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.
Gore			Gore is described elsewhere. It issurrounded by hills, some of which appear to be of nearly equalheight. Country thickly wooded, but being cleared forcultivation.
	2½	2½	Track from here gets bad, going throughforest and over a khor, east bank of which is very steep anddifficult.
	3½	6	Forest gets very thick and tangled, rootsand fallen trees lying across track. Hills very steep.
	3	9	Forest gets thinner, and glimpses of Gorecan be had. Villages also appear in the open clearings. Some of therivers hereabouts are bridged, but the bridges are very bad anddangerous for animals, which can in dry season cross byfording.
Rest house	3¼	12¼	House where travellers generally stopfirst march out from Gore, or last march in.
	1⅛	13⅜	Rocky river bed to cross. Route for next6 miles is hilly and thickly wooded; several rivers to cross,mostly with rocky bottoms.
	5⅝	19	Beginning of Bure district; country muchmore open and thickly populated and cultivated; track much lesshilly and wider.
	5⅞	24⅞	Market place on top of a hill; markettwice a week.
Ato Melka’s house	4⅝	29½	Track much better here and hills notdifficult, country cleared of trees to great extent and muchcultivated.
	1	30½	Market place.
Ato Takallé’s house	5⅞	36⅜	Situated on a hill. River to cross justbefore reaching it. Takallé is governor of all Bure, and is chargedwith guarding the pass at Goma, which leads up from the Barocountry.
Guard	4	40⅜	Guard house on hill (tukls and a “hosh”).Officer stationed here with about 30 men to guard the pass andreport all arrivals and departures to the Ras.
Goma	6	46⅜	Rest houses on the top of pass. Descentfor first two miles very difficult, track winding amongst bouldersand large rocky slabs. It is necessary to use one’s hands and kneesin getting up some of the places.
	2⅛	48½	Enter forest and cross mountain torrent,which would probably be impassable after heavy rains. From heredown to the Baro ford is not difficult, though tiring, and, exceptfor one or two bad ravines, loaded animals can get along withoutmuch difficulty.
River Baro (ford)	4	52½	Baro Ford spanned by a very rickettywooden bridge, which is no longer safe. Animals and men crossriver-bed in dry season: 3-4 feet of water. Crossing very difficultowing to rocky uneven bottom and strong current, river here beingsuccession of rapids. After crossing Baro, track leaves river andruns round hill, joining river again about 4 miles further on, fromwhence track follows river more or less closely as far as
Gambela	12	64½	Long scattered district, villages mostlyon R. bank; a few small villages hidden in the forest on L. bank,inhabitants of which fled on appearance of Abyssinians. Recognisedferry here, two dug-outs. River, however, fordable for animals(January 14). Thick forest both banks. River full of hippos andcrocodiles. Track leaves river here and runs about a mile inland asfar as
R. Bonga	1½	66	10 yards wide, 10 feet banks, and 1 to 2feet water. Sandy bottom and passage easy. The regular trackwestwards from Gambela is on R. bank. I, however, followed L. bankto investigate. Gambela is called by the Anuaks Egelo. Track fromhere very bad, almost nonexisting, it being necessary to hew a waythrough the jungle in places. Ground very rocky at foot of smallhills.
River Ichok	11	77
River Wonkai	1½	78½
River Wangd Wong	1	79½
River Wanten	¾	80¼	All above dry (February, 1904). Widthfrom 20 to 50 yards. Sandy bottoms and steep banks. Must be quiteimpassable after heavy rains, but Anuaks say that they quicklydrain off.
Ile de Faidherbe	½	80¾	Series of rapids and small islands in dryseason. Site where steamer was stranded marked by huge stone like atomb-stone, 10 feet high, on a grass-covered island, which issubmerged at high Nile. Anuaks and Abyssinians say the Faidherbewas carried away about three months after being left there, inthree pieces, by Joti’s and Tesemma’s men, 200 to 300 men carryinga section on a tree trunk. Traces of broad track cleared for thispurpose on river bank noticeable now. Small village right, track onleft very bad, runs through long grass and forest to beginningof
Finkio (Penkio) (site of TradingStation)	7¾	88½	Finkio; nativespronounce it Finkio, not Penkio. Villages, i.e., clustersof huts or homesteads all along river here onwards. Names ofvillages marked on map are misleading, as the name applies to adistrict perhaps 10 miles long. A shorter track exists from nearOgara to Itang, but I could not take it, as it was past mid-day,and I had to halt on water. Track on to Itang from Nyokwar verybad, as it follows all bends of river except in one place, andground is a succession of small deep gullies that are impassablefor transport unless ramped, or marched round.
Nyokwar	14½	103
Ideni	14½	117½	Beginning of district of Ideni R. andItang L.
Itang	3	120½	Eastern boundary of Itang Enclave. SheikhGelo, brother-in-law of Sheikh Nagor, of Ideni. Gelo is much fearedby Anuaks, whoapproach his presence on all fours. Baro fordable here (February),2 to 3 feet deep. Fine Gemmeiza trees at Itang, and good forest offuel trees in vicinity.
			Most of these distances will not comparewith the map, as there is no regular track on left bank. Owing toswampy nature of country in rains, track continually changes asfresh ground becomes passable and country dries up and gets burnt.Track in places dangerous, as it runs through dense long grass,within a foot of a 10 to 15 feet drop into river. Cows andtransport animals fell over this on several occasions.
Ajuoto	1	121½	Track between Itang and Gambela must befollowed on right bank, that on left is too bad. Cross river atItang. One mile on is village, part of district of Pangmala,village being under Sheikha Ajuoto. This village is situated in adense rubber forest, and the rubber vines are found all along theriver in the Anuak country. Nobody collects the rubber. Allapproaches to this village were closed with thorn “abattis,” owingto the presence of Abyssinians.
	1	122½	Cross a small khor, which is sandy andfordable for animals at this point only at this time of year. Thereis a shorter track, which leaves the Sheikha’s village on theright, but leads to a wide part of the khor, impassable to animalsowing to deep mud. Track now runs along edge of dense forest rightand broad khor left, with forest beyond.
	3	125½	Forest left ceases and khor runs intoopen plain. Track crosses khor several times; liable to be muddyand difficult.
	2	127½	Big khor runs down from forest on rightto river, passable only close up to forest.
	1	128½	Another big khor to cross, similar toabove; mouth of this khor very deep and steep, impassable foranimals, which must cross up by forest. Track now inland, 1 to 2miles from river.
	11½	140	Big khor to cross with lake inland, about1 mile from river.
Kaich	1	141	Large Nuer village marked as Kaich, butname not recognised. Track from here uniformly good, passing over abroad grass plain which lies beyond the belt of trees that fringethe Baro and the forest further inland. The plain is burnt inJanuary and becomes passable; it is under water during the rains.Several Nuer dry season villages along the plain, but these peopleall go off in the rains inland; probably a few small villagesremain, that are built on small mounds. Game abounds in the forestinland here.
	3	144	Track strikes a big khor and runs alongN. bank of it for 1½ miles, and then crosses it. Villages dottedall along khor.
	2	146	Cross khor again nearits junction with river near big round island. River round thisisland (S. channel) is very rapid and difficult. Villages all alonghere, track runs inland and passes big village shown on map asKaig, which name is not recognised. Nuers have mostly left thisvillage since traders arrived.
Kaig	5	151
R. Adura	1	152	Balamkun, or Kwemnum, eastern junction ofAdura with Baro. Adura mouth dry (2nd January), but water in largereach further along. Good gemmeiza trees all along Baro up to herefor last few miles, but no trees met with after this until Ajungmir(mile 216).
K. Chaich	4½	156½	Khor Chaich, not shown on map.
R. Baitiok	3⅞	160⅜	Khor Baitiok dry (February), 10 yardswide, shallow; track has followed this khor for last threemiles.
K. Jokau	½	160⅞	Khor Jokau, 2 to 2½ feet of water, verystrong current, waterway 20 feet wide. Natives all say that this isthe only mouth of Garre and that Khor Machar does not communicatewith Garre. Villages of Baitiok, or Chanchai opposite on left bank.Cultivation—both banks and huts. These Nuers come from Garjak wheretheir wet-season villages are.
	3	163⅞	Big shallow khor, full of weeds butnearly dry. Track all along here is excellent, several miles inlandfrom river; burnt grass plain.
Kwe	6¾	170⅝	Large winter village of Nuers, Kwe; veryfriendly; track now descends to the river at
K. Machar	3	173⅝	Only a winter (dry season) residence;groups of these temporary villages are dotted about. Khor Machardried up. Natives say it does not discharge water, but only fillsup from the Baro. The mouth of Khor Machar is much bigger than thatof Jokau.
	5⅝	179¼	Big khor runs E. and W. with water in it.There is no track here at all (February, 1904), and way had to beforced through jungle of rank unburnt grass.
Kamkiri (E.)	6⅞	186⅛	E. end of island of Kamkiri. Village ¾mile inland. River called Mainyal; only temporary. Distances fromMachar are probably all too long, owing to winding about throughthe grass; under similar circumstances however they will not befound to be much less.
Kamkiri (W.)	3½	189⅝	W. end of island of Kamkiri. Not a treevisible anywhere, and no shade available. Grass unburnt (21stFebruary), and going very difficult.
	10½	200⅛	Khor with half a foot of water init.
K. Loinkildom	4¼	204⅜	Khor muddy, steep banks, probably thatshown on map as Loinkildom, which name was not recognised.
	¼	204⅝	Another khor similar to above.
K. Makeir	⅝	205¼	Khor Makeir and village right, very bigkhor, 15 feet deep, 40 to 50 yards. Wide sandy bottom, dry andpassable in places (February). Water in deep pools.
	6	211¼	Going as bad as before. Thin bush startsright.
	1¾	213	Khor with water in it; muddy bottom, 3feet wide, 3 feet deep.
K. Nyakol	2	215	Ten yards wide, 6 feet deep, 3 feet ofwater with mud; very perpendicular banks; this was a very badobstacle, even the saddles having to be taken off mules’ backs(February 22).
Ajungmir	1½	216½	Village on right bank, trees near.
	3¼	219¾	Track cuts across corner and strikesriver again at
Nyariau	1¾	221½	Village of Nyariau, in 3 parts; 1 smallpart on bank of river, and 1 large and 1 small about 10 yardsinland. Track runs inland through bush and forest, and strikesriver at mile
	2	223½	Very thick gemmeiza trees left bank, bushright. River fordable here (February, 1904).
	3⅛	226⅝	Beginning of Anuak, part of Taufot, rightbank. Track cuts across here to
Taufot	1¼	227⅞	Taufot (Nuer), very big compact village;stands back. Latest map shows big island near Taufot, but it isnon-existent.
Khor Wakau	2¼	230⅛	Thirty yards wide at mouth, but opens outto nearer 150 yards higher up. Muddy bottom; 20 feet deep in rains,3 to 5 feet in dry season. Big village of Kadbeg short way upWakau.
Nasser	3	233⅛	Nasser left, Kwoinlualtong, right bank,for the last 2 miles upstream from Nasser. River not fordable here(February), but animals swam over at lower end of island, oppositeNasser, without difficulty.
	1	234⅛	Track enters forest (heglig and talh),track bad; cracked cotton soil.
Tolor	5	239⅛	Khor and fishing village of Tolor; khor60 yards wide, and 3 to 5 feet deep, muddy. Track follows khor downright bank, and crosses it at junction with river at mile
	2¼	241⅜	Crossing 3 feet deep, artificial channelfor catching fish. Track now follows river for 1½ miles, then cutsacross corner for Manajok.
	3⅝	245	Khor with 2 feet of water in it; goodcrossing.
Manajok	2⅞	247⅞	Manajok, Nuer part of village; swampbetween village and river, few trees.
	¼	248⅛	Anuak part of village on bank, goodMeshra, thin bush behind.
Nyakoik	1⅝	249¾
	⅜	250⅛	Thin heglig forest. Huts all along fromNyakoik.
Tuargai	⅝	250¾
Shillup	6½	257¼	Good heglig forest left most of the way,and plenty of shade trees, though none shown on map. A khor 3 feetdeep, just before reaching Shillup. Track follows river till
Nyanglang	2⅝	259⅞	And then cuts across corner throughforest to Fauwel.
Fauwel	2¼	262⅛	Large scattered village, running backinto the woods; good shade trees and meshra and camping ground.Track all along bank.
K. Nyandieng	2⅞	265	Very broad mouth, 1½ miles wide; maindischarge about 1 mile further on, deep and artificially deepenedfor fishing; crossed by two rough bridges. This khor is said toconnect with Nerol (Khor Filus). Some Nuers say it does, and somenot.
Manchom	3⅝	268⅝	Shown on map as Sholwaga.
Shwol	3	271⅝	Shown on map as Fugah. Track from here onedge of forest, swamp between it and river.
Gaiyat	2⅛	273¾	Shown on map as Abong. Nuers would notaccept three names above as per map. A lot of these Nuer and Anuakvillages have two or more names, and people who use one namepretend not to know other.
Patiyam	2	275¾	Thick forest behind swamp; few good shadetrees on bank. Track runs along edge of forest some distance fromriver.
Gohinya	3¼	279	Scattered village hidden in forest.
Fanyang	3	282	Scattered village in heglig forest. Trackfrom here runs over dry swamp. A track exists at certain seasons ofthe year, generally when grass is burnt, from Nyangdeng to nearFanyang, saving a big round by the river. A track also exists fromFanyang to Wigin in a direct line, but was reported to be stillchoked with grass (3rd March, 1904).
Malwal	3¾	285¾	Track leaves river within sight ofMalwal, then runs through long grass to near Fedwil, then alongedge of khor and through bush to
Wigin	4⅛	289⅞	Small village 20 yards back from river,with deep swamp between village and bank (dry marsh), 2 poor shadetrees in village. Track gets on to river bank at 291st mile.
	1⅛	291	Good shade trees and thick bush; thickforest right bank ½ mile inland; end of Nuer country, though allalong from Nasser the country is populated with Nuers and Anuaksmixed, Nuers predominating and letting Anuaks live on suffrance.From here onwards path is through bush to
Shwai	1	292	Long scattered Anuak village.
Fatiwanyang	4	296	In thick bush. From here to Yakwoik broadswamp between bush and river. Track in dry season runs overswamp.
	2⅝	298⅝	Khor with 2 feet water; several otherkhors to cross, marching along this swamp.
Yakwoik	3	301⅝	Anuak village on river bank. No bush,only grass plain round village.
	1½	303⅛	Junction of road thatcuts across to Gnok with river track. Good meshra at junction;thick bush left. Bush and few trees right. One mile inland. Fromhere track cuts across country to a debba on the river (DebbaDishin), where Yuzb. Abdel Rahim Eff. Nur El Gawab was buried in1902, having died on the way to Nasser. From here track followsriver, crossing two khors.
Debba Dishin	13	316⅛
Abwong [45]	6⅝	322¾	A very big and important khor flows intothe Sobat at Abwong, called Wangnait; this runs inland pastFanathiang, and is said to join khor Filus at Nerol. Two feet ofwater in Wangnait (March, 1904), and running water. Abwong on sandyground, good meshra; upstream limit of Dinka country. Serut flieswere very bad, all through the thick bush country from Fauwel toYakwoik.

139.—GONDOKORO to UGANDA (and MOMBASA).

(Compiled by the Editor.)

Gondokoro and neighbourhood. (Vide also [ end of Chapter II] in Vol. I.)

By Captain Dugmore, 1901.

Country.Near Gondokoro the country is perfectly flat and 30 feet above the river, covered with borassus palm near the station, sidr, sunt, and a few tamarinds and sycamore. Due E. lie the hills of Belinian (about 11 hours’ march). The surface soil is sandy and the sub-soil clay. There are many very fertile islands in the Nile covered with cane-like reed, very like papyrus. Natives prefer to live on and cultivate these islands, as they are not subject to white ants, grasshoppers, caterpillars, and blight, with all of which cultivation has to contend on the mainland. Flocks of small birds do great damage to grain crops. At high Nile these islands are subject to inundation; the natives then go over to the mainland.

The station now occupied at Gondokoro occupies the site of the old Egyptian post—a good many of the old trenches and parapets still exist. The old buildings, &c., have long ago fallen into the river, which is said to be twice (?) as wide now as it was in Baker’s time. Baker’s old camp (“Ismailia”) is in a swampy, low-lying piece of ground, about 2 miles N. of the old Egyptian station. Two date palms, 11 lemon trees, and two custard apple trees, still remain at Gondokoro.

Rain percolating and the river washing away cause continual falls of the bank.

Garrison.One company of Uganda Rifles (Sudanese), under a British Captain, Lieutenant, and Sergeant-Instructor. A small number of Police or Constabulary have been added, and are under the control of the Civil Authority, viz.: a Collector.