48.—NASSER to URYONG.[24]
By Major Gwynn, C.M.G., D.S.O., February, 1901.
There is a good road in the dry season from Nasser down the Sobat.
Practically no supplies can be obtained from natives, but guinea fowl are common and gazelle can generally be shot. There are generally plenty of trees and bush as far as Nyakwoik, but after entering the Dinka country the only trees which are seen are a few grown in the villages for shade. The Dinkas carry charcoal long distances for fuel.
| Place. | Miles. | Description. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inter-mediate. | Total. | |||
| Right bank, opposite Nasser | — | — | Starting on right bank, opposite Nasser,the following villages were passed on the north bank:— | |
| Tawba | 9 | 9 | ⎫ ⎬ ⎭ | Small Nuer villages. |
| Nyakwoik | 3 | 12 | ||
| Gau | 3 | 15 | ||
| Shillup (1st camp) | 1½ | 16½ | From this point a waterless road strikesstraight to Fashoda, 3 days’ march for natives. | |
| Ford Kofiat (Sheikh Akol) | 2 | 18½ | At Kofiat the river wasforded. About 3 feet deep and 200 yards wide. Exit on south bankbad, but bottom firm and good. The road on the north bank was saidto be overgrown, and there was little sign of inhabitants on thesouth bank; cutting across a large bend, came to Nyanlang, Fauwel,and Nyandeng; the latter is a small village near a dry shallowdrainage khor. Thick bush and bad mosquitoes. | |
| Nyanlang | 3½ | 22 | ||
| Fauwel | ½ | 22½ | ||
| Nyandeng (2nd camp) | 3 | 25½ | ||
| Minchom | 2¼ | 27¾ | Thence cutting another bendthrough Minchom, striking the river again at Twednyang. | |
| Twednyang | 2¾ | 30½ | ||
| Ashol | ½ | 31 | Thence striking across bendthrough Ashol, to Abong, thence to Patiyam, which is the last Nuervillage; now enter the Nyuak district of Amol. | |
| Abong | 1½ | 32½ | ||
| Patiyam | 1½ | 34 | ||
| Gehinyar | 3 | 37 | The first Nyuak village, on the riverbank. | |
| Reitsum | 2¾ | 39¾ | Thence following the riverthrough dry marsh, strike across bend through Fedwil. | |
| Malwal (3rd camp) | 3¼ | 43 | ||
| Fedwil | 1¼ | 44¼ | Sheikh Gwat’s. | |
| Bwoilbang | ¾ | 45 | To Bwoilbang. | |
| Wegin | 2 | 47 | At Wegin reach river again oppositemarshy island and keep along bank. | |
| Shwai | 2 | 49 | Leave river again at Shwai,and thence to Fatiwanyang, the residence of Sheik Aiwel, who isvery friendly to the Government. There are a number of elephantnear his village. Leave the river and skirt a swampy district. Somecattle. | |
| Fatiwanyang | 3¾ | 52¾ | ||
| Yakwoik | 5½ | 58¼ | Yakwoik is a few miles upstream of Major Austin’s base camp, which however was not seen.From here strike across a big bend; no water obtainable till riveris reached again, after a march of 12 miles. All trees cease nearWangnait, which is the 1st Dinka village, and is one of a largegroup of villages. | |
| 4th camp | 1¼ | 59½ | ||
| Wangnait (5th camp), Sheikh Bang | 17 | 76½ | ||
| Gobtoing | 3 | 79½ | Thence cutting across a series of smallbends to Gobtoing; thence to | |
| Tubu | 3 | 82½ | Tubu, Sheikh Lual’s; thence to | |
| Adong | 3½ | 86 | Adong, | |
| Dud | 1½ | 87½ | Dud, and | |
| Uryong | 2½ | 90 | Uryong. Awut, an old woman, is Sheikha ofUryong. | |
| Ford (6th camp) | 1½ | 91½ | There is a ford 1 mile below here.Village at the head of the island, crossing 4 feet deep. | |
| Uryong | ½ | 92 | On the opposite bank is the 2nd villageof Uryong, from which runs the direct road to Kodok (48 miles),vide [Route 47.] | |
49.—GOKJAK to KEIK.
By Captain H. H. Wilson, April and May, 1902.
| Place. | Miles. | Description. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inter-mediate. | Total. | ||
| Gokjak | — | — | Small compact villageon left bank of Sobat, good dry banks, few trees. Track from Gokjakruns over open plain, very bad going, black cotton soil; largecracks in ground, making it difficult for transport animals. Khor100 yards wide, running parallel to river, dry in April; trackcontinuous over open grass plain, mostly burnt in dry season, andno trees except one or two solitary ones to |
| 1½ | 1½ | ||
| Shol Ajik | 7 | 8½ | Small Dinka village on right bank of KhorFilus, which runs from here to its mouth (10 miles from mouth ofSobat); khor dried up into pools, water muddy; few trees invillage, also Sheikh’s tomb with huge elephant tusk. The tracks runon to M’Yolga; inland track the better, alternative track followsand passes under large trees for 3 miles; track bad to |
| M’Yolga | 8½ | 17 | Long straggling Dinkavillages on Khor Filus, water in pools, fair; many water-fowl.Sheikhs Ayung Yor and Agweir Owawe. Track now winds about the endof M’Yolga district. Two small villages on khor, and 2 milesfurther on enters bush of red talh, which leaves and crosses grassplain after 1½ miles, and rejoins khor 3 miles further on.Water available, banks of khor thickly wooded with thornbush; a few good trees. |
| 4 | 21 | ||
| 7 | 28 | Small ferik, or cattle village, in dryseason. These feriks are all same type, dome-shaped grass tukls,with open spaces with pegs for picketing cattle, &c. Some havezeribas. | |
| Gekrek | 3 | 31 | Name of locality; good camping ground onleft of khor, which is easily crossed in dry season; 2 feet ofwater covered with matted weeds, water fair; ground graduallybecoming more wooded; heglig and gemmeiza. |
| Adodit | 2¼ | 33¼ | Name of locality; khor twists aboutconsiderably; track cuts across a corner here, and joins khor againafter 2 miles, and continues to |
| Biar | 6½ | 39¾ | Name of locality; country between M’Yolgaand Nerol uninhabited, being a “no man’s land” between Dinkas andNuers; men of one tribe crossing to territory of other tribe do notreturn as a rule. |
| 4 | 43¾ | Small khor, merely draining few miles oflowlying land in rains. | |
| Fan Yanglwel | 2¼ | 46 | Name of locality;thickly wooded, with high knolls, good camping ground, water muddy.From here run two tracks; one to Nerol, along the khor; a secondacross country to Riul. Latter track crosses khor Fanyanglwel andruns along left bank of khor for 3 miles, passing one ferik at 47thmile, and then cuts across an open plain with few scattered trees,and meets Khor Filus at Riul. |
| 1 | 47 | ||
| The former track runs through beautifulcountry along bank of Khor Filus; thickly wooded, waterfowl inabundance, also harte-beest (Tiang) and Oribi; a little water inplaces, in the khor, under matted reeds. Khor very winding to Nerol(9 miles). Cattle feriks on R. bank of khor; fine sheet of water(some 2 miles long in places) 50 to 60 yards wide, and in placesdeep; good colour and taste. Village of Nerol about 6 miles duesouth, according to guides; at bend of Khor Filus, at mile 10, KhorChirol or Nerol flows in, said to flow from Nyang Deng on Sobat,near Nasser, 30 to 40 yards wide, nearly dry (April). Track nowruns along khor straight to Riul, 5½ miles further on. | |||
| Riul | 6¾ | 53¾ | A cattle ferik on right bank of khor,village proper lies two miles inland due south, behind thick beltof trees. |
| Tut | 2¼ | 56 | Cattle ferik undergood shady trees, village proper inland behind trees; good campingground; thick thorn bush ¼ mile on left of track; good pool ofwater in khor, 400 yards from camp, which is on rising ground, notrees for shade. |
| 2¼ | 58¼ | ||
| Meinom | 2¼ | 60½ | Cattle ferik, and village inland isvisible. |
| 1 | 61½ | Another large cattleferik, also rest of Meinom village proper visible inland; track nowruns straight for 7 miles, passing feriks of Riang and Reir on the way to smallkhor; country thickly wooded on left of track, thinly onright. | |
| 7 | 68½ | ||
| Fading | 3½ | 72 | Important scatteredNuer village in trees on right of khor; large pool of water,surrounded towards its northern end by ambach swamp, many andvaried waterfowl; a track runs from here to large village ofFalliu, distant 7 miles S.W. in forest; water fair at Fading;cattle ferik and pool, with ambach fringe round edge, waterbad. |
| 1½ | 73½ | ||
| Fatowel | 4 | 77½ | Three cattle feriks of this name on khor;several pools of stagnant water; track crosses open plain 1 milewide, and then for 7 miles runs through forest of Inderab, alongbed of khor, crossing and re-crossing it, forest then thins out,and next 4 miles is over grass plain to |
| Shit | 12½ | 90 | Large cattle feriks, village proper 2miles away S.W. on left bank of khor; large pool of very foulstagnant water. No other water nearer than 3 miles fit to drink.Ambach swamp round water, waterfowl plentiful. |
| 3 | 93 | Track runs 3 miles across open grassplain, over good sandy track, and enters this red talh bush, whichgives place shortly to thin forest of heglig; large trees. | |
| Fulnob | 3 | 96 | Long straggling village on left of track,fair amount of dura cultivation. |
| Dwok | 4½ | 100½ | A very large scattered village, wellbuilt tukls; cattle tukls being particularly fine; most of theseNuer villages are built in thin forest, making it impossible toestimate their full extent without penetrating long distances intothe woods. |
| Amwot-el-Sogheir | 4½ | 105 | Beginning of Little Amwot. Two or threeshallow muddy wells; few trees; track now runs across Amwot plain,thickly populated; tukls in groups; probably homesteads every fewhundred yards for 4 miles to the wells. |
| Wells of Amwot-el-Sogheir | 4 | 109 | Dug on sandy bank of a large shallowkhor; khor dry in April. Banks lined with um suf; cattle ferik onedge of khor; wells 12 in number, 20 feet to 25 feet deep, 2 feet 6inches in diameter; fairly thick forest of abu hemeira and treescalled soba and leun. Leaving Amwot wells, track enters thickforest, which extends for 2 miles, then continues over plain foranother 2 miles, finally runs through very thin forest to |
| Keik | 6½ | 115½ | Residence of Nuer Sheikh Denkur; incentre of village is a cone, built of mud, 50 to 60 feet high, seenat least 3 miles off, surmounted with elephants’ tusks, and a hugespike like a lightning conductor; base of cone on east sidesplanted with elephants’ tusks, with points turned outwards. |
| Fair amount of dura cultivation; beyondvillage of Keik, to N.E. and S., is a vast open plain with notrees; no wells or other water found; ground is fairly high andpresumably healthy. | |||
| Shit | — | 90 | From Shit, which is 90 miles fromGokjak, a track runs almost due south, crossing Khor Filus; goodgoing. |
| 1½ | 91½ | Village proper of Shit about 1 mile awayon left bank of khor in thick trees. | |
| 1½ | 93 | Group of 6wells dug in bed of khor; cattle ferik on right bank ofkhor; cattle watered from these wells; water when drawn up pouredinto shallow circular troughs of puddled sand and mud, to enablecattle to drink. Another similar group of wells; trackbranches off to right, to small village, part of Amwot-el-Kebir, 2½miles distant. Track now runs along bed of khor. | |
| 1 | 94 | ||
| 1 | 95 | ||
| Amwot-el-Kebir | 3¼ | 98½ | Filus, to beginningof Amwot-el-Kebir, in line of trees running north and south; tracknow descends across plain and crosses khor to main portion ofvillage. Villages of great extent, part built in plain, but greaterpart (impossible to estimate) built in woods; tukls well built andvery numerous; much dura cultivation; group of wells. |
| 3½ | 101½ | ||
Note.—No local Nuer guides can be obtained for any of the above country from M’Yolga to Keik, owing to the active hostility of Nuers. The only men who know the general lie of the country are Dinkas who have been slaves of Nuers, or who lived in this country before Nuers seized it. They can be obtained at M’Yolga, but, at the best, are not reliable as regards water or distances.