The country.All forest and jungle. Cultivated patches round Biselli. Country gets gradually more undulating, and hills and ridges are higher towards Deim Zubeir. Granite boulders and ironstone intermingled.
Rivers.The Bongo and the Kuru. Both much the same, nearly dry in dry weather, probably full, and difficult to cross between May and October. Many khors, which would be a great obstruction to donkey or even mule traffic.
A waterless stretch for 30 miles from Khor Gitti to the Bongo in dry weather. There is a well out of use at Khor Gombolo, 11½ miles west of Khor Gitti, otherwise water is found at no greater distance than 15 miles interval in pools in the khors.
The track.Is very indistinct in places.[27] Elephant tracks lead off which help to confuse it. Bushes and trees constantly intercept.
Natives.Biselli is fairly populated with Golo and a few Kreich and Bari, originally from Deim Idris.
Deim Zubeir almost entirely Kreich.
Natives live on barley, roots, and berries of trees, and on honey a great deal at this time of year (April).
| Place. | Miles. | Description. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inter-mediate. | Total. | ||
| Fort Dessaix-Wau Post | — | — | Track leaves the river nearly due W.;several khors are crossed: Khor Ganna at 2 miles, Khor Ngoa at 9miles, Khor Alfell at 10 miles. |
| Absaka’s new village | 12 | 12 | Water from Well. Rakuba and hut fortraveller. |
| A track crosses the route at 12 milesfrom the Jur Village Nuara to iron furnaces 15 miles S.W. and S. AtAbsaka’s old village, at 17½ miles there is well water. | |||
| Ganna | 4½ | 16½ | A village taking itsname from another Khor Ganna is passed. Golo villages to and atBiselli. Rest Rakuba for travellers. The old zeriba is in ruins—fewtrees are left; ½ mile further west the huts and zeribas ofGolo—Sheikh Limbo. Water from Khor Gitti ½ mile N., flowing N.E.,always good. |
| Biselli (old zeriba) | 9 | 25½ | |
| The track nearly all the way so far isthoroughly thickly wooded country, much intercepted by shrubs,bushes, and branches. | |||
| Hence track goes slightly S. or W. for 4miles along right bank of Khor Gitti, passing French wooden bridgeover the khor to Village Gumsi Golo, thence W. across KhorGitti. | |||
| Khor Gombolo | 10 | 35½ | Well giving bad waterin dry season (March to end of May). Rakuba and huts. Dry routecrossing Khor Gombolo and Gamus (native name, Ingataba), muchintercepted by bushes and trees to River Bongo—steep banks; treesclose up to river banks; marsh ½ mile broad, left bank; flowingN.E. from S. about 30 yards broad from bank to bank. Banks at lowwater (14.3.01) about 20 feet high, sandy bottom, always good clearwater in pools. Rakuba and huts. A species of Tetse fly infests thebanks of this river. |
| River Bongo | 20 | 55½ | |
| Thence through forest country—higherground—crossing several khors, past Aboko hills at 11 miles, 1 mileN. of track, whence a view is obtained. Granite ridges about 600feet high, trees growing up to the summit. Khors Karra and Gannaflowing towards the Bongo water. | |||
| Khor Ganna | 13½ | 69 | Water always in Khor Ganna (in well indry season). Rakuba and huts. |
| Several more khors are crossed. Countrygetting slightly more undulating. Several granite outcrops andboulders are passed. | |||
| Khor Gongoba | 6½ | 75½ | Khor Gongoba, dry in dry season. Threeand a half miles further on, Khor Idris, always water (both haverakubas and huts). |
| Khor Raml | 12 | 87½ | Khors Raml and Tenahold water in pools in dry season, and flow S. to Bongo. The formerhas rakuba and huts. |
| Khor Tena | 3½ | 91 | |
| Deim Idris | 5 | 96 | Well situated on high ground (gives badwater). Now in ruins. Rakuba and huts. Small trees, jungle, andwilderness. Palisades of burnt wood poles show the outlines ofGessi’s fort. The earthworks of a battery and ruins of two houses arevisible. Two or three wells are traced, now tilled up.Three-quarters of a mile further W. the ruins of Suleiman’s fort ispassed, touching the track, and shortly after Khor Gelaba iscrossed, where once stood houses and a Suk, now wilderness. |
| Country more undulating, and afterpassing over a long ridge, the khors are more numerous, and flownorthwards to Kuru river. Some years nearly all hold pools ofwater in the dry season, but they are often dry. | |||
| River Kuru | 23 | 119 | Steep banks 20 feet high, 30 to 50 yardsfrom bank to bank, very slight current in stream, 6 feet deep. Goodwater. Rakuba and huts. |
| Very pretty banks with overhanging treeson both sides. | |||
| Khor Mubenga | 7½ | 126½ | Always water. Rakuba and huts. |
| Khor Ghanam (flowing S. toKuru) | 17½ | 144 | Khor Ghanam. Crossed at the horse-shoebend mentioned by Dr. Junker. Banks steep, 15 feet high, 15 yardsfrom bank to bank, always water in pools. Rakuba and huts. |
| Remains of Gessi’s entrenchments,ironstone, 100 yards W. of left bank. | |||
| Deim Zubeir | 6 | 150 | Track follows right bank of Khor Uirirunning into Khor Ghanam for 1 mile, then rising over a ridge of 4miles drops down the W. slope, facing a valley with the E. slope ofDeim Zubeir ridge opposite. Open ground—dura fields and the fort inthe front—Khor Ujugu (spring water) is crossed ¼ mile E. of theFort of Deim Zubeir. |
N.B. No inhabitants between Biselli and Deim Zubeir.