Place.Miles.Description.
Inter-mediate.Total.
Debba——Left Debba at 6 p.m.;country desert with a good deal of mimosa; went about 11 miles andstopped at Bir Kufra, no water but guides stated it existed not farfrom surface.
Bir Kufra (1)1111
Bir Kufra (2)1021Continued due S. at 6a.m.; mimosa ceased, softish sand and sand hills, stopped at 10a.m., at another old well, Bir Kufra (2), but guides state waternon-existent at any depth. Resumed at 4 p.m. and entered big khorrunning N., Bir Gelud Abid. Many trees and dry grass. Off at 6 a.m.Entered Khor Magakha and went on for 4 hours; arrived at Bir AbuSayal, three old water holes, no water (April, 1903), stopped thereat 10 a.m.; resumed at 4 p.m., passing on E. of path Bir Gelud,another old empty water hole. J. Abu Heglig here appears on E. ofpath. Stopped at 8.30 p.m. Off at 4.30 a.m.; arrived at Wabri 9.30a.m. Country for 4 or 5 miles before Wabri very stony and barren;three-stone-lined wells and abundance of water and grazing. Acertain number of Hawawir Arabs watering their flocks, and a fewcamels.
Wabri5374
Bir Kernak1387Off at 5.10 a.m. for Bir Kernak. Thiswell is a bit E. of direct road to Elai. Arrived at 10.10 a.m. Twostone-lined wells about 12 feet deep with abundance of water.
Hassanai1097Off at 4.30 p.m. in a south-westerlydirection; rode for 3½ hours up Wadi Kernak and arrived atHassanai, where there are a few Arab families. There is a hofrahere, where a little water is to be found, but all camels arewatered at Elai or Kernak.
Elai13110Left Hassanai 5.30 a.m. and rode up WadiHassanai, crossed over rocky pass and arrived at Elai at 10.10 a.m.Two stone-lined wells (several disused ones) about 12 feet deep,but contain little water and take 5 hours to fill, about 4 feet indiameter, and want cleaning out very badly.
Stayed at Elai during morning. A longbusiness watering my camels. Left at 2.30 p.m. for Safia, went ontill 7 p.m. Three small hills to E. of track chief land-mark.Gazelle here very numerous.
Khor Hobagi——Off at 2.30 a.m., halted at 8.30 a.m. W.of J. Mutmir. Went on 4 hours in evening due S. Off at 5.30 a.m.,entered Khor Hobagi about 7 a.m. through a very rough agaba. About9 a.m. passed a hofra which contains water during rains. This isthe so-called well of Hobagi; halted 10.15 a.m.
Country very much dried up and verylittle grazing. Went on in afternoon from 3 p.m. till 8.30p.m.
Safia85195Off at 2 a.m.; reached Safia at 12 noon.Abundant supply of water from many wells. Numerous ril or addragazelle, also tracks of wild sheep. Country rocky, much shut in andheat excessive. Much the hardest part of journey.
Stayed at Safia all day, 30 to 40 wells, butnot a great deal of water in each. Water about 20 feet fromsurface. Many Kababish Arabs and a considerable number of camels,cattle and sheep; gazelle very numerous.
Off at 5.30 p.m. for Kagmar,viâ, Haraza hills, where I was told there was water; wentS.E. and stopped for night at 7.30 p.m.
J. Haraza——Off at 4.30 a.m. andarrived at J. Haraza at 8.30 a.m. Road very bad. To get to thesehills one digresses some 15 miles from direct road to Kagmar, andstrikes the range of hills about the middle. There are two wells,but one, Bir Shungul, is high up among the hills and is reached bya very rough track. The second is Bir Sani, 150 feet deep. I thinkthe digression to these wells was a mistake, and would recommendthe direct road.[29]
Bir Sani——
This range of hills is inhabited byNubas, of whom there are said to be some 250. There is certainamount of cultivation.
Travelled 5.7 in the evening.
Travelled towards Kagmar all day, passingJ. Hadid on W. of path, and towards evening catching sight of J.Atshan on the E.
Kagmar81276Arrived at Kagmar in the evening, havingpassed on E. of track J. Atshan and J. Royan.
Water plentiful from here to El Obeid,vide Routes [71] and [83.]
Bara48324
El Obeid38362

82.—SHEGEIG to EL SHOWA, viâ KAGMAR.

By Captain W. Lloyd, November, 1902.

This route is at present but little used, though there is a well-defined track throughout. It forms part of the old road to Darfur and is now used by merchants going to Nahud. From El Showa they go to Um Shidera, and thence, having watered their camels, to Shallota and Nahud.

Place.Miles.Description.
Inter-mediate.Total.
Shegeig——Leaving Zerga wells (where there is alarge fula in the rains), the track is at first hard to pick upowing to the numerous cattle tracks about. Going nearly due W.,Fula Naima is first seen and then Fula Bereinku, 5 miles from Zergawells. The track then goes along a level ridge to the northernshoulder of J. Derish. Good going, plenty of shade andgrazing.
Fula Um Sunta3131A small pool on the N. side of the road.Crossing the ridge, the ground becomes gravelly and in placesstony, for next 6 miles. Kittr bush and a few meika trees thenappear and shade becomes rare. The road crosses Wadi El Kigeira andWadi El Luggud, both of which are swampy in the rains; several saltworkings are passed.
F. Shershar2051A small pool. Sayal bush now commencesand is thick in places to near Um Sayala, when the track becomesdifficult to follow.
Um Sayala7½58½A small Jaalin village with one excellentwell ½ mile S. Good shade near village. Leaving the village thereare two tracks, one to Um Heimeira, one to Id Sabil. The latter isthe shorter.
Id Sabil866½An excellent well 120 feet deep,belonging to Sheikh Abd El Nebi Masud, a Baghdadi. Two hundredyards N. of the well is a clump of dom palms which form a good landmark.
The whole way to Kajmar from here thereis little or no shade. The soil is red sand with plenty of grassand marakh bush.
Old Um Sayala571½Now in ruins. From here there is a trackgoing S.W. to J. Maganus.
Fadlia6½78A small Walad Dagoi village, one goodwell. From here there are roads to Abu Tabr and J. Maganus. Leavingthe well, there is at first no track, but J. Atmur is seen infront.
J. Atmur684A small quartz rock with fula and goodshade on the S. side. Good track.
Um Guerfa (Hella El Sheikh)1599A large village with two excellent wells,95 feet deep, at which several hundred sheep and goats water daily;there are several small hellas near. Leaving the main hella, a goodwell is passed 1 mile on, and another 2 miles beyond.
Harais Well5½104½A good well belonging to the Zaghawavillage 1 mile N. of road. From here J. Gahania is seen due W. Thedirect road crosses the col between the two most northerlyhills.
Gahania8½113A Zaghawa village on the N. side ofjebel. The wells (one sweet, remainder salt) are 1 mile S. of thejebel. Thence to J. Kagmar there are many heglig trees, but allgrass is eaten down soon after the rains by the large herdswatered.
Kagmar6119A Zaghawa village. The wells are on theS. side of the jebel at the bottom of Wadi El Sigai. Plenty of goodshade and grazing in the wadi. Leaving the wells, the track goesover a bare plain for 4 miles. The country then becomes undulatingfor 5 miles. Steep soft sandy hills. Marakh on the hills, sayal inthe bottoms. Bad going. The remainder of the road to Shershar isover nearly level country. Bush thick in places.
Shershar Wells16135The wells, 40 feet deep, are excellent,with good shade and grazing. The villages are to the W. Leaving thewells, the road passes three villages and many salt wells, and thentrends S.W. through slightly undulating country, little shade,heavy going.
Um Hashim Bakhit10145Two small Ferharana villages with twowells 130 feet deep. Much cultivation. Passing a hella calledRubshan, much sayal bush is seen.
Wad Medina6151A large village, Sheikh Mohammed WadMedina, four good wells and much cultivation.
Um Hashim Simaui7158Good track, over level country. At thisvillage there is a good well. Sheikh Timsa Simaui, a Hababin Arab.The track continues in a south-westerly direction to
El Showa10½168½Two villages with a very good well. Fromthere there are roads, W. to El Gleit or Um Shidera and S. to ElObeid. The bush in the vicinity consists of marakh and sayal.Plenty of grazing.

83.—BARA to KAGMAR.

By Captain W. Lloyd, March, 1900; with Additions in December, 1903.

Place.Miles.Description.
Inter-mediate.Total.
Bara——Road at first through much ushur bush N.by E. Slightly undulating country; good track.
El Hadid1515One good well, 60 feet, and smallFaharana village. Track crosses several ridges until a largewell-defined one is crossed called El Khran, then along the base.Marakh and nabbag bush; little shade.
J. Homra2338Small jebel; on S.W. side there is asmall Dar Hamid village, and two wells 10 feet deep; good water.Track passes E. of jebel. Open country; little shade.
J. Filleiha644Low rock jebel, sand much piled up on N.side. On S. side, a Dar Hamid village and well 10 feet deep. Manyold wells. Dom palms and castor oil plants. Good shade. Trackpasses to E. of jebel in Wadi El Sigai, between low ridges. J.Kagmar seen in front; good track. Some shade and good grazing.
Kagmar7½51½Small Zaghawa village. Many wells 10 to20 feet deep; water practically unlimited. Many Kababish campsnear, and hundreds of camels water daily. Good grazing in the wadi,none elsewhere. Onions procurable from garden near wells. Muchcultivation.

84.—EL OBEID to FOGA, viâ MASRUB.

By Captain W. Lloyd, October, 1900.