Chapter VII: South-Western Sudan (2)

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| Miles. |
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|Intermediate.| From|
Place. | | W. | Description.
| | end |
| | Lake|
| | No. |
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Lake No | — | — |Proceeding up-stream westwards
| | |from the junction of the Bahr El
| | |Jebel and the White Nile, Lake No
| | |is immediately entered. Lake No is
| | |known to the Arabs as the
| | |“Moghren-el-Buhur,” or the
| | |“Meeting of the Rivers.” It is
| | |situated in north latitude 9° 29′.
| | |It is a shallow expanse of water
| | |covering a good many square miles
| | |of area, and surrounded on all
| | |sides by reedy marsh. It is
| | |probably a portion of the great
| | |lake which once covered this
| | |country. Through its eastern end
| | |the Bahr El Jebel passes, and the
| | |Bahr El Ghazal enters it at its
| | |western extremity. Lake No acts as
| | |a reservoir for the waters of the
| | |sluggish streams which drain the
| | |extensive plateaux forming the
| | |watershed between the Congo and
| | |the Nile. These streams find their
| | |rise in an area lying between
| | |latitude 5° and 8° north, and
| | |longitude 24° and 30° east. The
| | |channel by which their united
| | |waters are delivered to the Nile
| | |is the Bahr El Ghazal, and from it
| | |the province through which it
| | |passes receives its name. Its
| | |chief affluents are the Rohl, the
| | |Jau, and the Tonj on the right,
| | |and the Bahr El Arab, the Bahr El
| | |Homr, and the Jur on the left. The
| | |water thus brought down fills up
| | |the depression known as Lake No,
| | |over which area the water of the
| | |Bahr El Jebel spreads. The
| | |consequence is that this lake is
| | |an expanse of water through which
| | |little or no current passes, but
| | |whose levels rise and fall with
| | |that of the Nile. The flooded area
| | |changes according to the season of
| | |the year. It forms an important
| | |reservoir for the White Nile. The
| | |actual extent of Lake No is
| | |difficult to ascertain. It has
| | |been variously estimated at from
| | |20 to 40 square miles. These
| | |differences are probably due to
| | |the fact that the area was
| | |estimated at different periods of
| | |the year. During maximum flood the
| | |extent cannot be much less than
| | |the larger estimate, but at the
| | |period of low supply the area is
| | |much reduced, and in 1900 and 1901
| | |could hardly have exceeded 8
| | |square miles. In the early months
| | |of these years the surface had
| | |shrunk to very small dimensions,
| | |and more resembled a large river
| | |than a lake. The width, during the
| | |period of low Nile, is extremely
| | |variable. Thus in April, 1901, in
| | |the first mile from the White
| | |Nile, the open water surface was
| | |at times under 200 yards, and then
| | |suddenly widened out to, perhaps,
| | |2 miles; a little further on it
| | |again contracted, and for 4 or 5
| | |miles more varied from 300 to 600
| | |yards. The depth, at that time,
| | |was nowhere more than 7 feet, and,
| | |in places, only 4 feet. No current
| | |at all was visible through any
| | |portion of the lake. Beyond the
| | |open water stretched a broad belt
| | |of flooded reeds. This belt was
| | |chiefly composed of “Um Suf,” with
| | |clumps of ambach. The open water
| | |itself was full of reedy islands.
| | |Lake No abounds with hippopotami
| | |and waterfowl. The former cause a
| | |good deal of trouble to the Nuer
| | |population, as they are unusually
| | |savage in this locality, and are
| | |said to make a practice of
| | |attacking any canoe or raft
| | |crossing the lake. The bank to the
| | |north of the eastern end swarms
| | |with lion and antelope of every
| | |description (January, 1903).
| | |
| | |After passing the entrance to the
| | |Bahr El Jebel, keep to the
| | |northern channel. Open water right
| | |and a few low bushes; ant-heaps
| | |(termites), and dry ground left.
| | |Some wood. Landing possible. At 6
| | |miles from the White Nile a
| | |continuous line of Nuer villages
| | |runs parallel to the left bank of
| | |the channel for several miles, and
| | |marks the ridge beyond which the
| | |swamping does not extend. Their
| | |average distance is some 2 miles
| | |from the river. The villages
| | |appear to be thickly populated,
| | |and the inhabitants possess large
| | |herds of cattle, sheep, and goats;
| | |they now barter their fowls, &c.,
| | |with readiness.
| | |
| | |From 7 miles above the White
| | |Nile—Bahr El Jebel junction
| | |(whilst still within Lake No) and
| | |westwards the channel is, in dry
| | |weather, reduced to 80 or 90 yards
| | |wide. In flood-time the line of
| | |the channel is not visible. This
| | |channel is by some termed the Khor
| | |El Deleb, in continuation of a
| | |khor of that name which flows into
| | |it at the western end of Lake No;
| | |but as the Bahr El Ghazal is
| | |obviously the main stream, the
| | |latter name has been applied to it
| | |here from the Bahr El Jebel
| | |junction westwards. About 10 miles
| | |west of the Bahr El Jebel mouth
| | |take southern channel, which comes
| | |in west-south-west, leave northern
| | |channel, as it closes up and comes
| | |to a dead end 5 miles on. Large
| | |village, Nuer tribe, 2 miles away
| | |left. Scrub on horizon left.
| | |Reeds, sudd, &c., both sides, and
| | |all part of Lake No.
| | |
Bahr El Ghazal | 0 | 0 |The true Bahr El Ghazal comes in
| | |close here left. Narrow mouth, 40
| | |yards; 8 feet deep in March. Sudd
| | |seen floating down stream, 1½
| | |miles an hour. Leave broad open
| | |channel, which bifurcates 2 miles
| | |farther on, and becomes the Deleb
| | |and Signorina backwaters, ending
| | |18 miles up. Take northern
| | |channel, which is now the Bahr El
| | |Ghazal. The Khor Deleb, which
| | |enters the river from the south at
| | |the western point of the lake, is
| | |a wide expanse of channel 150 to
| | |200 yards in breadth. It forms the
| | |outlet for the waters of the River
River Rohl or | 2 | 2 |Rohl, coming from the south. In
Khor Deleb | | |summer no current at all is
| | |apparent. The Ghazal River at this
| | |point, with a width of some 40
| | |yards, is in appearance a more
| | |insignificant stream than the
| | |other. Its depth, however, is
| | |greater, averaging 13 feet, as
| | |against 6 or 7 feet in the Deleb.
| | |The Khor Deleb was explored by
| | |Major Peake for some 18 miles
| | |above this junction. At this point
| | |it was blocked by sudd and reeds,
| | |with trees on both banks, so that
| | |further progress was impossible.
| | |It had, however, a decided stream
| | |coming through the reeds, which
| | |left the Ghazal 33 miles higher
| | |up. The transparency of the waters
| | |differs in the two channels; that
| | |of the Khor Deleb being opaque and
| | |of a whitey-grey colour, while
| | |that of the Bahr El Ghazal is
| | |clear and limpid, like that of the
| | |White Nile itself. Between the two
| | |rivers, which run parallel for
| | |some distance, is an expanse of
| | |low marsh, a foot above low- water
| | |level. This whole area must
| | |resemble a large lake when the
| | |rivers are in flood, and the
| | |aspect of the country is desolate
| | |and monotonous to an extreme
| | |degree. It is absolutely treeless;
| | |the atmosphere is damp and warm
| | |even in the winter months, and the
| | |mosquitoes are of a peculiarly
| | |venomous variety.
| | |
Mayyet Eléri | 16 | 18 |Proceeding up the Bahr El Ghazal,
| | |for a long way there is little
| | |change in the landscape. The low
| | |banks continue, and the stream
| | |winds about through the marshes
| | |with a very feeble velocity. At 18
| | |miles a large khor joins the Bahr
| | |El Ghazal on the left bank. This
| | |is known as the Mayyet Eléri, and
| | |appears to come from a north-
| | |westerly direction. It is this
| | |khor which has been supposed to be
| | |the junction between the Bahr El
| | |Ghazal and the Lollé. From the
| | |slope of the country, however, it
| | |would seem that water flows from
| | |the higher land into the Bahr El
| | |Ghazal. It is possible that in
| | |flood there may be a spill in the
| | |opposite direction. This khor,
| | |although 200 yards in width, is
| | |very shallow. At 21 miles the Khor
| | |Deleb approaches to within 1,200
| | |yards of the Bahr El Ghazal. A
Deleb palm | 3 | 21 |solitary deleb palm (mentioned by
| | |Junker) forms a fine landmark on
| | |the right bank. The Khor Deleb
| | |derives its name from this palm.
| | |The left bank of the river beyond
| | |the fringe of swamp is an
| | |extensive grass plain covered with
| | |ant-hills. These are so close
| | |together that they somewhat
| | |resemble a gigantic grave-yard.
| | |The Nuer villages are now a long
| | |way from the bank. As the river is
| | |ascended the country becomes more
| | |and more hopeless-looking. Flat
| | |grass plains extend to the
| | |horizon, and a wide band of swamp
| | |borders either side of the
| | |waterway. The channel narrows, and
| | |in places is not more than 25
| | |yards. The depth is from 12 to 16
| | |feet, and the turns and bends,
| | |though not as sharp as on the Bahr
| | |El Zeraf, are endless. The
| | |difference between the Bahr El
| | |Zeraf and the Bahr El Ghazal is
| | |very striking. The water of the
| | |former during the period of low
| | |supply is considerably below its
| | |banks; in the latter it is almost
| | |level with them. The rise of the
| | |former, even in ordinary flood, is
| | |not less than 6 to 6½ feet. That
| | |of the Bahr El Ghazal, on the
| | |contrary, must be very small. It
| | |is difficult to imagine that even
| | |in flood the water can rise more
| | |than 3, or at most, 4 feet over
| | |its lowest level. Even with such a
| | |rise, the area of the country
| | |under water would be enormous, and
| | |the flooding would extend for a
| | |very long distance. A few miles
| | |further up the depth of water
| | |increases to 19 feet, and in
| | |places to 25 feet. For the first
| | |time forest appears in the
| | |distance on the left, but several
| | |thousand yards away from the
| | |river. The right bank is now
| | |covered with low bush and scrub
| | |beyond the flooded line. The
| | |country bordering the Bahr El
| | |Ghazal does not have the
| | |appearance of being under water
| | |for any length of time, even in
| | |flood. In this respect, again, it
| | |differs from that traversed by the
| | |Bahr El Zeraf. It must, however,
| | |be saturated and resemble a sponge
| | |in the rainy season. There cannot
| | |be more than a very shallow film
| | |of water over these plains, or the
| | |bush and scrub would not flourish
| | |as it does; neither would ant-
| | |hills be found in such quantities.
| | |The general slope of the country
| | |is so low that the water must
| | |drain off extremely slowly.
| | |
Mayyeh Nur | 10 | 31 |At mile 31 the width is 60 yards,
| | |and the reed-belt gets narrower; a
| | |very large “mayyeh,” or khor,
| | |comes in on the left bank here.
| | |This is known as the Mayyeh Nur,
| | |or the Mayyeh Mahmud Effendi. Its
| | |width near the junction is from
| | |150 to 200 yards, and its general
| | |direction appears to be west. It
| | |is very shallow. This mayyeh is
| | |said to receive the waters of the
| | |Keilak River (Mayyeh b’ta
| | |Komandari (?)), a stream about
| | |which little is known, but which
| | |is supposed to rise in the hills
| | |of Dar Nuba. There is a wooding-
| | |station on right bank opposite the
| | |Nur. Up-stream of this junction
| | |the Bahr El Ghazal takes a more
| | |southerly direction. The two
| | |streams run for some miles
| | |parallel to one another, from 600
| | |to 700 yards apart. The country
| | |between the two is, perhaps, 2
| | |feet over the water. At mile 35,
Papyrus | 4 | 35 |the first papyrus seen since
| | |leaving the White Nile is met
| | |with. From this point on, for many
| | |miles, a band of this reed fringes
| | |both edges of the water. It is
| | |never so high as on the Bahr El
| | |Jebel, nor does it grow here in
| | |such dense luxuriance as on that
| | |stream. The water surface is very
| | |narrow, often not more than 20
| | |yards, but the depth is
| | |considerable, averaging from 15 to
| | |19 feet. The reed-birds here are
| | |an extraordinary sight. They are
| | |to be seen in myriads and resemble
| | |a flight of locusts. The Serût fly
| | |is very bad on the Bahr El Ghazal.
| | |The ant-hills certainly form a
| | |distinctive feature of the Ghazal
| | |scenery. Nowhere else are they so
| | |large or so numerous. They are
| | |generally from 20 to 50 yards
Camping ground | 14 | 49 |apart. At mile 49 good halting or
| | |camping ground, fairly dry; bushes
| | |and trees right. Large clump of
| | |big trees ½ mile away south. This
| | |clump is close to the stream
| | |running into Mayyeh Deleb. From
| | |here on, channel very narrow;
| | |papyrus both sides; liable to be
| | |blocked with sudd at any time;
| | |large islands of sudd are met,
| | |often taking up whole width of
| | |stream up to the junction with the
| | |Bahr El Arab, where river is much
| | |wider again. Mayyeh right: river
| | |bends sharply, channel only width
| | |of steamer, 17 feet; current very
| | |fast; numbers of owls and
| | |Balæniceps Rex seen about, also
| | |hippopotami; some wood left, 500
| | |yards away. Large trees left,
| | |close to water, good for fuel;
| | |village on horizon right, and two
| | |Dom palms; channel opens up. At
Wood-station | 4 | 53 |mile 53 wooding-station left. The
| | |papyrus belt gets wider as the
| | |river is ascended, and at 57 miles
| | |the forest on the left bank comes
| | |down close to the water’s edge and
| | |the river skirts it for some 2
| | |miles. The trees are large, but
| | |the belt is only a few hundred
| | |yards wide.
| | |
| | |The scenery here is beautiful, as
| | |the ground is high and glades of
| | |fine trees are scattered about the
| | |grassy plain. Many elephants are
| | |to be seen. On the right bank is a
| | |wide marsh through which the river
| | |channel has evidently wandered at
| | |times. This is the beginning of
| | |the reach in which the Bahr El
| | |Ghazal is occasionally closed by
Large tree | 8 | 61 |sudd. At 61 miles, in 1880, Marno
| | |found his first block here, and in
| | |November, 1898, and April, 1899,
| | |it was blocked. Large solitary
| | |tree right bank. The channel is
| | |very narrow, deep, and winding. At
| | |present it runs under the high
| | |bank, but it is clear that it
| | |could easily be blocked at one of
| | |the many bends, and in such a case
| | |it would doubtless form a series
| | |of lagoons and mayyehs in the
| | |adjacent papyrus marsh. After
| | |leaving the left bank forest for a
| | |time the river at mile 62 again
| | |returns to it. The depth of the
| | |channel suddenly decreases to 5
| | |feet, but soon deepens again to 10
| | |and 13 feet. This shoal is
| | |doubtless caused by decomposed
| | |sudd which has sunk to the bottom.
| | |Such a bar is one of the frequent
| | |causes of a block. The sudd raises
| | |the bed level, and other masses
| | |floating down ground upon the
| | |obstruction and the channel is
| | |speedily closed. The Bahr El
| | |Ghazal has evidently changed its
| | |course here very recently. It is
| | |now much closer to the left bank
| | |than it was in 1899. The change
| | |has probably been caused by a
| | |block of sudd. It was near here,
Gessi’s place | 2 | 63 |_i.e._, at mile 63, that Gessi
| | |Pasha had such a disastrous
| | |experience in January, 1880. His
| | |steamers, on descending this
| | |river, were imprisoned in the sudd
| | |for some 6 weeks, and he lost over
| | |100 men. Had it not been for the
| | |opportune arrival of Marno in the
| | |“Bordein” none of the party could
| | |have escaped. They were on the
| | |verge of starvation and it was
| | |impossible to obtain fuel for the
| | |steamers, being cut off from the
| | |shore by an impassable swamp.
| | |These 6 or 7 miles of the Bahr El
| | |Ghazal must always be more or less
| | |dangerous, as regards possible
| | |closure by sudd, at certain
| | |seasons of the year. In 1900 and
| | |1901 the channel was open, but in
| | |the spring of 1899 it was closed
| | |not far up-stream of this point.
| | |The channel is extremely
| | |contracted, having a width of only
| | |12 yards and a depth of 13 feet.
| | |The course is so tortuous that it
| | |is difficult to follow all the
| | |turns. The whole of this area
| | |must, in the rainy seasons, be a
| | |reedy lake. At mile 64 the river
| | |emerges from this dreadful marsh
| | |and the width increases to 30
| | |yards. The banks average 2½ feet
| | |above water level. The country on
| | |either side is generally higher.
| | |On the right, bush is dotted
| | |about, and the ant-hills reappear
| | |to the left in a large grassy
| | |plain. At mile 65 the river widens
| | |into a lagoon, some 400 yards
| | |broad, and a mile in length. At
| | |the up-stream end of this lagoon a
| | |large mayyeh is said by the Arabs
| | |to form the outlet of the Jau
| | |River, which is another of the
| | |tributary streams that feed the
| | |Bahr El Ghazal from the south.
| | |This channel, which is known as
Jau River or | 3 | 66 |the Mayyeh Ahmed Arabi, runs more
Mayyeh Ahmed | | |or less parallel to the Bahr El
Arabi | | |Ghazal for some 40 miles, taking
| | |off it at Lake Ambadi, or 88 miles
| | |from the point where the Ghazal
| | |and the Deleb join. It is often at
| | |a considerable distance from the
| | |main stream, but glimpses are to
| | |be seen of it at times. A fine
| | |tamarind-tree close to the edge of
| | |the mayyeh assists recognition of
| | |this spot. In 1899 the Bahr El
| | |Ghazal was blocked by sudd near
| | |this junction. The right bank
| | |continues to be fairly high, but
| | |the left is low and must be
| | |flooded for a long distance. The
| | |stream is now more rapid. The air
| | |in the mornings here is cool and
| | |damp, but a strong marshy smell
Wood-station | 8 | 74 |prevails. At mile 74 wood-station
| | |left bank. Elephants, and the
| | |Euphorbia first, appear. This
| | |shrub is fairly plentiful from
| | |this point up-stream. For several
| | |miles there is little change in
| | |the conditions, but at mile 79
| | |trees are visible on the right
| | |bank, about 1,500 yards from the
| | |river. The intermediate country is
| | |flooded. A few Dinka are
| | |occasionally met with, but no
| | |villages. The absence of human
| | |habitations on this river is very
| | |striking. Since the Nuer villages
| | |were left behind at mile 43, not a
| | |sign of life has been visible. A
| | |small but deep khor joins the
| 8 | 82 |river on the left bank here.
| | |
False Bahr El | 8 | 90 |From here for the next 20 miles
Arab | | |good wood left. At mile 90 a large
| | |and important khor comes in, also
| | |on the left bank. This channel,
| | |which was asserted by the boatmen
| | |to be the Bahr El Arab, and which
| | |was ascended under this
| | |supposition, flows from a north-
| | |westerly direction and evidently
| | |brings water from a long distance.
| | |Later experience has proved that
| | |the Bahr El Arab is several miles
| | |further up-stream, but this khor
| | |must, nevertheless, bring down a
| | |large volume of water during the
| | |flood. It is quite possible that
| | |it forms a second mouth of the
| | |Bahr El Arab. It joins the Bahr El
| | |Ghazal through two small lakes or
| | |lagoons, the largest being about
| | |1,000 yards long by 800 yards
| | |wide, with an island in the
| | |centre. These lakes are swarming
| | |with hippopotami. The width of
| | |this khor is much greater that
| | |than that of the Ghazal, being
| | |from 100 to 120 yards. It has a
| | |perceptible though feeble current
| | |even in April, but its depth is
| | |shallow, averaging from 4 to 5
| | |feet. It was ascended for some 8
| | |miles above the junction, when
| | |shoal-water prevented further
| | |progress. Its general direction is
| | |north-west, but at the furthest
| | |point reached it turns sharply to
| | |the north, and its course can be
| | |traced for a long distance,
| | |winding through the country. Even
| | |here its width is 100 yards, with
| | |wide-stretching mud-flats on
| | |either side. It runs between flat
| | |plains covered with low grass and
| | |averaging 2½ feet over the water
| | |at the river’s edge. It differs
| | |remarkably from the Ghazal in its
| | |characteristics, particularly in
| | |the absence of the reed fringe
| | |which distinguishes the main
| | |river. Its rise must be small, as
| | |the banks show no trace of
| | |flooding.
| | |
Lau | 6 | 96 |From 5 miles above the junction a
| | |succession of Dinka villages line
| | |both banks. Some of these are
| | |large and appear to be thickly
| | |peopled. The principal village is
| | |called Lau. This consists of a
| | |large collection of scattered
| | |huts, grouped together, and
| | |covering a large area. It would be
| | |interesting to explore this khor
| | |during high water and ascertain
| | |whether it really is one of the
| | |outlets of the Arab River.
| | |
| | |To return to the Bahr El Ghazal.
| | |From the point where this khor
| | |joins it, the general course is
| | |due west and fairly straight with
| | |occasional long curves. It is
| | |bordered by a narrow strip of
| | |papyrus on either bank, and
| | |traverses a country of flat grassy
| | |plains. This river is placid and
| | |sluggish throughout its entire
| | |length, and can never approach
| | |anything like a torrent, even when
| | |in flood. It meanders along,
| | |slowly and gradually sucking away
| | |the moisture of the vast, water-
| | |logged flats through which it
| | |passes. Its width averages from 60
| | |to 70 yards, and its mean depth is
| | |10 feet.
| | |
Forest | 4 | 100 |At mile 100 trees and bush are
| | |found on both sides and the banks
| | |are clear of reeds and continue
Bahr El Arab | 3 | 103 |until mile 103, where the Bahr El
| | |Arab joins the Ghazal. This forest
| | |is known as the “Ghaba b’ta el
| | |Arab,” and is one of the few
| | |wooding-stations to be found on
| | |the river. The trees upon both
| | |banks are different from those
| | |found elsewhere. There are a few
| | |mimosas, but the bulk are very
| | |thorny trees with bright green
| | |leaves. The belt of wood is about
| | |half a mile in width, back from
| | |the river. Behind it are open
| | |spaces of grass, through which
| | |broad and shallow lagoons wind. In
| | |this plain are many large clumps
| | |of trees. Except in the
| | |depressions, the country here is
| | |certainly not flooded, even in the
| | |rainy season. The marks on the
| | |banks show that the maximum rise
| | |of the river is not more than 3
| | |feet. The Bahr El Arab is a broad
| | |well-defined channel, from 40 to
| | |100 yards in width, and confined
| | |between well-marked, but swampy,
| | |banks. Its direction, at the
| | |junction, is due north, but about
| | |3 miles further up it turns more
| | |to the west and runs apparently
| | |through forest. Next to nothing is
| | |known of this river. Felkin
| | |crossed it in December, 1879, and
| | |found it, 300 miles from its
| | |mouth, 120 yards wide, with banks
| | |15 feet above low water. He noted
| | |that in the rainy season it
| | |flooded the surrounding country.
| | |It is impossible to investigate
| | |this river, as, at some 1,300
| | |yards above the junction, it is
| | |closed by sudd and reeds. It has
| | |no current at the mouth, and its
| | |depth is from 10 to 11 feet at low
| | |water. The water of the Bahr El
| | |Arab is singularly clear and free
| | |from sediment. Reports received in
| | |the spring of 1901 show that this
| | |river is still blocked by sudd.
| | |Immediately up-stream of the Bahr
Lake Ambadi | 1 | 104 |El Arab junction the Lake Kit, or
| | |Ambadi, begins. The Bahr El Ghazal
| | |traverses this lake, but from this
| | |point its nomenclature changes,
| | |and the river is known as the
| | |“Kit,” or “Keit,” by the natives,
| | |and as such is entered on many
| | |maps. At mile 105, Lake Ambadi is
| | |divided into two parts by a large
| | |grassy island, about a mile in
| | |length, the right channel being
| | |400 yards, and the left 150 yards
| | |wide. Half-way up the right
| | |channel, the large Mayyeh Ahmed
| | |Arabi, previously alluded to,
| | |rejoins the Bahr El Ghazal. It has
| | |a width of 500 to 600 yards here.
| | |The swamps surrounding this lake
| | |are of considerable breadth,
| | |especially on the left side. They
| | |are very low and reedy, and a very
| | |small rise in the water levels
| | |must increase the flooded area
| | |enormously. It is impossible to
| | |calculate the width of the swamps
| | |on the left bank. They appear to
| | |extend for many miles from the
| | |water’s edge. Lake Ambadi has an
| | |average depth of 10 feet, in the
| | |deepest parts of the channel, but
| | |shoals rapidly on either side. It
| | |is evidently the great reservoir
| | |of the Bahr El Ghazal, receiving
| | |the waters of the swamps and the
| | |southern rivers, and slowly
| | |discharging them by means of the
| | |narrow but deep channel of the
| | |Ghazal itself. At low water it has
| | |a length of about 10 miles by an
| | |average breadth of 1 mile; in
| | |flood-time the area must be very
| | |much greater. It is a great
| | |nursery for certain of the sudd
| | |grasses, but chiefly those of the
| | |“swimming” variety. The _Azolla_,
| | |_Utricularia_, _Aldrovandia_,
| | |_Otellia_, and many other kinds
| | |are found upon its waters. The
| | |_Pistia_ is conspicuous by its
| | |absence. Among the reeds in the
| | |swamps a certain amount of _Vossia
| | |procera_ and _Saccharum
| | |spontaneum_ is met with, but not
| | |in such proportion as on the Bahr
| | |El Jebel. The papyrus does not
| | |exist on this lake, nor does the
| | |ambach. Except between miles 35
| | |and 82, the former is not found at
| | |all on the Bahr El Ghazal, and it
| | |only grows in real luxuriance
| | |between miles 65 and 77. After
| | |Lake No is passed, ambach is not
| | |found in the Bahr El Ghazal. The
| | |absence of papyrus and “um sûf” is
| | |probably the reason why the sudd
| | |in this river is so much less
| | |tenacious and is so much lighter
| | |in consistency than than that of
| | |the Bahr El Jebel. [Col. Peake,
| | |however, speaks of the sudd here
| | |as being of a “very tough and
| | |felt-like consistency.”] Lake
| | |Ambadi is the home of large
| | |numbers of the rare Balæniceps
| | |Rex. The evaporation upon the lake
| | |must be very great during the
| | |hottest months. With two large and
| | |shallow sheets of water like Lakes
| | |Ambadi and No, the amount of water
| | |discharged by the Bahr El Ghazal
| | |must be largely reduced before it
| | |reaches the White Nile.
| | |
Kit River | 10 | 114 |At mile 114 the lake stops and the
| | |river recommences. This is the
| | |Kit, properly so called. Its width
| | |here is from 100 to 120 yards and
| | |its depth 10 to 11 feet. The
| | |current is so feeble as to be
| | |almost imperceptible. The Bahr El
| | |Homr comes in near this point. On
| | |the 1st October, 1900, Captain
| | |Sanders found the Bahr El Homr
| | |navigable for 5 miles; after which
| | |it was blocked by sudd. Its width
| | |is 80 yards and depth, 9 feet;
| | |direction N.N.W. Col. Peake places
| | |its junction 9 miles further down-
| | |stream. It appears to have no
| | |discharge in March and April, and
| | |the water shoals so that it is
| | |impossible to explore it. For the
| | |next 3 miles the Kit has a mean
| | |width of 180 yards. The water
| | |surface suddenly narrows to a
| | |width of 20 yards, the remainder
| | |of the channel being filled by
| | |sudd. In this block are several
| | |reedy islands. The country is now
| | |a dead flat in every direction.
| | |Even on these African rivers it is
| | |rare to see an expanse giving a
| | |greater impression of flatness
| | |than does this. On all sides
| | |marshes extend, apparently to the
| | |horizon. It is quite impossible to
| | |arrive at an idea of their area.
| | |In these marshes are many large
| | |lagoons. A little further up-
| | |stream, the channel widens again
| | |from 35 to 40 yards, with a depth
| | |varying from 12 to 15 feet.
| | |Occasionally it shoals to 6 feet,
| | |or less, probably owing to sunken
| | |sudd upon the bed. Navigation at
| | |all seasons must be very
| | |difficult, as the river winds and
| | |twists through the marshes. There
| | |are no tall reeds here; nothing
| | |but floating plants, and the water
| | |is choked with masses of decayed
| | |weed. It is a hopeless morass.
| | |During stormy weather, this place
| | |is one of those where blocks are
| | |often formed. There are no signs
| | |of life anywhere, with the
| | |exception of the Balæniceps Rex,
| | |which are numerous. These horrible
| | |marshes continue for another 6 or
| | |8 miles. Sudd islands separate the
| | |channel, in places, and the width
| | |varies greatly. At one point of
| | |this reach, viz., at mile 120, the
| | |main channel of the Kit was quite
| | |closed in March, 1900. The entire
| | |river was forced through a small
| | |opening, 10 or 12 yards wide,
| | |through which a strong stream was
| | |rushing, and in one place it was
| | |actually barred for 50 yards. The
| | |total length of the block was
| | |about 500 yards. A more loathsome-
| | |looking swamp it is difficult to
| | |imagine. The sudd in this river is
| | |very different from that of the
| | |Bahr El Jebel. It is impossible to
| | |walk on its surface, which
| | |resembles slime rather than sudd,
| | |but which is bound into a mass by
| | |vegetable matter. The chief
| | |ingredients appear to be the long
| | |trailing, swimming plants,
| | |described as found on Lake Ambadi.
| | |It is not difficult to force a way
| | |through it, but the stuff, when
| | |removed, does not float as does
| | |that on the Jebel, but sinks and
| | |decays. Three miles on, the two
Matruk-el-Wabur| 9 | 123 |groups of trees called Matruk-el-
| | |Wabur (“the landing-place of
| | |steamers,” _vide_ Junker) are
| | |passed on the left, about 2 miles
| | |from the main stream. A channel,
| | |at present blocked by sudd, leads
| | |to the landing-place. Matruk-el-
| | |Wabur is an island of dry land in
| | |a sea of swamp. When Col. Peake
| | |visited it in 1898 the remains of
| | |the former French occupation were
| | |visible. The Egyptian flag was
| | |hoisted here on the 28th
| | |September, 1898. Up-stream of this
| | |point, for another 5 miles, the
| | |Kit winds about; the width of the
| | |channel increases, averaging from
| | |180 to 200 yards; its surface is
| | |covered by myriads of water fowl,
| | |the whistling duck being
| | |especially numerous; a few Dinka
| | |are to be seen, who have come down
| | |to the river for the purpose of
| | |fishing and hunting the
| | |hippopotamus. At mile 128 the
| | |channel bifurcates. The Kit itself
| | |runs due south, in the direction
| | |of Meshra-el-Rek. The other branch
| | |has a westerly direction, and
Mouth of Jur | 5 | 128 |receives the water of the Jur
River | | |River, which, again, forms the
| | |outlet for the Sueh and Wau
| | |Rivers. The latitude of this
| | |junction, as observed in April,
| | |1900, was 8° 44′ 50″ north. The
| | |water at the time was so shallow
| | |that it was impossible for the
| | |steamer to ascend the channel, the
| | |width of which was from 600 to 700
| | |yards, with a depth of 3 feet. The
| | |water coming down this stream was
| | |of a dark amber colour, and was
| | |evidently the drainage of the
| | |marshes. A slight current was
| | |visible. The general direction of
| | |the Kit is south or south-west.
| | |Captain Sanders, who visited this
| | |place in September, 1900, found
| | |the Kit completely blocked by
| | |sudd: but Lieutenant Fell, R.N.,
| | |ascended it in November of the
| | |same year, and reports that the
| | |water near the Meshra was “foul,
| | |stagnant, and very shallow.” In
| | |March, 1900, the sudd was very
| | |light, mostly floating, and easily
| | |removed. Above this junction, the
| | |expanse of water into which the
| | |Jur discharges itself has a width
| | |of 400 yards, a depth of 10 feet,
| | |and a fair velocity, even in the
| | |month of March. The marshes here
| | |are bewildering in their extent.
| | |
Navigability | — | — |After 3 years’ experience, it is
| | |found to be impossible for a
| | |steamer to reach the mouth of the
| | |Jur River, and, therefore, of
| | |course, Meshra-el-Rek, from the
| | |middle of April till the middle of
| | |July. In May a steamer cannot get
| | |within 15, and in June within 35,
| | |miles of the Jur mouth. Even when
| | |free of sudd, the Jur is
| | |unnavigable, owing to its
| | |shallowness, from the first week
| | |of December to the end of July.
| | |After strenuous exertions during 2
| | |years on the part of Lieutenant
| | |Fell and others, the Jur has has
| | |now been cleared of sudd and a
| | |channel made for steamers up to
| | |Wau, a distance of 160 miles. This
| | |enables stores, &c., to reach
| | |headquarters by water during 4
| | |months of the year (August to
| | |November, inclusive). The sudd is,
| | |however, quick-growing and grows
| | |from the bottom. Sudd-cutting
| | |parties have, therefore, to be
| | |annually employed during the low
| | |river time to clear a channel for
| | |the flood-time. The average
| | |difference between high and low
| | |Jur is as much as 15 feet; in
| | |flood-time the current is swift
| | |and the river deep, whilst the
| | |reed beds on either side make
| | |towing impossible. Luckily a north
| | |wind helps boats along up-stream.
| | |
Meshra El Rek | 25 | 153 |(Junker made the total distance by
| | |river from Lake No to here, after
| | |1,781 angular measurements, to be
| | |about 135 miles; but it is
| | |difficult to make out his exact
| | |point of starting.)
| | |
| | |Meshra-el-Rek lies on a small
| | |island in a backwater—the river
| | |itself apparently starting in
| | |marsh land, and not yet having
| | |been defined. Island about a mile
| | |long and varies from 200 to 400
| | |yards in breadth. On either side
| | |of the river marshes extend for 2
| | |or 3 miles. Mosquitoes swarm, and,
| | |owing to the stagnant condition of
| | |the river, the water supply is
| | |very indifferent during the dry
| | |season. No natives live within
| | |about 7 or 8 miles. The station
| | |consists of straw tukls—the
| | |hospital standing on the one bit
| | |of high ground. Great difficulty
| | |in building huts, as there is no
| | |wood suitable within several
| | |miles; on the whole a most
| | |unhealthy place. High ground lies
| | |quite 5 miles beyond the marsh.
| | |The French had a fort near our
| | |present post in an even worse
| | |position.
---------------+-------------+-----+----------------------------------

[Footnote 107: Natives of the district deny that it was ever visited by Belgians from the Congo Free State between these years, or in 1894, as has been stated.]

[Footnote 108: Rainfall at Wau (1904) 25 to 30 inches.]

[Footnote 109: Taken from a report by Mr. A. F. Broun, Director of Forests to the Sudan Government.]

[Footnote 110: Analysis of ore—47 per cent. of pure iron.]

[Footnote 111: Compare pp. 128 and 145, price of wives amongst Dinkas at Bor, and amongst the Shilluks, p. 193.]

[Footnote 112: Very plentiful in east, and along banks of Jur and Bahr El Ghazal Rivers.]

[Footnote 113: _Vide_ also pp. 197, &c.]

[Footnote 114: The Roman Catholic Missionaries who visited the Golos and Bongos in the spring of 1904, and who now have stations in their country, west of Wau, express themselves as well satisfied with the outlook from their point of view.]

[Footnote 115: Compiled from information furnished by Captain S. L. Cummins (R.A.M.C.) and Mr. R. Türstig.]