95.—EL OBEID to NAHUD (DIRECT ROAD).
By Captain E. G. Meyricke, R.E., November, 1903.
| Place. | Miles. | Description. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inter-mediate. | Total. | ||
| El Obeid | — | — | The road goes offalmost due W., and runs over an undulating plain, at first open andcovered with dura cultivation, and then covered with small andthorny shrubs. There are several villages to right and left ofroad. Village here consisting of about 60 tukls. From here the roadgoes straight to Jebel Abu Sinun. The water here is obtained fromtebeldi trees, and there are some large fulas some distance away,one of which was not dry in December, although there had beenlittle rain (1903). Four miles further on one arrives at a largefula; it contained no water in December. This road now passes ElAbiad, where water is obtained from a few tebeldis and from distantfulas. |
| Um Doma | 12 | 12 | |
| Monzuka | 8¾ | 20¾ | Monzuka is reached, asmall village, water obtained from tebeldi trees in smallquantities, and about 2 miles further on we came to the remains ofa village which was formerly called Um Banda. The nature of thecountry, throughout undulating, is a sandy plain covered withthorny bushes (notdense) and a few trees, and it remains so until at mile 42 onearrives at Um Sumaima, where there are tukls and people. |
| Um Sumaima | 21¼ | 42 | |
| Dudia | 16 | 58 | There are many fulas on both sides of UmSumaima. The tebeldi trees give only a very limited supply ofwater, but I was told there was a village named Nethrea not far offin a southerly direction, where there was more than one well. Afterleaving Um Sumaima the road passes many fulas and khors, now quitedry. The bush becomes a little thicker and there are many moretrees, but there is no difficulty in clearing. About 7½ miles fromUm Sumaima you see traces of the old telegraph line in the shape ofthe bases of iron poles, one or two of which are still standing,but the majority are lying along the road. Trees are now numerous,and one reaches Dudia at mile 58. There are many tebeldi treeshere, but there is no one living here now. |
| Huoi | 13¼ | 71¼ | The trees are more numerous and the bushthicker here. Huoi like Dudia has many tebeldi trees, and there isa big fula, but there was no water in December. There is no villagehere now and no people. |
| Merkab | 22 | 93¼ | Continuing, the road passes Merkab, avillage started this year (1903). Here there are many tebeldi treesand about 10 tukls. Chickens may be obtained here, but only, say,two at a time. The road here runs through a network of thorny,though small, trees, a good bit higher than a man on a camel, andit would be unpleasant travelling by night. |
| Manwissa | 9 | 102¼ | The thorny trees end before arrival atManwissa, where there is a village, and the country is now coveredwith scattered trees and thin bush. |
| Um Farigh | 5½ | 107¾ | Manwissa, Um Farigh,and Goda are in a district called Sheikh El Dud. All round herethere are dukhn crops; water is obtained from tebeldi trees. Thesevillages are small ones. Goda contains about 60 tukls, while 4miles from Goda, Sudda, a small village, is reached, the face ofthe country remaining unchanged. |
| Goda | 2½ | 110¼ | |
| Sudda | 4 | 114¼ | |
| Abu Dagal | 1 | 115¼ | Abu Dagal is reachedshortly afterwards, and after ascending an elevation on which thetrees are much more numerous, the road descends to Nahud. Water isobtained from wells, but some of it has very acid properties. Thistown is about the same size and of the same population as El Obeid.The country all round is open. |
| Nahud | 15½ | 130¾ | |
96.—EL OBEID to NAHUD, viâ ABU ZABBAT.
By Captain W. Lloyd, April and October, 1900, and Captain C. H. Townsend, 1901 and 1902.
| Place. | Miles. | Description. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inter-mediate. | Total. | ||
| El Obeid | — | — | The S.W. road is taken. Good track,little bush. Plenty of grazing. Country slightly undulating. Sandysoil. |
| Abu Haraz | 25 | 25 | Small village. Wells in the khor. Poolsof water last till end of October. There are some in the old townand some in the khor. Latter are best. Good shade. Leaving thevillage the bush becomes thicker, but there is a good track. |
| Um Geiga | 7 | 32 | One bad well situated on the side of awide khor. A mile down this khor is Um Gurus. Here there are threewells which generally contain enough water for 30 camels. The sandin the khor is very soft. Leaving Um Geiga the track ascends atfirst. Bush thick, many tebeldi trees about. |
| Khor Sulfan | 10 | 42 | A wide shallow khor. Bush very thick.This khor should be crossed by daylight if possible. The track nowbecomes good, and the bush, though thick, does not interfere withtransport. |
| El Saata | 18½ | 60½ | A ruined Hamar village. Many tebeldisabout, some of which have been used for storing water. Oldwells. |
| The country now becomes nearly level, andis covered with ebony trees. Good shade when in leaf, but none inthe hot weather. White ants swarm. | |||
| Um Galb | 22 | 82½ | A small village on the edge of a swamp.The village and wells are 1 mile to the S. of the road. Waterplentiful. The track now passes along a ridge of red sand. |
| Abu Zabbat | 6 | 88½ | A Hamar and Bederia village on the sandyhill. To the S. is a large swamp in which are the wells, 25 to 30feet deep. Water usually plentiful. Much dura cultivation. Smallsuk. Many cattle, sheep, and goats. Good rest house. |
| It is very difficult to find one’s wayout of the village, and a local guide should be taken until themain road is reached, as tracks lead in all directions. The trackbears N.W. | |||
| Um Dugran | 5 | 93½ | A small village; much cultivation about,chiefly dukhn. The track crosses several khors, but none arebad. |
| J. Howawag | 32 | 125½ | A low hill on the S. side of theroad. |
| Um Regulti | 6 | 131½ | A small Hamar village, only occupiedduring the rains. No well. There is a good deal of hashab bushabout. Further on arad trees are met, they have no thorns. |
| Um Genglit | 8 | 139½ | A similar village to Um Regulti. |
| J. Wad Abu Agala | 4 | 143½ | A few low hills to the N. of thetrack. |
| Nahud | 10½ | 154 | For description, see Routes[19,] [30,] and Vol. I,[Chap. VIII.] |
97.—EL OBEID to EL EDDAIYA, viâ SUNGIKAI.
By Captain W. Lloyd, April, 1900; and Captain C. H. Townsend, E. Surrey Regiment, 1901.
| Place. | Miles. | Description. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inter-mediate. | Total. | ||
| El Obeid | — | — | For route El Obeid to Sungikai,vide [Route 17.] |
| Sungikai | 72 | 72 | The track, which is good, leaves thewells in a south-westerly direction. The country is fairly level,but much cut up by khors. Low rocky hills are seen on all sides.The bush on both sides is thick, but horses can move without muchdifficulty. Many of the hills, now deserted, show signs of formerNuba occupants. |
| J. Kudr | 16½ | 88½ | A Nuba village on the hill. Water on thehill and in a well at the foot. The track now winds between manyhills. |
| J. Saboi | 7½ | 96 | Nearly due W. of J. Kudr. A Nuba villageon the hill. Three wells and some pools. No supplies wereobtainable. The bush becomes thick in places. |
| J. Kasha | 14 | 110 | Large Nuba village on the hill. Aplentiful supply of indifferent water from wells, about one milefrom the village. The inhabitants are fairly well off and some ofthem go to the suk at Abu Zabbat. The men carry spears and rifles;they have a number of the latter. |
| J. Shifr | 6½ | 116½ | A Nuba hill. Water plentiful in wells inthe khor on the N. side of hill, and has much improved. Good camp.The bush continues bad all the way to Kubgr. |
| El Sinut | 21 | 137½ | A depression of black soil. On theborders are many Messeria camps. In the rains the depression is aswamp, covered with long grass and ambach. Sunt trees abound. Thereare many wells about 40 feet deep, which are used in summer. Thereis a small market. During the rains the people wander off to placeswhere there are rain pools and cultivate. |
| El Seneita | 9 | 146½ | The track runs S.W., leaving the villageto the N., and a swamp, similar to El Sinut, containing the wells,to the S. The village is on high ground and on sandy soil. Trackleads S.S.W. through very thick bush. |
| Toto | 17½ | 164 | A swamp, similar to El Sinut. Many wells30 to 40 feet deep, giving a plentiful supply of water. Good shade,some gullum. Many Messeria camps about. Bush thick and the cottonsoil much cracked in places. The track now turns N.W. for two milesand then W. Some cultivation is passed belonging to a smallMesseria village, Ardeb by name, which lies to the N. of thetrack. |
| J. Kubgr | 17 | 181 | There are many wells on the N. side ofthe hill, though only two on the S. side. From here the followingjebels are visible, they are all close and under Mek Abu Dugal ofKubgr:—J. Shenshal, J. Abu Gerein, J. Umbosha, and J. Seigo. To theN. of the hill, and about two miles from it, is a Beni Fadl villagenamed Shallo. The people drink from J. Kubgr. There is a directroad from Kubgr, viâ Shallo, to Nahud. |
| El Eddaiya | 30 | 211 | A collection of villages, all under anOmda, Safi Negm El Din, by name. The main village, which is thelargest, is close to the wells, which are numerous and lie in adepression, and give a plentiful supply of water at a depth of from10 to 30 feet, small hand-wheels being used to draw it up. Thereare many good gardens here and, at certain seasons, a plentifulsupply of vegetables is obtainable. The population is very mixed,there being Homr, Hamar, Messeria, Bederia, also some Dongolawisand Jaalin. The Homr belong chiefly to the Felaita section, andthey have several villages, the chief of these being Mumu, about 12miles W. of El Eddaiya. There is a Bashibazuk post of 50 men here,and a small market. This is the starting point for the Bahr ElArab, Dar Jangé, Dar Fertit, and Shakka. Traders going S. and W.from here proceed on donkeys and cattle, camels being littleused. |