The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan: a compendium prepared by officers of the Sudan government, Vol. 2 (of 2) - Sudan. Wizarat al-Naql wa-al-Muwasalat

Place.	Miles.		Description.
Place.	Inter-mediate.	Total.	Description.
Rumbek	—	—	From Rumbek, roadstarts E. and S.E. for 6 miles to where a well has been dug out onN. of road, then S., S.E., and S. for 10 miles to well inAdwolians. Best well at a tobacco garden.
Adwolians	16	16
			Good road through burnt villages;sandy.
R. Naam	6	22	From Adwolian, roaddue E. to through village and bit of forest to edge of forest onvalley of Naam river. To river bed, 3 miles, and across plain andkhors to edge of forest on E. 2½ miles more; going very bad, muchcut up by elephants; valley requires causeway and bridging verybadly; grass very high. From Naam, road due E., passing burnt-outvillage of Takidur after 3 miles, and dried up khor called riverLaik (same as M’Buri of Feniar) 3 miles further on.
	2½	24½
Takidur	3	27½
R. Laik	3	30½	Close by on furtherside is Mera of Sheikhs Ateir Marial and Agiong, Agars, latter ofAyak, and adjoining is village of Galik. A well has been dug inkhor, N. of Mera 5 minutes. Water in lake up to end of December,then found in pool further N. of that well up to February, perhapslater. From here road S.E. through Galik, 20 minutes, and turns E.to village Akot 6 miles distant.
Akot	6	36½
	2	38½	Two miles more to farside of village. Road good, sandy, over high ground; water very farfrom surface. From Akot, road due E. to pool 3 miles, which hadwater until 15th January, boundary of Atwots and Agars; 2 miles onto
	3	41½
	2	43½
Apiot	1	44½	Atwot Mera, and 1more to village of Apiot and Fort. At Apiot 10 good wells givewater all the year. People are friendly and ready to help, but arenot fond of carrying work. They are more manly and straightforwardthan the Agars, and I have hopes that they are not so treacherousin disposition. They carry bows and arrows as well as spears. Fromthe fort, road is N.E., through villages of Chediop and Mogar whichjoin each other, then through forest across deserted village ofManibin 9 miles on; to pool 3 miles; then through old mudiria withmany small wells which do not require much digging to keepthem open all the year, 3 miles.
Manibin	9½	54
	3	57
	3	60
	2	62	After 2 more miles valley of Lau isreached, commencing with khor and pool with water all the year. Upto here road was good, soil very sandy, small belt of forest beforereaching river valley. Onwards the soil is sandy for 2 or 3 miles,then is composed of the usual black soil of the river valleys.
R. Lau	6	68	From the pool tofirst branch of Lau river 6 miles, and 2 more on to second andlarger branch, then 2 more on to camp at edge of forest and villageSheikh Shrun. River valley very bad, much cut up and almostimpassable, even without Hamla during rains; 7 or 8 khors as wellas 2 branches of river to cross. Requires a good road made acrossvalley. From Lau, road E., through villages for 3 or 4 miles, thenthrough forest N.E. to villages and wells of Ajak andGour, total 24 miles. Road cut up much by elephants, and in placesgrass very high. Village of Ajak, ground very sandy and bad formarching. From Ajak, similar road N.E. to Shambe, forest all theway except last 2 miles, total 20 miles.
	4	72
Ajak	24	96
Shambe	20	116

Note.—Rivers Naam and Lau flow at about 4 miles an hour in flood, and about 3 miles an hour or less when flood is over. The Naam is about 10 feet deep in flood, the eastern bank of Lau 12 and western 10 feet. After rains both rivers fall to about 2 feet deep, and western branch of Lau is dry from March to May.

65.—RUMBEK to DARAGO’S and M’VOLO.

By Captain P. Wood, April, 1904.

Place.	Miles.		Description.
Place.	Inter-mediate.	Total.	Description.
Rumbek	—	—
Khor Ronga	6½	6½	Half mile in width, quite dry by 1stJanuary, 1904. Good water always obtainable from deep pools inswamp at S. edge of khor. Very good track.
Large Gemmeiza tree at SheikhKeli’s old village	11	17½	Two wells close by. Fair water; goodsupply. Track good.
Well in shallow khor on rightedge of track, half mile S. of Jati’s old house	8	25½	Deep well. Indifferent water—thick andmuch discoloured from clayey nature of soil.
Sheikh Mornyang’s house inZeriba	10	35½	Water obtainable close at hand. Goodtrack.
Rihan’s house	7½	43	Water obtainable close at hand.
Sheikh Toinye’s	14	57	Water ½ a mile distant.
Darago’s	7	64	On bank of Naam river.
J. Gurshen (Sheikh Mehl’svillage)	5	69	Water from adjacent khor.
S. G. Post at Sheikh Agon’s	9	78	Water from adjacent khor, also obtainablefrom Naam river.
M’volo	3	81	On edge of Naam river—right bank—atrapids, encircled on land side (E.) by perpendicular high graniterocks.

66.—M’VOLO to KIRO (BAHR EL JEBEL).

By Colonel Sparkes, C.M.G., March, 1901.

Place.	Miles.		Description.
Place.	Inter-mediate.	Total.	Description.
M’volo	3½	—	Site of old Government station on leftbank, no sign of it left. New station now occupied by Governmenttroops. This is a pretty spot. The river, now a tiny stream ofclear water, falls over a mass of rocks and winds through greatboulders, great rocky ridges line either bank, and many deleibpalms assist in the attractiveness of scene. Swarms of guinea fowlabout here.
			Track leaves river and goes E. and passesthrough country more bush than wood, numerous small trees 6 to 10feet high, with light green leaves, called umduti by locals.
Modo Village	2	2	Sheikh Umbo; village burnt by Nyam-NyamSheikh Tembura less than two weeks ago, when he raided wholecountry. Track now to N. of E. District Leizi ends and that ofKremu begins.
Kremu Village and District	1½	3½	One large and threesmall wells here, giving ample supply of fair water, said to be drybefore rains begin, but now in large well 4½ feet of water anddiameter of well 7 feet. Track from Kremu fairly well marked, samesort of country, few more lulu trees. Gentle slopes up and down toplains, swamps in rains. Two khors which have now ample water (19thFebruary, 1901), said to be dry in another month, but a permanentpool called Kulokho reported close by.
Khor Degaga	15	18½
Village (Bufi District begins)	1½	20	Madi village, at present unnamed, beingbuilt to replace one burnt by Nyam-Nyam raiders.
			Cross two khors which would cause sometrouble in rains.
Balabbi Village	4½	24½	Madi village, Sheikh Wanga, in Bufidistrict.
River Rodi or Yei	4	28½	A very fine river when full, now three orfour separate streams, beautifully clear water 6 to 8 inches deep,running through sandy bed. Banks 15 to 20 feet high, and 100 to 150yards apart. River valley as before described, only about ½ milewide here. Lion heard at night, but game not very plentiful. Besttrade goods in Gehri, Sofi, Leizi, Kremu and Bufi districts; clothand beads, then brass, copper wire, or copper.
Bufi	2	30½	A bad road for 2 miles after crossingriver, then old Government station Bufi, on river edge, right bank.Earthwork and ditch about 100 yards square all that remains. Trackaway from river to S.E. through thick bush.
Namusha District	2	32½	Large dura patch and two fair-sizedvillages; now in Namusha district.
	3	35½	Another dura patch and village.
Wira District, late BelgianPost	3½	39	Strike river again at clearing latelyoccupied by Belgians. Trees grow to water’s edge on both banksabout here, a pretty spot. Belgians are known to natives as Tuktuk(Askari) and Kiro as Simsim. No special name for late Belgian post;it is in Wira district.
Dori Village	3½	42½	Track lies E. of S., cutting off bend ofriver, and indifferent going over several dry khors.
Fashitaura	3	45½	Still in Wira district, track beenbending W. of S.
J. Yaira, beginning of TokueraDistrict	1½	47	A mass of black rock about 100 feet highand some 300 yards long, full of caves and used as hiding placesfor natives during raids, is about ½ mile from river. Trees stillto water’s edge, and the wide valleys of rivers further N. seem tohave disappeared. Cross several dry khors.
	2	49	Many deleib palms near river.
Village	2	51	Small village; track lying S.E.
	1	52	Through thick low scrub with no trees forabout 1½ miles.
	3	55	Cross dry khor and through mass of blackrocks which crop up now all along track at intervals; country muchmore up and down, now no longer dead flat.
Village	2	57	Pass through more scrub.
Jebel Dubbo	3	60	Two high peaks of black rock connected byridge, track now to S.W.
Beri-Beri Village DistrictTokuera	3	63	Touch river again first time for 14miles; village about ½ mile from river, now small stream throughrocks, trees to edge both sides.
Amadi	5½	68½	Old Government station, earthwork andditch 200 yards square on river bank, good situation, and villageKeini, Sheikh Niari-Paka, about ¼ mile outside work and few hutsinside. Cross several dry khors en route to old station;country pretty, many elephant tracks. Best trade goods, Tokueradistrict, cloth and beads. Leave River Rodi, the track for Kirolies first to N.E., skirting round N. side of Jebel Dubbo; goingbad until clear of outlying rocks, then fair villages both on E.and W. side of Jebel Dubbo, the former lately burnt by Nyam-Nyamsfrom Makarakaland. Cross two khors running from Jebel to river;many such, now dry, khors with sandy and well defined banks, linedwith trees run into River Rodi, a feature entirely lacking inrivers more to N.
Khor	9	77½	Large dry khor running N. and S.; trackstill to N. and E.
Mandia	1	78½	Sheikh Dia, large compact village withquantity dura grown round it, water in well, never dry.
Numali Village	6	84½	Large village, quantity of dura round;Sheikh Waga-Lanio, intelligent man; ample water from wells, neverdry. Track still to N. of E.; going good, generally bush, few largetrees. One mile to E. after leaving Numali, then N. of E. again,and village Murra, Sheikh Gureh, more commonly called Bilal. Onesmall well ½ mile past village, but gives ample water and reportednever dry.
			Track from here lies to S. a great dealand zigzags a lot, but always trending well S. of E. Fine goingthrough thick bush.
Mudo	10½	95	Sheikh Nier Magura, one well similar tothat of Murra.
Khor	3½	98½	Large khor, now dry, running N. and S.Track now about S.E.
Khor	6	104½	Another large dry khor running N. and S.,with sandy bed, track still to S. of E.
Vura Village	1	105½	Sheikh Di-Aniara; now in Kederu district,people still Madis. Track from here lies to E.
Kederu District, River Tafari	3	108½	Now dry, except for occasional pools;sandy bed about 70 yards wide, banks 8 feet high, apparently doesnot overflow. Natives say water always obtainable by scraping holefew feet deep in sandy bed. Fine trees line banks. Rhinoceros,elephant, buffalo, and various antelopes found near, also partridgeand guinea fowl, but latter very wild.
			From River Tafari track lies S. of E.,and about 5 miles from river we cross to S. of 5° 30′ parallel andproceed through wood, now open and good easy going, now thick, andbad going, cross a few dried up swamps, and pass three villagesdestroyed by fire.
	25	133½	Lulu trees appear again in considerablenumbers.
Nyambara District, Metika Village(small well)	10	143½	Sheikh Volo-Likah of Nyambara tribe (theYambara of Felkin and Junker); small newly opened well here, givingvery limited supply of water, just sufficient for half-pint per man(45 men), but nothing for animals. Up to a few days ago people hadbeen drinking from khors now dry. Between River Tafari and hereabsolutely uninhabited and at this time of the year waterless. Amonth ago ample water would be found in birkas and khors. InNyambara district people now wretchedly poor and miserable, andgenerally bolted at our approach; huts few, small and badly built.From here track lies first to S.E., then to E. (?) through thickbush.
Golela Village	3½	147	Sheikh Galenga-Lembu, fine lookingintelligent man; Nyambaras speak quite a different language toMadis, and appear a low caste of people.
Well (fair supply)	2½	149½	Two and half miles from village, one wellabout 20 feet deep, from which about fifteen gallons can be got.Reported never to fail.
			Track slight N. of E., soil getting sandybarren, much thorn and scrub.
	14	163½	Jebel Lado visible about 25 miles to S.of E. Track again slightly to S. of E. and country still barren anddesolate.
	9½	173	An abandoned Belgian post.
Small well	½	173½	Very limited supply of water, about twogallons obtainable per hour with much difficulty.
Khor	22	195½	Large khor comes in from Bahr ElJebel.
			Track last 20 miles about E. and up khorcountry still a wilderness.
Kiro, Belgian Post	3	198½	To N.E. or khor on river edge. A now drykhor bounds post to N. Post consists of extensive collection ofbrick built houses and huts, and has accommodation for severalhundred men. Surrounded by wooden stockade.
Anglo-Egyptian Post	3	201½	To N. of Belgian Post on water’s edge,stands well above river and surrounded by trees. This post wasabandoned in May, 1901.

N.B.—Distances probably slightly exaggerated, specially from Amadi, as far from there we generally marched by night on account of scarcity of water.

There is only one river worth calling so, between Amadi and the Nile, that is River Tafari, though several dry beds of khors were crossed, which may be considerable streams in rains. River Tafari is said to run into Nile S. of Shambe.