Place.Miles.Description.
Inter-mediate.Total.
Obeid——The road leaves the town in anorth-westerly direction over sandy ground. On reaching the highground, J. Meitan and J. Abu Sinun are seen in line. Track good,bush not very thick. A few bad places in the rains.
The road leads to the S. end of
J. Abu Sinun2222J. Abu Sinun. Here there are two fulas,both about 100 yards by 50 yards, but shallow and will soon be dry.There is a deep crack on the S. side of the jebel in a rock, knownto the arabs, which now contains a good deal of water, buckets andropes are required. There is now no track. Thick bush. J. UmShidera can be seen to the N.W. from the high ground S. of thejebel.
Hella Shiheita15½37½A small Baza hella; no well. There is nowa good track.
Hella Ushut340½A small Nimr hella; no wells; trackgood.
Um Shidera10½51The wells are in a hollow S.W. of thejebel, eight good wells open, 30 feet deep, plenty of water, manyold wells. The hella is ¾ mile N.W. People belong to Dar Hamid. Thetrack now turns nearly N.N.W.
El Gleit13½64½A small hella, Dar Hamid. The wells arein a hollow ¾ mile N., at the base of the jebel. Ten wells open, 25feet deep; good water, but not very plentiful; many old ones about.There is a road from here to El Sheg. The track now goes N. and N.by W. for 11 miles, and then W. over hard red sand.
Masrub1579½A small hella, Dar Hamid, justbuilt.
Masrub Wells4½84The track goes N. to the wells; two goodwells, 5 feet in diameter, 30 feet deep; eight old ones near.
There is now no track. March N.W. for 6miles, and then W. through level country, with little bush over redsandy soil. At the 14th mile a ridge (running N. and S.) 50 or 60feet high is ascended. There is now a good track (J. Um Hashas isN.N.E.) over undulating ground. Two miles beyond the ridge the roadturns S.W.
J. Idris35119A hill 100 feet high; 1½ miles from N. toS., the track goes over the col between two peaks.
Bur Islam15½134½Eight fulas 20 to 30 yards in diameter,and 4 or 5 feet deep; water reported to last three months, thenwells are dug a few feet deep, but water never lasts until therains. Several Hamar hellas near. Bur Islam is a low lying place,swampy in the rains. “Bur” means uncultivated.
There is no track, the direction isnearly W. and W.S.W., through bush for 31 miles, when a good trackis struck.
Um Sayala35169½A small Hamar village; no well; tebelditrees. People get water from near J. Bishara Taib. Good track N.W.,past a fula now nearly dry, 100 yards by 80 yards. There are manyold wells.
J. Bishara Taib4173½The track goes over a col, N. of thehighest peak, through some old stone walls, said to have been Fungfortifications. Good track.
Hella Ibrahim1½175Small Hamar hella, water from Foga. Goodtrack.
Foga1½176½Foga wells; these wells consist really ofa series of fulas, 30 to 40 feet in diameter; there are over 30 ina depression. When the water gives out the people dig wells in thebottom, and these supply water for the rest of the year.
The only ruins of the old town I couldfind, were two small houses said to have been the telegraph officeand magazine. The old telegraph line cannot be traced. Vide R.’s[85] and [87.]

N.B.—The whole of this road is said to be passable to camels in the rains, but there would probably be a good deal of difficulty 8 miles from El Obeid, near Abu Sinun, and near Bur Islam.

85.—EL OBEID to FOGA viâ UM SHEMMA, GLEIT, MASRUB AND GURADI.

By Captain B. C. Carter, Lancashire Fusiliers, March, 1902.

This route is longer than [Route 84,] but there is more water.

Place.Miles.Description.
Inter-mediate.Total.
El Obeid——The track isdifficult to pick up in leaving El Obeid, but fairly goodafterwards. Country slightly rolling and open. Soil light sand, andgood going. Grazing good. Fairly grassed. At Um Shemma three wells,broken; 100 to 120 feet deep. Seem to water a good many cattle.Wells 3 miles beyond village.
Um Shemma3232
El Sheg or Gebir1951No track at first over rolling country,fairly open. Marakh bushes and talh. Seven miles from wells, abroad track is cut running to El Sheg or Gebir. Two or threescattered villages with cultivation. Good water supply from thewells 160 feet deep. Seem to water a lot of goats and sheep.
El Gleit1768I believe there is a good track all theway to El Gleit[30], but my guide lost his way. Country dipsdown and becomes rather close thornbush to within about 6 miles ofEl Gleit, when it opens again. Scattered villages and cultivation.Many wells in a khor, some salt. Water supply permanent but scanty;should water twenty camels. Good view of surrounding country fromthe jebel which seems to be called Angag or Gleit.
Masrub Wells1886Broad track to Masrub through opencountry, little grass, talh, hashab and heglig; two small villages.Wells in khor, three in number, 11 feet. Water supply scanty. Ittook 3 hours to water nine camels. No grazing this year. From herethere is no water till Guradi.
Guradi or Abu Agaga47133No track. First point is J. Um Has Has.Rolling open country. A lot of heglig trees near the jebel. J.Katul and Kaja visible all the way. Passing Wadi Melowa the countryrises gently. Two paths are crossed. The first comes from J. Subariwhere the people get salt. The second goes from Katul to Nahud. Nowater save in tebeldi trees from Um Has Has, J. Selatia.From this ridge the two small jebels of Guradi, behind which lie the wells arevisible. Below the ridge is a shallow depression about 2 milesacross which becomes a fula in the rains and should hold a lot ofwater. Country all much the same open and rolling in parts. Lightsandy soil. About a dozen wells lie close together 20 feet deep.Water comes slowly. Might water a company of Camel Corps if wellswere seized over night, but ordinarily not more than 15 or 20camels. Grazing poor. Tracks lead to Kaja and Hofra. Latter villagehas no water. Bir Soderi water plentiful.
Foga70203From Guradi to Foga no water. Countryrolling open steppe. Very heavy going for about 8 miles beforereaching track between Hofra and Foga. This line is evidentlyshorter and better than the old road. No track at first butsteering easy as J. Nagut is always visible. Track when reached isbroad and well worn. From J. Sheikh El Rifa going becomes mucheasier, nearly all shok is avoided by this route. At Foga manywells, but water scarce after January. Vide R.’s [84] and [87.]

86.—ABU AGAGA to BARA.

By Captain J. R. O’Connell, January, 1902.

Place.Miles.Description.
Inter-mediate.Total.
Abu Agaga——Marching due E., after 6 miles, pass J.Selatia. No track, bare plain; then march a little E. of S. on J.Um Has Has.
J. Um Has Has2727After passing the jebel, turn due S.through thick bush.
Masrub1441A small village. Two wells, 20 feet deep,good water. Ten and a half hours from Abu Agaga. Leaving Masrub andmarching due E., after 15 miles, one passes south of Jebel Muaigato
Megeinis2465Megeinis, a village. No water, people usemelons instead. About 1½ miles north of the village are two smallhills. Five and a half hours from Masrub; no track.
Leaving a track leads due E. throughthick bush.
Um Daioka1580A village of Arafia Arabs. Wells 1 mileN. of village called Lowai; 100 feet deep, plenty of water, but notgood. Three and a half hours from Megeinis. Track now goesN.E.
Rubshan989Village. Water good. Track turns S.E.through thick bush.
Marra897Village of Arafia Arabs. Shiekh, AhmedOmar. Water not good. Track goes N.E.
Khar Tauil11108Good water in plenty near surface:gardens, old fig and lime trees; a few vines. A few Danagla livehere. Six and a half hours from Um Daioka.
Bara10118A broad track goes due E. over highridges of red sand to Bara. No trees. Two and a half hours fromKhor Tauil.

87.—FOGA to KAJA (BIR SODERI).