By Captain Dugmore, 1901.
| Place. | Miles. | Description. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inter-mediate. | Total. | ||
| Gondokoro | — | — | A good road, though apt to be swampy inthe rains. |
| River Kit | 12 | 12 | Cross River Kit; a sandy river about 180yards wide, which is easily crossed except after very heavy rain(it subsides quickly). On the E. Lokoya’s chain of hills, about 11hours march; greatest height about 1,500 feet. Road through densethorn scrub, sidr very plentiful. Soil changes after passing Kit toa clayey formation in places, and stones and rocky kopjes becomeabundant. A rose quartz, very similar to the Rhodesian gold-bearingquartz in appearance, is plentiful. Most of the kopjes appear to beof volcanic origin. Ground rises in undulating folds from the Kitto opposite Dufile. |
| Fort Berkeley | 10 | 22 | From Fort Berkeley (= Bedden—abandoned),two roads lead S., one inland on the high ground for use during thewet season. |
| Adam Madi | 8 | 30 | The river road follows the river as faras Adam Madi’s,[47] and is used when no water is obtainableon upper road. Fine scenery, very rocky ground, sandy; plentifulremains of old Bari villages. Near Adam Madi’s-beautiful park-likecountry, with very large timbers, both tamarind and (?) sycamore.Country now becomes more hilly and is more thickly populated. |
| The Khor Um or Uma is the real southernboundary of the Bari tribe, but the district is supposed to extendto the | |||
| Khor Assua | 69 | 99 | Khor Assua (mouth 94 miles from Gondokoromeasured along the river) and, consequently, includes a fewvillages of Madi and Shuli tribes. |
| The road used to go some little way fromthe river to Affuddu (a few miles S. of Nimule, now abandoned), butsince the occupation of Nimule, the road from Adam Madi’s almostfollows the course of the river, which flows through high, almostprecipitous banks. | |||
| Nimule | 17 | 116 | Garrison at Nimule, two companies ofSudanese (124 strong each), and the same number of British officerseach as at Gondokoro. Is headquarters of Nile military district,situated on N. bank of Unyama river at its junction with the Nile.Between Nimule and Wadelai the road is good. |
| Lamogi, in the Shuli country, 16 miles W.of Fatiko, and 50 miles S.S.E. of Nimule, is now abandoned; rainsabout 9 months in the year. | |||
| Wadelai | 77 | 193 | Wadelai, on the right bank, is thehead-quarters of the Nile Province Civil Administration, somepolice or constabulary are posted here. River only 200 yards widehere. There is a road from here to Fajao (Murchison Falls), 46miles, not used now. |
| As one goes S., the climate generallybecomes cooler than at Gondokoro. It should also be healthier, butthere has been a lot of sickness among the British officers in thepast, perhaps due to bad quarters. Country S. of Khor Assua is morefertile and much more thickly populated than the Baridistrict. | |||
Note.—See also report by Mr. F. Pordage, Public Works Department, Uganda, in Uganda Intelligence Report, No. 15; and Handbook of Uganda, pp. 52-57.
(b.)—GONDOKORO to WADELAI.[48]
| Place. | Miles and Hours.[49] | Description. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intermediate. | Total. | ||||
| Miles. | Hours. | Miles. | Hours. | ||
| Gondokoro | — | — | — | — | Path good. |
| Laung | 11 | 3½ | 11 | 3½ | Path good, river Gomoro (Kit) is at timesbad to cross. |
| Camp | 13 | 4½ | 24 | 8 | Path good. |
| Camp | 15 | 5 | 39 | 13 | Path good. |
| Fagiri | 12 | 4 | 51 | 17 | Path good; rocky in places. Largevillage; considerable supplies of food. |
| Keri | 13 | 5 | 64 | 22 | Path bad for 2 miles, remaindergood. |
| Arabu | 16 | 5½ | 80 | 27½ | Path very bad. |
| Junction Camp | 13 | 4½ | 93 | 32 | Path bad. River Assua difficult to cross.When in flood about 80 yards wide and 14 feet deep, with a swiftcurrent; when not in flood the river is fordable. Crossing is atall times dangerous on account of the numerous crocodiles. |
| Nimule | 14 | 4½ | 107 | 36½ | Path good. River Unyama at times bad tocross. |
| Zaipi | 18 | 4 | 125 | 40½ | Path good. |
| Boreli | 10 | 4 | 135 | 44½ | Path good. |
| Acho | 16 | 5½ | 151 | 50 | Path good. River Zoka at times bad tocross. |
| Pranga | 16 | 6 | 167 | 56 | Path good. |
| Avoi | 13 | 4 | 180 | 60 | Path good. River Chorr is at times bad tocross. |
| Wadelai | 19 | 6 | 199 | 66 | |
Note.—A small supply of food can usually be supplied at each of the above camps, with the exception of the Junction Camp. Water is obtainable at all camps. At many places fish can be bought. Trade goods are brass, wire, small white beads, candles, matches, bottles, and some cloth. Tarbushes are much appreciated by the chiefs. Hippo. abound in the Nile, and elephants between Nimule and Gondokoro. Lions are seen occasionally.
See also reports by Col. Coles, D.S.O., “Nimule to Gondokoro, and Gondokoro to Nimule,” in Uganda Intelligence Report, No. 19.
The following short account of the country between Nimule and Gondokoro is given by Sir C. Eliot (July, 1902), from Geographical Journal, December, 1902:—
“Immediately after Nimule begin the rapids, which render the river unnavigable up to Bedden, about 30 miles above Gondokoro. This latter station and Nimule are connected by two roads, neither of them good. One keeps close to the Nile, and was impracticable when I made the journey, as it was under water owing to recent rains;[50] the other runs further inland. It cannot be said to offer adequate means for communicating between two Government stations, or for the transport of any sort of goods. For a great part of its course is obstructed by marshes, thorn bushes, or grass 6 feet high; but here and there it passes through pleasant open meadows, studded with large trees. Part of it consists of precipitous paths cut in the rock, and it is crossed by many rivers, at least three of which, the Assua, the Karpata (?), and the Kit (or Kiti), present serious obstacles to foot passengers when in flood, as I found them. The first is crossed on rafts made of ambach, a very light wood. The natives show considerable skill in guiding these rafts across the torrent, but the passenger or load is generally half submerged. The two other rivers have to be crossed by wading, and are about 4 feet deep. The Kit was about 150 yards wide. The whole journey took me 7 days, that is to say, 6 night camps. The distance is between 110 and 120 miles.”