Compiled from Various Sources, April, 1903.
(Distances only roughly approximate).
| Place. | Miles. | Description. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inter-mediate. | Total. | ||
| Debba | — | — | |
| Um Belila | 35 | 35 | Hole in sandy bed of wadi, about 12 feetdown to water’s edge. Excellent water and any quantity, amountdepends on digging. |
| El Amra | 43 | 78 | Water good andplentiful, obtainable by digging in sandy bed of wadi. From hereduring the rains travellers go to Hobagi, where there is a hofrawhich contains no water in the dry season. |
| Hobagi | 67 | 145 | |
| Haraza | 60 | 205 | Water good and plentiful from a spring atfoot of jebel. From thence viâ Kajmar to El Obeid.Vide also [route 81,] Chap.VIII. |
N.B.—During the dry season, merchants do not travel viâ Hobagi, as the hofra there is then dry. A considerable détour is made from El Amra to Elai, thence to Habisa, where there many wells, and thence to Bagbag Wells and Kajmar.
110.—DEBBA to OMDURMAN.
Major H. V. Ravenscroft, January, 1900.
| Place. | Miles. | Description. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inter-mediate. | Total. | ||
| Debba Camp | — | — | On leaving camp, a southerly direction istaken over sandy ground, leaving Wadi El Melh on right. |
| J. Khattab | 7 | 7 | Hill on either side of track. |
| J. Kufri | 3 | 10 | Two wells on track, one in use, recentlyrepaired by Government. |
| J. Birget El Merafib | 11 | 21 | Water about 55 feet from surface; norope, so could not taste it. Six miles from left of track. |
| Open desert. | |||
| Kaser El Fokani | 4 | 25 | One old well called Atesh, closed for along time. Well-marked track. |
| Khor Kaser | 1 | 26 | On right of track, 400 yards wide. Afterthis the road runs in khor for 10 miles, as far as El Magari. |
| El Magari | 10⅔ | 36⅔ | |
| J. Nesub El Arda | 8 | 44⅔ | Range of hills 1½ miles from right oftrack. After this the hills gradually close in to right oftrack. |
| 3⅓ | 48 | Track passes over low hills. Nesub ElArda 80 feet high. After ½ mile another small detached hill,similar to El Magari, and low hills on right, 400 yards fromtrack. | |
| Wadi Maleiga | 2 | 50 | Good grazing for camels. |
| Abu Sayal | 4 | 54 | Good water in small khor about 600 yardsfrom right of track can be got for a distance of 150 yards bydigging 8 feet to 10 feet from surface. One small green tree andusher bushes mark spot. Water at present plentiful, but guidesstate that in dry season supply becomes small. No people here. |
| J. Nesub El Gelud | 1⅓ | 55⅓ | Range of hills 1,500 yards on right oftrack. No more hills on left. |
| Wadi Gelud | 1⅔ | 57 | One well reported under hill, supplysmall in dry season, about 3 miles from right of track. Khor 500yards wide. Good grazing for camels. |
| Ereishat | 5⅔ | 62⅔ | Dry grass and a few bushes. In Gordon’stime there was a large shelter here for travellers andmerchants. |
| J. Nesub El Shabra | — | — | Three miles from right of track. Acontinuous range of low hills on right. Open country on left. |
| J. Abu Sideir | 2⅔ | 65⅓ | Two miles from right of track. From herea track to El Boreiga winds off ½ mile right. |
| Khor Abu Sideir | 3⅓ | 66⅔ | 1,000 yards wide; good grazing forcamels. Range of black hills 3 miles from right of track. After 1⅓miles track crosses another piece of Khor Abu Sideir and two othersmall khors, the hills on right being then 6 miles off; on leftflat open country. |
| Wadi Umanagil | 6 | 72⅔ | After this low rangeof hills 600 yards from and parallel to track, a few flocks grazinghere in Khor Boreiga. Good water in khor to be obtained for adistance by digging 10 feet from surface. |
| Abu Heglig (water) | 2 | 74⅔ | |
| Khor 600 yards to 800 yards wide; goodgrazing; six wells in use here. | |||
| 2 | 76⅔ | Track passes through gap in spur runningfrom two hills called Um Kheirit and El Wabri, 2 miles from rightof track. J. El Minget (perhaps 30 miles distant) visible on left;salt is obtained from this mountain. | |
| Khor Wabri | 1⅓ | 80 | Hills 4 miles from right of track. Waterin khor like a canal, 4 yards broad, and 4 feet 6 inches in depth.After this open desert; rain marks; no track. |
| 2⅓ | 82⅓ | Small low sand hills on either side ofthe track. Going a little heavy for first time since leavingDebba. | |
| Wadi Abu Hashim | 5 | 87⅓ | Broad khor; some grass and bushes; goodgoing; open desert on both sides. |
| Dondib El Gedi | 1 | 88⅓ | Old halting place, a few bushes on eitherside of track. After heavy rains Arabs used to sow dura here. |
| Wadi Drais | 1⅔ | 90 | Low hill 1½ miles long, 1 mile from leftof track; well reported by guide under hill, spot marked by bigtree; well not in use. This well is in Wadi Abu Usher. |
| Wadi Abu Usher | 2⅓ | 92⅓ | Broad khor, dry grass and usher bushes.J. Abu Usher 1 mile from right of track; long black hill. |
| Khor Derail | 2⅔ | 95 | Small khor; black rocks and hills onright of track. |
| Abu Inderab | 2 | 97 | One well in khor in a sort of cave 15feet deep; water plentiful, very clear and sweet. Men have todescend into the cave to get water, which is 2½, feet deep; guidereports water plentiful here at all times of the year. Sides ofcave hard sandy clay; diameter of cave at surface 6 feet, openingout as you go down. Khor 120 yards wide. Usher bushes and somegrazing for camels. Range of black hills 200 feet to 300 feet high,2½ miles from track on right and remaining parallel with it. |
| Khor El Kelab (Warrania) | 3½ | 100½ | Broad khor, a lot of usher bushes, nearlyall dying. J. El Kelab 3 miles from right of track, with low rangeof black hills between track and it. Track in khor for 1⅓miles. |
| Khor El Kelab (Godamia) | 1⅓ | 101⅚ | Joins Khor El Kelab (Warrania), and thetwo khors then run east on left of track. Jebel El Kelab acontinuous range 4 miles long, and 2 miles to 3 miles from right oftrack. |
| 3⅔ | 105½ | Beginning of J. Gumr 1 mile from right oftrack. Going sandy and good; tufts of dry grass. | |
| Wadi Gumr (water) | 2⅔ | 108⅙ | To east of track, in khor, good place forsowing dura after heavy rains. Excellent grazing about 3 miles westof track; water very near surface and can always be got in khor bydigging. A few Arabs here. Range of hills, J. Gumr, 1½ miles fromright of track. |
| J. Maagil Gumr | 3 | 111⅙ | One thousand yards from left of track,with low spur running down to track, and another running parallelwith road for 1½ miles. |
| 1 | 112⅙ | Low hill on right, close to track, ½ milelong. | |
| ⅔ | 112⅚ | Continuous range of hills on right 3miles off. A gap opposite here, 300 yards long, called Feg Gumr. J.Wad El Melih begins after Feg Wadi Gumr. Wadi Gumr runs under rangeparallel to it. | |
| Um Aragib | 1⅓ | 114⅙ | On left of track; bushes, black stones;good going on ten to twelve camel tracks. Hill on right 5 milesdistant. |
| J. Maagil Wad El Melih | 3⅓ | 117½ | Small hill 300 yards from right of track,with prominent point 60 feet high. |
| Khor Wad El Melih | 1½ | 119 | Many dead usher bushes. |
| 1½ | 120½ | On right, range of hills, after being 10miles distant, comes in to within ½ mile of track, and from hereruns parallel with it. | |
| 2 | 122½ | End of J. Wad El Melih 1½ miles fromright of track, after this J. El Shab. | |
| Khor El Shab | 3⅓ | 125⅚ | El Shab 2½ miles from right of track;good going. |
| Khor Abu Usher | 3 | 128⅚ | Small khor; dying osier bushes, somegrazing. Hills on right, 6 miles off. Khor on right winding from S.crosses track here. |
| Well on right of road, no water, only inrainy season. | |||
| Khor Abuera | 4 | 132⅚ | Running from J. Abuera about 10 miles onright, khor finishes here, none on left of track. Excellent going,well marked track, rain marks, flat open country, nothing insight. |
| Khor Bohat | 7⅔ | 140½ | Small khor, some bushes. J. Bohat 10miles on right. |
| Gedemtina | 3 | 143½ | Old halting place. A few bushes, hard,sandy. |
| 4⅓ | 147⅚ | Wadi Gabra on left, about 3 miles off;this khor stretches to Korti. | |
| Wadi Medeisis | 1⅔ | 149½ | From hill on right joins Wadi Gabra, 2miles from left of track. |
| Gabra Wells | 6⅓ | 155⅚ | Four wells, water always plentiful, verysweet and clear, 55 feet from surface; many flocks and some cowswater here; wells in open space in middle of thick trees, withzeriba for flocks. |
| Before arriving at wells track for 4miles through trees, mostly sunt, and nearly all dying; plenty ofdry wood. Dervish zeriba S. of wells with Yunis’ house in centreand tukls of the Jehadia round it. | |||
| 2 | 157⅚ | Up to here marked track, after this onlyvisible at places owing to sand covering footprints on hard ground;uneven, but going good; bushes and grass everywhere; good grazing;gazelle. | |
| Gerguf | 3 | 160⅚ | |
| Goz Abu Dluet | 5⅓ | 166⅙ | Excellent dry grass and bushes for camelgrazing. |
| El Hanakat | 4 | 170⅙ | Low spur on either side of track, whichis more distinct here and in a sort of khor 80 yards wide full ofgreen bushes. |
| El Shegeig | 2⅔ | 172⅚ | About 1 mile on left of track; thicktrees. |
| Id Anal | 4⅓ | 177⅙ | Sandy; trees and grass; ground slightlyundulating. |
| Khor Id Anal | 3⅓ | 180½ | Very narrow khor; rain marks; sandygoing. |
| Gala Fashfos | 8⅓ | 188⅚ | Main peak of Omdurman mountain in sight(Abu Leidat). |
| 2 | 190⅚ | Small round hill (El Gesi) on left, 3miles off. | |
| El Hafir | 1⅓ | 192⅙ | J. El Magrun on left. |
| El Auti | 7⅓ | 199½ | J. Abu Leidat on left. |
| El Adara | 1 | 200½ | |
| 1 | 201½ | Track goes between Merkhiat Hills. | |
| J. Nesub El Merkhiat | 1 | 202½ | One isolated hill 1,000 yards from leftof track. |
| Merkhiat Hills on right. | |||
| 1⅓ | 204⅙ | Track passes through gap in Nesub ElMerkhiat, one hill on left close to path, on right hills come downclose to track. | |
| 2⅔ | 206⅚ | Rifle ranges 1,200 yards on right. Goingsandy, heavier than during any other part of route. | |
| Omdurman | 1⅔ | 208½ | Beginning of houses. |
Note.—There are only four places on this road which can be relied on for water at all times of the year, viz., Wabri, Abu Inderab, Gumr, and Gabra.
111.—DEBBA to OMDURMAN, viâ ELAI.
Compiled from Various Sources, April, 1903.