5.—TRINKITAT to TOKAR, viâ TEB.
By Captain Bower, I.S.C., and Editor, July, 1896.
| Place. | Miles. | Description. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inter-mediate. | Total. | ||
| Trinkitat | — | — | The whole road from Trinkitat to Tokar ispassable for all arms, and it is only when approaching Tokar thatthe scrub about the country becomes thick enough to interfere withthe action of cavalry. |
| For 2½ miles from Trinkitat the road runsalong a broad embankment, on which for 1 mile an 18-inch gaugerailway has been laid down. After leaving the embankment there is asandy stretch, and then about 2 miles of narrow embankment justbroad enough for the railway line. This embankment in places hasrather a serpentine course, and would have to be straightenedbefore rails could be laid down. | |||
| El Teb | 7 | 7 | At El Teb there is a small fort, and anample supply of water at a depth of 17 feet. |
| Three wells inside fort and numerous onesoutside, these latter mostly for animals. | |||
| The water in the different wells variesin quality, but is all slightly brackish. No ill effects, however,appear to attend drinking it, and the men quartered there spokefavourably of it. | |||
| The parapet of the fort is a brick wall10 feet high, 1½ feet thick; ditch 11 feet broad, 8 feet deep.Signal tower as at Tokar, 43 feet high. Scene of battle of El Teb,29th February, 1884, just north of present fort. | |||
| There are two roads from Teb to Tokar,both broad (30-50 yards) clearings through the bush. The “new” roadis the straightest, but leads over soft sandhills and is rarelyused. The other road bears gradually westwards a mile south of Teb,and cannot be missed if the traveller keeps on the west edge of theclearing. Excellent going for all arms. Bush on either side 3 to 10feet high. | |||
| Abdulla Rai | 8 | 15 | Junction of Suakin track. Abdulla RaiFort, ½ mile west of track. |
| Tokar | 2½ | 17½ | Tokar. |
6.—(α) SUAKIN to ERKOWIT, viâ TAMANEB and KHOR ARAB.
By Major Powell, R.E., March, 1903.
| Place. | Miles. | Description. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inter-mediate. | Total. | ||
| Suakin | — | — | Leaving Suakin by the Shaata Gate thetrack leads S.W. up the plain reaching the granite outcrops of thefoot hills. Over broken, but easy ground to Tamaneb, where there isrunning water. |
| Tamaneb | 8 | 18 | The track passes W.of Tamaneb and ascends the flat valley bottom of Khor Gwob to 22miles, where the junction with the Khor Nagit is reached. Leavingthe route to Sinkat, which goes on up Gwob, the track turns S.W. upKhor Nagit till 27 miles, and then crosses a short rocky agaba intoKhor Manab. Descending this easy valley, at 29½ miles the junctionwith Khor Arab is reached. To avoid a gorge the track ascends thehillside about 150 feet by a different rock path descending intothe valley at 30½ miles. Up the valley, easy going, for about amile pass running water (brackish and unpleasant), thenascend by steep zigzags up the left bank (1 in 4 at worst), after ½mile along the steep hillside cross the valley and rise by a steeppath to the saddle separating Khor Arab from the Khor Dahand.Descend into the latter by a rocky path and, after ascending withdifficulty the rocky torrent bed for another ½ mile, reach the footof the Agatba agaba at mile 34. A steep climb of ¾ mile brings oneto the summit, after which the route crosses easy rises and dips toErkowit at mile 39. |
| Erkowit | 21 | 39 | |
| Good hill camels lightly laden took 11marching hours from Erkowit to Suakin by this route, and would takeabout 14 hours to ascend. The track is not fit for horses or fullyladen mules. | |||
(β) SUAKIN to ERKOWIT, viâ KOLKALAI PASS.
By Major Powell, R.E., March, 1903.
| Place. | Miles. | Description. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inter-mediate. | Total. | ||
| Suakin | — | — | Track leaves SuakinS.S.W. over the plain. At mile 13 crosses Khor Gwob, a wide openwadi with low banks and thick bush. This Khor is occasionallyimpassable when in flood. About mile 16 the road reaches thegranite outcrops of the foothills, and descends into a wadi atTaharoi (mile 17), where there are usually several wells muchresorted to for watering flocks. This year only one well and thatalmost dry. Depth to water usually 10 feet. |
| Taharoi | 17 | 17 | |
| Tracks leads S. to Khor Tehela, leavingJ. Gumberit to E. At mile 20 usually a well, but dry this year.Then S.W. into the Khor Dahand at 25 miles; track enters the hillsand goes for 3 miles up the easy valley. At mile 28 there iswater in the hill to S. and several Hadendoa tukls. | |||
| Track then takes to hillside, rising byzigzags up the end of a spur. At first 1 in 6, then 1 in 4 to theridge, then very steeply 1 in 3 to another col, by short zigzagsand rocky steps; very bad for pack animals, but good hill camelsget up with light loads. Track descends along hillside for about 1mile; all green, with shrubs, grass and ferns. Francolin, partridgeand quail plentiful. Some bad places in descent, then easy path,and again short difficult rise to the edge of the Erkowitplateau. | |||
| Total ascent from Khor Dahand a littleover 2,000 feet. | |||
| Camels took 3 hours. The track is not fitto ride over. | |||
| Erkowit | 17 | 34 | After about ¾ mile Erkowit isreached. |
| Leaving this route at mile 20 a trackleads up Khor Masilli, S. of Dahand; the bad ascent on this isshorter, but equally bad, and the whole distance is longer. | |||