By Captain H. H. Wilson, March, 1902.

Place.Miles.Description.
Inter-mediate.Total from Khartoum.
Khartoum——
Jebelein225225Country round Jebelein is grass with laotand kittr bush in thick patches. River here 600 yards wide (dryseason), rocks showing river in places. For first mile or two afterleaving Jebelein open grass plain on E. of track, kittr bushbeyond. A few heglig trees between track and river.
Sherif2½227½Name of spot only; this name applies tocountry next two miles.
Wad Nimol Island3½231
Um Romad3½234½End of district of this name which beginswhere Sherif ends.
Maghaba1½236District only; no inhabitants. N. end ofBulli Island begins and track along khor which forms it, water onlyin places in khor.
Awad El Kerim2½238½Khor and small hill of this name. Roadalternately good and bad from kittr bush.
Debba Goda3½242J. Abu Garud and Jebelein last visiblefrom here; Sheikhs Tomb on bare hill 50 feet high.
Debba El Ghoda2¼244¼Small khor; ground slightly undulatingand rising inland.
Ganus8½252¾Bare, open high “debba” 50 feet abovetrack, no inhabitants, only a name.
Karshawal9¼262No huts or signs of permanenthabitations; a few Baggara “rakubas.” End of Bulli Island.
Old camp3½265½Old entrenched camp about 80 yards by 30yards on rising ground 200 yards from river on right hand side oftrack, good meshra.
Karshawal Island2267½Going bad on account of kittr. This islast water before reaching Agang as river makes a bendwestwards.
Agang13280½Dinka villages of Nyitau and Manjak,generally called Agang.
Renk3283½Good meshra. Police Post. Mosquitoes hereare very bad. Advisable to encamp inland near Dinka villages.Telegraph and Post office here.

42.—RENK to KAKA OLD WOOD STATION (HELLET EL NYAM NYAM), R. B.

By Captain H. H. Morant, March, 1902.

General.The road described below runs along the river bank, or the banks of khors adjoining the river. Since the erection of the telegraph line (1903), the road along the line is the more generally used, being more direct. In the rains, a road running from Renk to Goz Kash Kash thence to Awitong is said to be the one used—this road probably leaves the river about 8-10 miles to the W.

Place.Miles.Description.
Inter-mediate.Total from Khartoum.
Khartoum——
Renk283½283½A meshra on the W.Nile with inspector’s house and police tukls. The road at firstleads in a S.E. direction, and after 2 miles Khor Deleib 30 feetwide and about 6 to 10 feet deep is crossed. Another smaller khor,a branch of Deleib, is crossed ½ mile further on. The road now runsalongside a wide khor or branch of the Nile named Gaza El Abiad.The track to Gule branches off in a S.E. direction. Numerous Dinkavillages are passed about a mile E. of the road (which is excellentgoing), and continue at intervals until after passing Sheikh BakhitNiok’s (a released slave from Cairo) village Warrit ½ mile E. A fewShilluk villages are passed on the island called Wad Ab Kona,formed by Khor Gaza El Abiad and White Nile. This khor at High Nileis probably 300 yards to 600 yards wide, but now (March) it isnowhere more than 300 and fordable nearly everywhere. There aremany wild fowl on it. S. of Warrit the people are mostly SelimBaggara living in temporary encampments about a mile inland for thegrazing.
Khor Deleib2285½
¾286¼
Warrit9295¼
Um Hedeida11¼306½The encampments now cease and the waterin the khor gradually decreases until at Um Hedeida, water isstagnant and only in small quantities. The country on E. of trackwhich always follows the eastern bank of khor, is covered with 3feet high grass (where not burnt), and scattered bush and no signsof cultivation are visible.
3309½Water reappears in the khor, and thereare Selim encampments to the E. of the track.
Leungtom or Domaia3½313At meshra Leungtom (Dinka) or Domaia(Arab) the Nile is approached again for the first time since Renk.About 1½ miles inland are the villages of Kolang, El Wat, &c.,under Sheikh Salem Banga (also a released slave from Cairo). Acertain amount of cultivation is visible and the country istolerably open. Soon after leaving the meshra, the track followsthe eastern bank of a khor resembling Gaza El Abiad. The Arab namefor it varies with the districts it traverses. The Dinka name wasnot obtained. On the W. of the track is a fringe of thick talhbush, to the E. the country is fairly open.
Debba El Zawia4317The first dom palms are met here. ThisDebba is the commencement of the Nabagaia district.
Dinka village, Anok2½319½A village, Anok, belonging to AgweimDinkas, is passed about ¾ miles to E. on a slight elevation andthick talh bush commences on both sides of the track. This villageappears to depend on the river for its water supply.
The bush gradually develops into talh andheglig forest. There is good shade all along the khor and thetrack, as it has been throughout, is excellent; the trees along theroute cause little inconvenience.
Tereiba (Arab)9328½Nabagaia district ends and Tereibabegins, and is marked by the reappearance of dom palms.
2330½An excellent mid-day camping ground, goodshade and water in the khor. J. Ahmed Agha is visible from nearhere.
Debba Ibrahim Sharak (Arab)3333½Dense forestcontinues until reaching this slight elevation (called after a manwho was killed by an elephant here), and commences again afterabout a mile of open ground, and the district of El Ragal (Arab)begins, and the khor now takes that name.
El Ragal (Arab)——
Track leading to Kash Kash (Arab andDinka)2½336A track branches off eastwards and issaid to lead to a Dinka village or district called Kash Kash 15-20miles from the river. There are said to be wells there. The bush orforest after leaving Debba Ibrahim Sharak up to this point isunpleasantly thick, especially for night travelling, but here thebush ceases to cause any inconvenience.
Goz Abu Teiba3¾339¾A slight elevation; amile further on the road was left and Khor Sangeir about 100 yardswide and now (March) dry, was crossed.
Khor Sangeir or Rau¾340½
Khor Messangeir1341½This khor wouldprobably be a considerable obstacle in the rains, and would have tobe crossed some distance up. After a good rainy season the peoplein the neighbourhood of Mabiu, which is about 15 miles further upare said to drink from it until well on into the dry season. A milefurther on Khor Messangeir or Mariu, or Balantega, a rather smallerkhor is crossed. J. Ahmed Agha or Biba about 300 feet above theplain. There are several Dinka and Selim Arab villages in theneighbourhood, but no one lives here during the rains. The Dinkasthen retire inland and the Arabs to districts N. of the fly limit.From Ahmed Agba there is a little used track to Jebel Ulu Gerauit,which is visible from the top of the Jebel, and is described asbeing distant two days without water. Sheikh Jok is the DinkaSheikh here and Akwé acts for him when absent. There are many dompalms around the Jebel. Water is obtained from Khor Biba or AhmedAgha, the river which here bends S.W., is about 1 mile W. ofit.
J. Ahmed Agha orBiba1342½
Heglig or Tau3345½Is the name of thedistrict which extends for about 6 miles opposite to Gezira WadBeiker on the northern end of which is a Shilluk village EdorGamoia. Marbeit (Arab) or Shakab (Dinka) is the name of the nextdistrict.
Gezira Wad Beiker2347½
Edor Gamoia——
Marbeit or Shakab2½350
1½351½The road which has been skirting thebranch of the Nile (about 30 yards wide) for about the last 4 milesnow ceases to do so, and a grassy plain which at High Nile must bea swamp intervenes between it and the river.
Ial Gamus——A Shilluk village on the island. TheSheikh after whom the village is named, is a refugee fromCairo.
Kwé4½ ½356A Dinka Farikh.
Alumbul½356½Sheikh Ajak’s village. The country roundis fairly open, scattered kitr and naal grass. Both these villagesare under the control of Sheikh Salem Banga of El Wat.
Meshra Zeraf1½358The meshra extendsfor about 2 miles; the road skirts the river and crosses a wide,shallow khor called a Farlegh or Rigl by the Arabs. It is said tocome from near Aturuk.
Farlegh Meshra Zeraf or Makwé2360
Rom (Dinka) or UmGursan3363Dinka villages named Rom under SheikhJok. The district is known by the Arabs as Um Gursan, the trackfrom Renk to this point is as a rule excellent, but from here toKaka it is generally bad, passing over very hard caked and badlycracked cotton soil.
2365Fine kuk and other trees are passed. Thesmall black fly was exceptionally bad here in the early morning andattacked the camels in swarms.
Tereiti4369The district of Tereiti begins. Ardeib ElMiriam (Arab) is the district on opposite bank.
Meshra Rom orTereiti3372Meshra Rom or Tereiti.
Dinka villages, Fil and Ajak3375Villages belonging to Adeir Dinkas. Riverabout 1 mile E. of track, to the W. the country is more or lessopen with patches of bush and trees in places.
Dinka villages, Nakwé and Fithi7382Villages under Sheikh Akol WadAshol.
Jung Yom¾382¾Dinka villages under Akol. The river isnow about 2 miles away, right of road.
Debba Shagerat1¼384Arab name for knollon right of point where road bends westwards and crosses a marshy(in rains) plain to Sheikh Akol’s village about 1 mile from riveropposite Kaka, where there are many Shilluk villages. The Arab namefor this marshy district is Shagerat El Ashera, and Dinka LoingShuk.
Debeik2386
Shagerat El Ashera or LoingShuk (opposite Kaka)——
Ajok2¾388¾Skirting an openmarshy (in rains) plain on right and following line of trees onleft, Dinka village named Ajok is reached. Tracks now becomenumerous and ill defined, and one was followed which led across anopen marshy (in rains) plain to the Nile 2 miles N. of Kaka, woodstation, known as Hellet El Nyam Nyam; the village is situatedclose to the river bank.
Kaka, old wood station6¼405

43.—RENK to opposite KODOK (DUNJOL) (R. B.).

By Captain H. H. Wilson, December, 1902, January and February, 1903.

Place.Miles.Description.
Inter-mediate.Total.
Renk——Track taken depends on thetime of the year. Up to January inland track must be followed owingto water on the lower.
Telegraph Hill11On sandy hill near river;village of Abd El Salam, a refugee Dinka from Bahr El Ghazal. Fromhere the track follows the telegraph line for some miles.
Khor Deleib½1½Merely a dry ditch in the dryseason; another dry branch is passed about 300 yards further on.Country here is open grass land; few small trees.
2½4Thin forest of laot thornbush and small heglig trees.
Gaikwach37A village of the Akudistrict, Sheikh Awat Wad Dual. Another small village 300 yardsfurther on.
1½8½Position of old Dinkavillage.
Kelang2½11Small village of this name,left.
Loingwen½11½Beginning of village ofLoingwen, which comprises five small ones, all under Sheikh BakhitNiok. From here along the lower road there are no villages beforeElwat, and travellers must halt near water.
Bangdit1½13Sandy debba; no habitations.Scene of a former fight between Dinkas and Government troops. Thetrack now descends to the bank of the khor that divides Island ofGaza-el-Abiad from the mainland and runs for the next 5 miles onhigh sandy ridge within 500 yards of the water. Guinea fowl andgazelle in abundance; a few tetel seen, and tracks of antelope,hippo, and buffalo. A good deal of kittr near track since Bangdit.No large trees.
Lardbiu2½15½Sandy debba on left.
2½18Good camping ground.
Abiad Shwai119High sandy debba, which usedto be covered with big tamarind trees which have now gone. Shortesttrack is now along telegraph line, but is probably impassable inthe rains. Leave khor on right. Country bushy with small hegligtrees and some kittr.
3¾22¾Sandy hill on right. Tracknow crosses open plain of black cotton soil, covered with rankgrass.
Elwat5¼28Beginning of Elwat, districtof Gi-el. Head Sheikh, Salem Banga.
129Salem’s own village, about 2miles from the river. This is the first meshra since leaving Renk.High debba between this village and the river.
From Elwat the track runsalternately through open ground and patches of bush and red talh toAnak.
Anak5½34½Village of Gi-el district.Three small villages. The local Sheikh Ayik Wad Dok. Track now runsthrough bush and thick forest for many miles. Lower track desertedby Dinkas, who follow the line now, as being shorter.
Mabiu3½38High debba on right on edgeof khor. Track along the khor is close to line here; now get intothe land of big trees.
Dungbiagadet1½39½Debba on right.
Allal2½42Debba. Beginning of Allaldistrict, which exists in name only. Arab name Tereiba. Many thickdom palms.
1¼43¼Debba Allal.
Ragal1¼44½Beginning of district ofRagal. No people.
Debba Ragal1¼45¾Debba Ragal, about 200 yardsfrom khor. Little game seen here, though plenty of fresh tracks ofelephant, buffalo, &c.
Kefali¼46Debba. Many dom palms. Thiswas site of old Dinka village. Open park land, which soon changesto very thick forest; open again after 1 mile.
248First view of Jebel AhmedAgha from track.
149Forest of red talh; old Dinkaelephant pits, and many skulls of these beasts.
3¼52¼Track divides, one going onto the jebel and the other eastwards—inland. This latter goes tothe Dinka district of Baanwen, which lies up Khor Rau. A track usedto exist to Goz Kash-Kash, but is now said to be “dead.”
Khor Rau¼52½Khor Rau, about ¼ mile beyondbend in the telegraph line; 40-feet waterway, 3 feet deep;unfordable for loaded transport animals on account of mud(December).
Jebel Ahmed Agha254½The route followed will beseen by comparison to be several miles shorter than the old trackpreviously sketched by other officers. Shortest track is now alongline, though the going on the lower tortuous native track isbetter.
Goz Unaché2¼56¾Highridge of ground on left, used to be thickly populated by KwachDinkas. Whole track is through dense forest of heglig, sidr, kuk,kittr, and talh, except at Mile 62, where there is a broad openplain.
5¼62
Meshra Zeraf7⅝69⅝Also called Mukhada Zeraf. NoDinka villages here, though there are some old cattle zeribas.These change yearly—last year’s spot was called Anambul. Some Dinkarefugees are, however, going to build this year on the meshra,which is well suited for purposes of being irrigated by shadufs orsakias. This is the first meshra since Elwat, and the last untilKaka old wood station, though in the dry season Meshra Rom becomesa meshra.
Jungle around Meshra Zeraf ismostly kittr.
Khor Makwé1¾71⅜600-800yards wide, and even in dry season impassable, for some way up. Indry season a track exists from here to Kaka wood station by theriver bank. The track to the Dinka villages, however, runs up thiskhor till Mile 76⅛, when the track leaves the khor and runs offsouthwards over a grass plain. Khor Makwé runs on to Aturuk, adeserted Dinka village.
4¾76⅛
Khor Turiak1½77⅝Track runs along this khor,and 1 mile further on crosses it. Arab name for this khor isFo-alig.
¾78⅜Enter forest now, whichconsists of trees and kittr bush, alternately with occasionalpatches of park-like land, for the next 7½ miles. Khor Turiak is onthe left of track till spot where track crosses it, and this khorwinds about on right of track till Mile 89⅛.
Gi-ka-kiu11¾89⅛This is the chief village ofRom, and this is the name generally used, though the people speakof the grazing grounds near the river as Rom, probably denotingthat it is the grazing of the Rom people. Sheikh Jok WadAgeir.
Debba Fajak493⅛Site of old village.
Kolerang1¼94⅝Small village, part ofRom.
Bafing195⅝Small village, part of Rom.Trees on horizon. Cross khor here.
2¾98⅜Cattle zeriba left, belongsto Fiti (see later).
Gio1¼100⅝Large village of Gio, ofdistrict of Ageir, also called Faloich (name of the spot). Villageof the Head Sheikh of Ageir, Akol Wad Shol. Good wells here thatsuffice for the needs of all the inhabitants all the year round,but not for all their cattle. From Gio the track runs W. toDemtemma along a well-defined ridge for several miles; villagescluster thickly along this ridge. Khor Kayaluk runs on left oftrack.
1½102⅛One of the villages of Beiacan be seen from here left. Trees 2 miles off right. Thick bush 1mile left on other side of khor.
Debba Mioriak2104⅛Debba Mioriak on left.
Ai-yowel¾104⅞Village of Ageir on rightwith one big tree on east edge. Village of Kil 1½ miles offhalf-right. Village of Makwé is behind Kil in the forest.
Jung-yom1½106⅝Village, part of Ageir, onright. Good wells, ¾ mile off on left in bed of khor, available atall period of dry seasons. Travelling is now most uninteresting, novillages and hardly a tree to be seen.
Debba Fadiet4110⅝Site of an old village. Vastgrass plain on every side; not a tree or a bush to be seen, even onthe horizon.
Debba Fojbe3¼113⅞Site of another oldvillage.
Demtemma7120⅞Situated in belt of trees onriver bank. Was till recently a police post, but latter has nowbeen moved to Melut, 3 miles down stream, to where the telegraphoffice is.
1½122⅜Track crosses dry khor whichwould be a considerable obstacle in the rains.
1⅝124Cattle zeriba of Beia onbanks of Khor Adar—which is 60 yards wide here and 4 feet deep,muddy bottom, clean banks. A big debba on south side of the khor,and 1 mile from the mouth of the khor. Broad swamp on right oftrack.
2⅝126⅝Track descends to river bank;thick bush most of the way on left of track.
Tiang-rial4⅜131A cattle zeriba of Beia left.Backwater or small lake between track and river. Island in river,north end.
½131½Thick bush left.
½132End of backwater. March onriver bank; track winds along river bank, occasionally through verybad kittr bush, which can be avoided in places by marching alongthe foreshore.
5⅜137⅜Big ardeib tree—conspicuouslandmark; backwater between tree and river. After 2 miles the bushceases, and track lies over an open grass plain.
4¼141⅝Cattle zeriba of village ofBekjuka (Beia). Name of locality Niayok. Khor Awilwil starts hereand runs between track and river all the way to just south ofFashoda.
1¾143⅜Cattle zeriba of Bawen andAddora, of district of Ni-el. There are three other zeribas betweenthese last two points.
Mialek3¾147⅛Cattle zeriba of Bawen(Ni-el).
Fanomdit2½149⅝Debba and cattle zeriba ofdistrict of Dunjol.
Faloich1150⅝Debba and cattle zeriba ofNi-el.
Wunakoch½151⅛Cattle zeriba of Dunjol.
¾151⅞Cattle zeriba of Bawen. Bushon right between track and khor.
Jomweira——Cattle zeriba of Dunjol 100yards further on. Track now crosses broad shallow khor 2 mileswide.
1152⅞Bush right; grass plainleft.
½153⅜Track enters bush right,leaving khor left. Forest of red talh and heglig, which continues2½ miles to Mile 157⅛.
Faldiar Rowe3¾157⅛Cattle zeriba of Dunjol Trackleaving this zeriba crosses a shallow khor and passes through athin belt of forest on to the bank of khor.
Khor Awilwil1⅛158¼Awilwil, from whence Kodokcan be seen for the first time. Track runs southwards along bank ofkhor for ¼ mile, when all bush ceases, and path is over vast, open,undulating plain.
Debba Denkar½158¾Good high debba.
1⅛159⅞Track bifurcates here, onefollowing khor and going to Ayung’s zeriba (see later),and the other running through the Dinka villages of Dunjol. Theformer track is the shorter by 2 or 3 miles.
Amai-rial (opposite to Kodok)1¾161⅝Village of Dunjol districtwhich is spread over a vast plain opposite Kodok.
Amaal1¼162⅞
Fiuweia1⅛164¼
Ateptiap3⅜167⅜
Khor Wol⅛167½Track crosses this khor whichhas water in it in pools and excavations for 10 miles up. Can beascended by small steamers at high Nile. French steamers used toascend in 1898.
1⅜168⅞Large cattle zeriba of SheikhAyung Wad Agwot, head of Dunjol. This spot is almost due south ofKodok. Between the river and this track is a broad swamp and theformidable khor Awilwil. From here a track runs inland through theremaining villages of Dunjol, keeping in touch with Khor Awilwilall the way, passing through or past the following villages andplaces:—
Mile2¼.Wunfit, debba with few trees.
„3¼.Faiung, village.
„4⅜.Wumakoch,village.
„6¼.Tallen,„
„8¼.Fanakwé,„
„9¾.Fakok,„
„10½.Ang-ak,„
„12.Fobodiet,„
„14.Temohuk,„
„16.„
eventually running to theSobat River, which it joins near the Dinka district of Gnok.
1¼170⅛Cattle zeriba of Fakwé.
Diem Ajak¾170⅞Debba 600 yards right. Bushcommences 200 yards further on. Khor Awilwil runs into the Nilesomewhere here by native report.
1¾172⅝Cattle zeriba of Fadweia.Track is good and winds along the khor, which runs from near whereAwilwil joined the Nile to the south.
Wuntao2¼174⅞Cattle zeriba of Dunjol. Nameof the locality as well as the village to which the people belong.The Shilluk Mek’s village is due west.
Meshra Merial2¾177⅝Said to be practicable allthe year round as a means of communication between Dinka andShilluk banks. Shilluk village Kwom opposite. Great numbers ofpartridges all along here, affording excellent sport walking themup.
The track along here is allgood going and would be quite passable in the rains.
2¼179⅞Cattle zeriba of Fadok(Dunjol).
Diwot1¼181⅛First Shilluk village metwith on this (east) bank. End of the Dinka country on theriver.

44.—JEBEL AHMED AGHA to AWITONG and KASH-KASH.