Rest houses.There are rest houses at intervals of about 20 miles between Berber and Kassala.

Grazing.There is good grazing for camels practically the whole way.

Travellers.Persons travelling by themselves in the hot weather may find it best to march very early in the morning, halt at water, and march again near sunset, carrying enough water for the night-halt away from the river.

Supplies.No supplies of any sort are to be got along road, except perhaps milk and sheep.

Game.There is good fishing in the Atbara. Gazelle, bustard and ariel are seen along the route in localities, varying with the season. Wild asses are numerous north of Goz Regeb.

Inhabitants.Some Bisharin are met, and a good many nomad Hadendoas.

Place.Miles.Description.
Inter-mediate.Total.
Berber——From Berber the road runs between theriver and the railway.
Darmali1313A mud built villageon the Nile; the usual road now branches southwards, crosses therailway and than a bare, gravelly, waterless plain to Khor El Hudi.(If preferred, the Atbara can be followed by continuing along theNile to Atbara Station, which is about 7 miles from Darmali.)
Khor El Hudi1730
Khor Abadar or Abu Adar838From El Hudi, where the remains of theAnglo-Egyptian zeriba are still visible, the road skirts the riverwhich is fringed with dom palms and other bush to Khor Abadar, nearthe junction of which there is a small stone wall enclosure and theremains of another Anglo-Egyptian zeriba.
Khor El Hilg (Rest House)1957From here the road cuts off an angle fromthe river and lies across open gravelly desert till Khor El Hilg isreached.
(Nakheila, the site of Mahmud’s zeribaand the battle of the Atbara, is passed at the 12th mile, about 5miles to the west.) There is dense bush about here, and the groundis likely to be swampy in the rains.
Sheikh El Sebib’s House (RestHouse).3½60½The house stands onslightly rising ground. After passing this the country continues tobe broken by small khors until after passing Gemmeiza, a goodhalting place, but much bush hereabouts.
Gemmeiza (Rest House)1272½
The country soon becomes open and level,and is covered with scattered selem and sunt bushes. The river isgenerally nowhere more than a mile and half to the west.
El Hagar14½87Here there are rocks in the riverbed.
Khor El Fil188The going continuesexcellent until reaching Khor Adarama which is about 1½ miles inwidth and is marked by very thick scrub of sunt, talh, and tundub,as well as by the badly cracked cotton soil indicative of standingwater.
Khor Adarama896
Adarama (Rest House)1½97½Adarama consists of a large number of mudwalled enclosures, scattered over about ¾ of a square mile ofground. These are almost entirely deserted and mostly ruined. Withthe exception of the inspector’s house, camel corps lines, and afew tukls, there are practically no inhabited houses. In the dryweather there are two water pools in the vicinity, one at the footof Khor Adarama, and another about ¾ mile higher up. The approachto the river is easy, but the bank shelves steeply to the river bedfrom a height of about 25 feet.
El Hejera1½99A large zeriba of Osman Digna’s ispassed.
Um Bashim2101The name of this district. After passingthrough two patches of bush about a mile apart, the country becomesopen and sandy, and sand ridges appear to the east.
El Siwan8109Here the river may be approached, andfurther on the track passes within a few yards of the riverbank.
Shellalab (Rest House nearhere).10½119½Shellalab, a sandyhill covered with marakh bushes. From here the track continues tothe river bank, through scattered marakh bush, and sand hills lieaway to the east. The river can be approached almost anywhere, andthe path is never more than about ½ a mile from it. Jebel Ayob isvisible about 7 miles due east.
Gala Amarus——
Meshra Baluk or Um Beiba (RestHouse).21½141
From here the path traverses scatteredbush, and in places badly cracked cotton soil, indicating theexistence of water in the rains, and gradually ascends an easyslope on to the plateau, and thus cuts off a bend in theriver.
Debba Gulal13154Debba Gulal.
Meshra7161The descent from the plateau begins 3miles further on, and the river is struck at a good meshra.
Meshra Mitateb (RestHouse).3164The path continuing near the river,Mitateb, the first meshra in the Hadendoa country, is reached. TheBisharin country on right bank ends here, as also the BerberProvince; the Province of Kassala is now entered. Rest househere.
From here the path gradually ascends agentle slope to the plateau, from where Jebels Ofreik and Erembatsoon become visible. Scattered heglig, tundub, and samr trees arenoticeable, of these samr predominate as Goz Regeb isapproached.
Goz Regeb (Rest House)15179Two miles beforereaching old telegraph hut the road descends from the plateau, andthe river is reached at this hut, which forms a good halting place.The village of Goz Regeb is situated on a slight eminence close tothe river on the left bank, and is marked by a few dom palms. SomeGovernment buildings are now in course of construction on the rightbank, the idea being that Goz Regeb should form a sanatorium forKassala during the rains. The direct track to Kassala and that ingeneral use leaves J. Erembat to the north, and strikes straightacross the levelplain. At about 38 miles, Bir Teishum is passed in the bed of abranch of the Gash, about 3 miles off the direct road. It has beenlately opened up, and has a good supply of water, and Arabs wereliving here (March, 1902). There is little shade to be had on thisroad until after passing Khor Ebret, when kurmet and other greentrees and bushes become numerous. On nearing the Gash, signs ofcultivation appear.
Bir Teishum (Rest House)38217
Khor Ebret20237
Khor Gash5242
Tukruf1¾243¾Many wells in bed of Gash; unlimitedsupply of water.
Kassala2¾246½Destination.
Another Route may be taken from GOZ REGEB viâASUBRI to KASSALA.
Goz Regeb179179The track ascends to the plateau andfollows the edge of it, leaving the river several miles to thewest. There are several meshras, all of which, however, are almostimpossible to find without a guide.
Meshra Um Bereika30209This meshra is somewhere abouthalf-way.
Asubri35244Good meshra and shade.
Goz El Handal8½252½About 5 miles after leaving the river forKassala, the road from Suweihil joins in, and rather thick laot andkittr bush is traversed till reaching Goz El Handal, an opengravelly plain with short grass extending for about 2 miles Fromhere to Umsiteiba there is little bush.
Umsiteiba13265½A place where water stands in the rains;not much shade.
Khor Garatet3268½Rather swampy and difficult for camels inthe rains.
Khor Um Dahan6274½Water stands in this khor in the rains.It is about 6 yards wide and 3 feet deep.
Khor Kunti6280½There are Arab settlements near here inthe rains for cultivation. After passing through some rather thicklaot, &c., bush, Khor Kunti, about 8 yards wide and 6 feetdeep, is crossed.
Khor Gash4¼284¾Many marakh and kurmet bushes until theGash is reached.
Kassala¾285½

4.—SUAKIN to TOKAR.

By Lieutenant A. M. Taggart, 1st Bombay Lancers, July, 1896; Captain McKerrell, Cameron Highlanders, December, 1897.

Place.Miles.Description.
Inter-mediate.Total.
Suakin——For the first 25 miles the track is welldefined, and leads over hard ground never more than a mile or twofrom the sea shore. During the next 6 miles it changes incharacter, and for the last 25 miles leads through bushes and oversandhills, the tracks varying according to the season and thedifficulties (drifting sand, &c.) to be encountered. There isno water to be had on the way. A telegraph line leads direct fromSuakin to Tokar, but does not always follow the best road.
Leaving Suakin in a S.S.E. direction, thetrack is broad and distinct, passing over hard, sandy ground, witha few bushes 1 to 3 feet high.
Khor Gwob7½7½Crosses broad Khor Gwob.
310½Track now 5 to 10 feet broad, approachessea shore, then bears away again. Near this point (4 hours fromSuakin) there are reported to have been some wells in 1885; water 6feet down and brackish, hardly ever used.
212Saw some trees due east, halfway to thesea; said to be wells of Helub. Water bitter, and butlittle used.
315Track meets telegraph line.
2½17½Over rising ground. Extensive view in alldirections to the westward, well-defined khor trending north-west.Sparse bushes 2 to 3 feet high, ground hard and sandy, overlying coral.Track descends again; then level ground.
Khor Asab7½25Reached Khor Asab, which runs in from thehills to the west; it is called half-way to Tokar. Here a trackbranches off to the left, and leads to Teb.
631Mud huts in ruins. Track becomes narrowand indistinct. Bush thicker, 4 to 8 feet high.
Surface shifting sand, with claypatches.
839Crosses several small khors, sometimestraces of water here. Bush very thick.
Khor Tamai241Small pool of rainwater (at certainseasons only).
Mamuria445Ruined Mamuria of Mumtaz Pasha—mud house.Telegraph line crossed three times since the 31st mile. Bushbecomes thicker.
Old Tokar550Old Tokar—in ruins. Broken ground andthick bush.
Abdulla Rai252Abdulla Rai Fort (fat loopholed tower,with pointed roof), on an eminence, visible from some distance.Nine wells here, water good—never known to fail, 54 feet down(July). Large herds of camels and goats in the district. Thick bushall round.
Track now due south-east to Tokar,surface hard and clayey, covered in places with drifted sand; bush3 to 6 feet high. Tokar signal tower visible.
355Leave the bush, across level mud plainto
Tokar156Tokar, vide [Part I, Chap. III.]