Leaving Asar, several deserted villageswere passed, and after traversing undulating open country for 8miles, talh and soffar forest commences. | |||
| Khor Tagala | 15 | 25 | Water in holes inrocks by the road side. It has the usual stagnant rain-water tasteand smell, but is said to last all the year round. Large baobabclose to water. The track continues through forest with occasionalopen spaces to Khor Ardeiba. |
| Khor Ardeiba | 15 | 40 | |
| A large khor running W. between hills.Water is found in several places in the rock on the side of thehill on left bank of khor. The supply was very scanty at beginningof December, and is not to be relied on. | |||
| J. Kajerawi | 10 | 50 | For the first 3 or 4 miles after leavingthe bed of the khor the track ascends and descends several shortsteep slopes; trees interfere with the path, which is somewhatstony. It then crosses a fairly open cotton soil plain to astone-lined well about 60 feet deep, at the foot of J. Kajerawi orAjerawi. As this well was not in regular use, the water tasted andsmelt, but there was plenty of it. |
| Four miles on the track joins in with themain road previously described, about 5 miles S. of Doka.] | |||
21.—ABU HARAZ to GEDAREF.[14]
By Lieut.-Colonel B. R. Mitford, March, 1899.
| Place. | Miles. | Description. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inter-mediate. | Total. | ||
| Abu Haraz | — | — | Half of a mile N. of junction of R. Rahadand Blue Nile. Track leads through the village in an E. direction,and 4 miles over a plain covered with grass 4 feet high afterrains; then some bush is entered which necessitates reducing frontof the column to file. The Rahad is from 1 to 1½ miles distant onright flank, its banks covered with a belt of jungle. Trackconsists of four to six camel tracks over cotton soil. |
| Meshra El Hedeiba | 8 | 8 | Half a mile before reaching this meshra,the road bends to the S.E.; 1¼ miles E. is the village of Hedeiba,and 2 to 3 miles N.E. is the village of Shegeila. A singleflat-topped samr tree marks nearest point for water. A large poolof water always here during the dry season in the river bed. Trackpasses over grassy plain covered with the usual grasses met withalong the road, viz.: aada grass, which grows in wet places as highas 18 feet, and naal, from 1½ to 3 feet high. |
| Id El Maya | 2½ | 10½ | A descent of ½ mile brings one to thiskhor skirted with trees; the hamlet of that name lies 2 miles fromthe river; a meshra and pool here in the dry season. The hamlet ofAmara lies 2½ miles N.E. Same country is traversed, with occasionalbelt of trees. |
| Khor Abu Seghira | 5½ | 16 | Track passes this khor 1½ miles from themeshra, which is very difficult to find, owing to the jungle andthe creepers festooned from tree to tree. No pool there this dryseason. |
| Khoran El Homr | 2 | 18 | The “Red Khor,” of which there are three.The second one is 1½ miles on, and the third 1 mile further on.Each khor is thickly fringed with trees, bush, and high grass,after rains. The track is now some 3 or 4 miles from the Rahad. At23½ miles another khor is crossed, and the ground rises into astony plateau. |
| H. Sherif Yagub | 6½ | 24½ | Track passes to E. of this village.Inhabitants are Ashraf. |
| M. El Egeiga | ½ | 25 | Camping ground is on a bluff 40 feetabove bed of river; a pool of water always here in the dry season.Natives say that in the winter months it is not a good campingground, as it is very feverish at night. Country now becomes muchmore close, trees and bushes narrow the track in many places, andin the autumn the high grass obscures all view to front orflanks. |
| M. Abuet El Messih | 5 | 30 | This meshra is only 100 yards from thetrack, but the river is somewhat hidden by the jungle. Veryunhealthy camping ground during the autumn and winter. Trackcontinues through bush, with occasional open spaces. |
| M. El Esheir | 3 | 33 | Good camping ground near track, 500 yardsfrom the river. Just after leaving this place, the Arang range canbe seen in clear weather. Track as before. |
| Ein El Lueiga | 7 | 40 | Watering place here, on the Rahad, in thedry season; not a good camping ground during or after rains, therebeing much fever. The track now leaves the vicinity of the Rahad,and for the first 5 miles trends towards the N.E. corner of theArang hills. The Kassala Province is entered here. |
| At the 48th mile a depression is passed,where a little water is sometimes found during the rains. Plaincovered with grass 1 to 10 feet high in October, which from thatmonth becomes broken down by the wind, and in March is only 2 feethigh. Track twists and turns considerably until the hills arereached. | |||
| Galaat Arang | 18 | 58 | The track strikes these hills about 4 or5 miles from its S. end; bush is again entered, and track becomesvery stony and covered with fallen boulders from the hills. |
| The hills are mostly rock, covered withlaot, and stunted baobab or tebeldi trees. Ariel, gazelle, bustard,guinea fowl, sand grouse, apes, and baboons in these hills. A mileon two pools of water are formed in a shallow rocky depressionduring rains, which is only fit for camels. Track follows the footof the hills towards the N., through bush and over stonyground. | |||
| El Fau (Rest house) | 9 | 67 | Track passes through a gorge in thehills, wherein are the wells of El Fau, near the E. mouth of thegorge. One well, stone faced, 10 feet in diameter, 27 feet deep;surface of water 1 foot from top in October, 10 feet in March. Theother, stone faced, 5 feet in diameter, 15 to 20 feet deep. Water,both good. There are several other wells in the vicinity duringrains, and pools of water in holes and depressions. |
| Track runs along the E. foot of the hillsto the N. point; bushy and stony. | |||
| North End Arang | 5 | 72 | Near the N.W. point of the Arang hills isH. Badad, or H. Sheikh Shah El Din; one well, now filled up.General direction of track is now N.E. To the S. is seen J. Fines,or Fenis, and to the S.E. is J. Sergein. Bush becomes very close;cotton soil. |
| J. Bayuda | 8 | 80 | Or Buwa’da, or Buwada’. A broad, low,conical hill; some water in rocky holes during the rains. Track nowruns E. by S., and for the next 8 miles through thick bush; countrythen becomes more open and covered with grass again. |
| Ummat Rumeila (Rest house) | 19 | 99 | A group of some five or six hills,averaging 80 to 100 feet high. Some water in pools and holes duringrains. The track passes in a N.E. direction through the hills;several patches of bush are traversed. At the 110th mile a narrowbelt of laot trees, 10 yards broad, commences to run alongside orin the middle of the track; this belt follows the road for 13miles. |
| Taras Wad El Fahl (Rest house) | 20 | 119 | A small depression, wherein water liesduring rains. Two thorn bushes to S. of track mark it. |
| Khor Abu Hashim | 7 | 126 | A descent leads to this very shallowkhor, and a similar rise takes place on its E. side. J. Tiwawa nowbecomes visible to the E. Track runs over a grassy plain with noteven a shrub on it. |
| Khor Abu Faraga | 11 | 137 | Or Abu Fura. This khor rises nearGedaref, and at this point the track meets it; it here turns S. Thetrack runs parallel with it for a mile, 2 to 400 yards distant. Atthe 139th mile ground falls gently. |
| Um Gulgia | 3 | 140 | A stony mound on left of the trackcontaining several deep holes, said to contain enough water for1,000 men and 500 camels during the rains. |
| Ground still falls gently, and a mile ona small khor is crossed; then ground ascends through smallscattered soffar trees. At the 143rd mile the houses of Gedaref arevisible. Track passes several hamlets on either side, and throughmuch cultivation and high aada grass, along S. side of J.Tiwawa. | |||
| Gedaref | 6 | 146 | On top of a long gentle slope. |