Chapter III: (north-Eastern Sudan.) (4)

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| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
Adarama | — | — |After leaving Adarama the road
| | |goes E. for about 6 miles over
| | |sandy soil covered with tufts of
| | |dry tabas grass. Jebel Asoteribab
| | |is visible to the S.E. Khor Amab
| | |is then crossed; this is always
| | |dry, I was told; it comes from
| | |S.E., and runs a little way
| | |further to the N. Osman Digna is
| | |said to have had his extreme E.
| | |outpost of 20 men here to levy
| | |blackmail on anyone coming to
| | |Berber. There are acacia bushes in
| | |this khor. Two miles after
| | |crossing the khor, the range Jebel
Jebel Tobrar | 2 | 8 |Tobrar comes into view. All bushes
| | |cease here, and for 4 or 5 miles
| | |the way is over an undulating
| | |sandy country with tufts of
| | |withered grass. On descending a
Khor Shedieb | 5 | 13 |low sandy hill, Khor Shedieb is
| | |met running S.W. and draining a
| | |black, light sandy plain running
| | |E. and W., along which the way
| | |proceeds for 6 miles; low sand
| | |hills to the S. The plain is
| | |treeless, except a few stunted
| | |bushes in Khor Shedieb. After
| | |marching E. over this plain the
| | |sand hills begin to close in at a
El Yukreik | 7 | 20 |place called El Yukreik, where
| | |there is a little shade from a few
| | |small tundub bushes; this is said
| | |to be full of water and green
| | |grass in a rainy year, but it is
| | |quite dry now; this is about 20
| | |miles distant from Adarama. The
| | |direction is then eastwards
| | |through a succession of valleys
| | |shut in by low sand hills running
| | |N. and S. about 3 miles by 3
| | |miles. One valley, just before
| | |entering the Hegerib Plain in
_Bir Kerikun_ | 15 | 35 |which Bir Kerikun lies, is full of
| | |bushes and is cotton soil, but not
| | |bad going; there must be a good
| | |deal of water all over this
| | |country in a good year, but it is
| | |quite dry now. There is no grass
| | |for horses the whole way; the
| | |going is good, but a little heavy
| | |over the sand hills from one
| | |valley to another, and also,
| | |except just when entering Wadi
| | |Hegerib, 3 miles before reaching
| | |Bir Kerikun.
| | |
| ¾ | 35¾ |On leaving Bir Kerikun, march N.
| | |about ¾ mile to get over the low
| | |sand hills, the way then goes E.
| | |and slightly N. The road winds a
| | |little when passing over the sand
| | |hills to get out of the valleys,
| | |which are exactly similar to those
| | |about 12 miles before Kerikun,
| | |except that there are more selem
| | |or samr bushes in them, which give
| | |a fair amount of shade. Just
| | |before entering Wadi Todabanob
| | |there is a valley which the Arabs
| | |told me is capital grazing in a
| | |good year.
| | |
Khor Shanfaiet| — | — |Khor Shanfaiet comes in at the
| | |S.W. corner of this valley. Large
| | |graveyard of Shebodinab Arabs
| | |here. Going good; sand a little
| | |heavy across the sand hills. No
| | |grass fit for horses. On entering
_Todabanob_ | 13¼ | 49 |Wadi Todabanob the wells lie at
| | |the foot of a sand hill. They are
| | |about 8 in number (though there
| | |are others quite filled up in
| | |other parts of the valley); three
| | |only of these are open, and two of
| | |these only had water in them; they
| | |are unlined. They were:—
| | |
| | |Depth to water 14 feet.
| | |
| | |Depth of water 2½ feet (approx.).
| | |
| | |Circumference 3¼ feet.
| | |
| | |I got about 3 camel fantasses full
| | |out of them. I have now learnt
| | |from three sources that it was, as
| | |I suspected at the time, only rain
| | |water from the shower two nights
| | |before. They are now almost dry.
| | |Excellent shade in Todabanob from
| | |large sayal trees; no grass; must
| | |be swamp in a wet year. No Arabs
| | |at all on the route. Wadi
| | |Todabanob runs N. and S. Khor
| | |Derudeb comes in at S. E. (about).
| | |
J. Sanai | — | — |After passing eastwards over the
| | |sand hills leading out of Wadi
| | |Todabanob, J. Sanai comes into
J. Ararab | — | — |view in the E., and J. Ararab to
| | |S.E.; after a switchback course of
| | |about 2½ miles over the sand hills
Wadi Shakauni | 2½ | 51½ |the road drops into Wadi Shakauni,
| | |half of which is covered with
| | |withered Tabas grass, and a little
| | |green grass, tundub bushes, and
| | |Senna, the remaining half barren
| | |sand; this is crossed after
| | |marching 3 miles. On ascending a
| | |slight ridge the sand hills are
| | |left, and Khor Derudeb comes into
| | |sight about 6 miles off, running
| | |in a half-circle from N.E. to S.W.
J. Tebilol | — | — |J. Tebilol, in the E., is also
| | |sighted. The ground just before
Khor Derudeb | — | — |coming to Khor Derudeb, as in the
| | |low-lying parts of all these
| | |khors, is cotton soil, but the
| | |going is not bad. About 12 miles
| | |from Bir Todabanob, Khor Derudeb
| | |is crossed at a point called El
_El Garud_ | 9½ | 61 |Garud, where there are rain pits;
| | |these cannot be relied on for
| | |water. The way now goes eastwards
| | |for about 11 miles over a stony
| | |plain, but good going on tracks,
J. Tebilol | — | — |past J. Tebilol and Khor El Ashob.
| | |There was very little water when I
_Khor El | 10½ | 71½ |came here, but a violent storm
Ashob_ | | |came on in the night and brought
| | |down the khor; after such a storm
| | |there is plenty of water,
| | |sufficient, I think, to last for
| | |four or five months. There was one
| | |large pool of water, 40 yards
| | |long, 8 yards broad, and 10 feet
| | |deep. Plenty of shade near the
| | |khor, and good grass on the banks.
| | |The plain just before Khor El
| | |Ashob is treeless; the going the
| | |whole way is good.
| | |
Jebel | — | — |The road goes eastwards through
Wararaweb | | |the pass of J. Wararaweb, but
| | |there are several miles (3) of
| | |cotton soil to pass first. The
| | |pass itself is very stony, broken
| | |ground and bad going for about 3
Khor Hambokeb | | |of 4 more miles. Then S.E. over a
| | |very stony plain for 10 miles to
Khor Godamaieb| — | — |Khor Godamaieb; this plain is
| | |crossed by small khor, near which
| | |and in which there is always a
| | |little green grass and some shade.
| | |Khor Godamaieb was dry. The well
_Tisharam_ | 38½ | 110 |Tisharam is on the west bank, and
| | |is a very good one, though
| | |unlined; its dimensions were:—
| | |
| | | Depth to water 9 feet.
| | |
| | | Depth of water (good) 5 feet.
| | |
| | | Circumference 7 feet.
| | |
| | |I was told Osman Digna usually
| | |went _viâ_ Khor El Ashob, Bir
| | |Delai and Khor Delai to Khor Araf.
| | |Plenty of dom palms on each bank,
| | |some coarse green grass; remains
| | |of a very large old well filled
| | |up.
| | |
| | |Cross Khor Godamaieb, about 50
| | |yards wide, march N.E. over a road
| | |for the most part stony, except 2½
| | |miles from Khor Godamaieb, where
Khor Angwatiri| 2½ | 112½ |Khor Angwatiri is crossed; there
| | |is green grass in plenty, and some
| | |shade from thorn bushes. It was
| | |full of Gemilab Arabs and their
| | |flocks, who water away to the E.
_Khor Amboreb_| 7½ | 120 |in Khor Amboreb, where there are
| | |some pools of water. After 5 miles
| | |further you enter the hills, and
| | |there are 4 miles of very bad
| | |stony going in and out of small
| | |khors in the midst of stony
| | |mountains till you descend into
Khor Barshoi | 4 | 124 |Khor Barshoi, about 1 mile long,
| | |with dom palms on both banks; then
| | |Khor Araf comes in from the N.W.,
| | |and the way to Khor Langeb is up
| | |this khor, averaging 30 or 40
| | |yards in width, thick dom trees on
| | |either bank, coarse green grass in
| | |places, but not in any great
| | |quantity. The mountains all
| | |through run down to the dom palms
_Khor Araf_ | 6 | 130 |on the banks of the Khor Araf on
| | |each side; away in the distance
| | |are some very high stony peaks. A
| | |very few Gemilab were in the khor.
| | |The going on the whole is very
| | |good in the khor, except in a few
| | |places where the sand is heavy.
| | |About 5 miles from junction of
| | |Khor Araf with Khor Barshoi was a
| | |pool of rain water near the left
| | |bank, about 15 yards long, 4 yards
| | |broad, and 2 feet deep. The pool
_El Getite_ | 11 | 141 |to be relied on is El Getite, on
| | |left bank of Khor Araf, about 16
| | |miles from junction of Khor Araf
| | |and Khor Barshoi, and 31 from Bir
| | |Tisharam; it is rainwater and will
| | |last 4 months. It is close up to
| | |the rock where the hills run down
| | |into the khor. It is 209 yards
| | |long, 10 yards broad, and 10 or 12
| | |feet deep. Muddy water, but quite
| | |wholesome.
| | |
_Umna Dunyin_ | 10 | 151 |The road then goes on down Khor
| | |Araf with many twists and turns
| | |till the pool of rain-water called
| | |_Umna Dunyin_ is reached, about 10
| | |miles from El Getite, but 15 yards
| | |long and about 6 yards broad, 4 or
| | |5 feet deep in the centre, will
| | |probably last 2 months more. After
| | |2½ miles from Umna Dunyin, J.
| | |Hambolib is in sight, round which
| | |the khor twists for about 3 miles,
J. Hambolib | 2½ | 153½ |till the _wells_ called _J.
| | |Hambolieb_ are passed. They are
| | |filled up with sand, and only a
| | |person who knew them well would
| | |know they had ever existed.
| | |However, I was told there is water
| | |underneath; if so, a small fatigue
| | |party could clean out the sand in
| | |a few hours. I think Khor Langeb
| | |joins Khor Araf just near here,
| | |running due E. here. Dom palms,
| | |tarfa jungle, and small quantity
| | |of green grass on the banks. Five
| | |miles up this khor, on left bank,
_Bir Oshi_ | 4½ | 158 |is Bir Oshi, at mouth of small
| | |Khor Oshi; the same remarks apply
| | |to Bir Oshi as to Bir Araf. _Bir
| | |Gabati_, slightly further on, I
| | |was told is the same. There is, I
| | |am told, water in _Khor Odi_, and
| | |a big _pool at Areiwat_, and no
| | |lack of water further on. On the
| | |right bank on entering Khor Langeb
| | |are some graves on a hill, said to
| | |be the graves of Roman soldiers;
| | |the Hadendoas are afraid of
| | |opening them, though they think
| | |there is treasure there.
| | |
| | |Bir Oshi is distant about 48 miles
| | |from Bir Tisharam, this is owing
| | |to the twists the khor makes, and
| | |one is not able to leave Khor Araf
| | |often on account of the hills
| | |coming down close to the banks of
| | |the khor and rendering the ground
| | |impassable.
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12.—EL GETITE (IN KHOR ARAF) TO ADARAMA, _viâ_ BIR DELAI AND
TENDERA.

BY CAPTAIN KENRICK, SEPTEMBER, 1901.

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| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
El Getite | — | — |March from El Getite to junction
| | |of Khor Araf with Khor Barshoi
Khor Barshoi | 17 | 17 |(_vide_ previous route report),
| | |then march for 2 miles N.W. up
| | |Khor Araf almost to its source;
| | |the khor narrows here and the path
| | |is a little stony in places, then
| | |turn W. over a stony plain for 2
| | |miles, very fairly good going
Khor El Ashob | 4 | 21 |until the source of Khor El Ashob
| | |is reached. From this place may be
| | |sighted sources of Khor Araf and
| | |Khor Amboreb, which runs away
| | |apparently S.E. There was plenty
| | |of grass and shade here. Leaving
| | |Khor El Ashob, which runs away to
| | |the N.W., afterwards turning S.W.
| | |again to join Khor Derudeb, march
Khor Delai | 7½ | 28½ |S.W. to Khor Delai, 7½ miles
| | |distant; road stony, but good
| | |going on sheep tracks, the stones
| | |are not very thick, nor is it
| | |rocky. Cross several khors _en
Khor Beida | — | — |route_, Khor Beida is one of them;
| | |there is a little grass in all of
| | |these. On reaching Khor Delai,
| | |after going a few yards down the
_Bir Delai_ | — | 28½ |khor the well is reached in the
| | |centre of the khor, recently
| | |cleaned out by the Arabs, but
| | |there are none here now. The well
| | |is lined with wood.
| | |
| | |Depth to water 3½ feet.
| | |
| | |Depth of water 10 „
| | |(very clean)
| | |
| | |Circumference (approx.) 7 „
| | |
| | |Good cattle watering places round
| | |the well. Good shade. Some green
| | |grass in the khor.
| | |
| | |After leaving Bir Delai, first
| | |march 5 miles along right bank of
| | |Khor Delai (looking towards mouth
| 5 | 33½ |of khor), direction W., cross the
| | |khor at the point where it runs
| | |slightly N.W. to join Khor El
| | |Ashob, then 8 miles over stony,
| | |but very level plain, excellent
| | |going in cattle tracks and sheep
_Pool El | 8 | 41½ |tracks S.W. to pool El Ashob in
Ashob_ | | |Khor El Ashob, 40 yards long, 12
| | |feet deep and 8 yards broad. Well
| | |filled up, 3 miles to N.W.; could
| | |be opened if necessary in khor
| | |under dom palm.
| | |
Khor Derudeb | 5 | 46½ |Leave Khor El Ashob, crossing to
| | |right bank (looking towards
| | |mouth), going in a westerly
| | |direction 5 miles to Khor Derudeb,
| | |cross this khor. A little cotton
| | |soil on E. bank of Khor Derudeb,
| | |going otherwise good, over light,
| | |stony, sandy soil, but no shade
| | |except at the khors. Then N.W. 10
Khor Abu | 10 | 56½ |miles further on to Khor Abu
Sillem | | |Sillem, coming from N. of J.
| | |Torbraa range; going good, grass
| | |in Khor Abu Sillem, also shade.
| | |N.W. still 6 miles further to Khor
_Khor Breitak_| 6 | 62½ |Breitak, there I found two pools
| | |of rain-water, muddy, but sweet.
| | |They were in the khor and were
| | |about 40 yards long, 6 yards broad
| | |and 1 foot deep. About 5 miles of
| | |some of the best grazing I have
| | |seen in the country. The Sheikh
| | |said the water had been there 2
| | |months and would only last 9 days
| | |more, another Arab I asked said a
| | |month more. The Sheikh also
| | |pointed out the road to the N. to
_Bir Tendera_ | 13 | 75½ |Bir Tendera; both he and my guides
| | |said half a day’s journey, _i.e._,
| | |13 miles, easy road, and it looked
| | |good what I saw of it. Very good
| | |shade here.
| | |
| | |From Tendera, Adarama is 40 miles
| | |(Arabs 2 days, loaded camels),
| | |road easy (there may be a little
| | |cotton soil), some shade and grass
| | |at Bir Tendera, also some shade at
Sekotieb | 20 | 95½ |Sekotieb (?), 20 miles (about)
| | |from Adarama. The well (Tendera)
| | |itself is large, always has water
| | |in it.
| | |
Adarama | 20 | 115½ |This information, though I have
| | |seen the road as far as Khor
| | |Shedieb and corroborate it so far,
| | |is hearsay, as I had not time to
| | |go there myself. My informants are
| | |my two guides, Sheikh Mohammed Isa
| | |and the Mulazim Awal, of Slavery
| | |Department at Adarama, all of whom
| | |have been there, and many Arabs
| | |_re_ water.
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NOTE.—In the long grass (September) a large number of snakes exactly similar to the Indian cobra were met. I killed 4 on the march. The Hadendoa name for them is “kokwa” whilst the Ababda called them “Dugga.”

13.—UMBREGA (R. SETIT) TO SOFI (R. ATBARA).

BY CAPTAIN H. H. S. MORANT.—MARCH, 1900.

N.B.—For description of route further east and notes on this road,
_vide_ Route 125, Appendix.

--------------+--------------------+----------------------------------
| Miles. |
Place. +-------------+------+ Description.
|Intermediate.|Total.|
--------------+-------------+------+----------------------------------
Umbrega[9] | — | — |From here there is a tolerably
| | |distinct track following the
_Abedo_ | 3¾ | 3¾ |crest-line of the plateau, and the
| | |river is seen and approachable
_Godema_ | ¾ | 4½ |only occasionally, being always 1
| | |to 4 miles on left. The descents
K. Turab Karuf| 1¼ | 5¾ |to Meshras Abedo and Godema are
| | |passed, and then the burial ground
Sheikh Ageil | 4 | 9¾ |and khor of Torab Karuf, further
| | |on the district of Sheikh Ageil
_El Zuhani_ | 1½ | 11¼ |and Meshra El Zuhani. From Sheikh
| | |Ageil J. Esir and Lukdi are both
| | |visible N.N.W. and S.S.W.
| | |respectively, latter being on
| | |boundary of Hamrans towards
| | |Abyssinia.
| | |
Gat Wad El Hag| 6½ | 17¾ |Leaving this, the path passes
| | |clearings of former cultivation,
| | |and after 3 miles of thick bush,
_El Hagar El | 1¾ | 19½ |Gat Wad El Hag. Meshra El Hagar El
Zuruk_ | | |Zuruk is reached, and after
| | |following bed of river for ½ a
_Gira_ | 10½ | 30 |mile, plateau is regained, and
| | |Gira is next Meshra. On left bank
K. Lobetir | 6 | 36 |are cliffs, on which are situated
| | |the ruins of the old Egyptian
_K. Wad | 2 | 38 |Fort. K. Lobetir and K. Wad
Heleiwa_ | | |Heleiwa being crossed, village of
| | |latter name, which is the sole
_Setit_ | 1¼ | 39¼ |existing one of Hamrans at present
| | |time, is reached. From here Setit
_Atbara_ | 7½ | 46¾ |is crossed, and later R. Atbara
| | |and village of Sofi is reached.
| | |
_Sofi_ | ¾ | 47½ |Little game was seen between
| | |Umbrega and Sofi.
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[Footnote 1: Camel transport.]

[Footnote 2: For further details regarding the water supply along this route _vide_ “Report on the Nile and country between Dongola, &c.,” 1898.]

[Footnote 3: Meaning “red stone” in Hadendoa.]

[Footnote 4: “Black stone” in Hadendoa.]

[Footnote 5: Fuel should be carried between Ariab and Maho Bey.]

[Footnote 6: From Suakin.]

[Footnote 7: Now many.]

[Footnote 8: If it is not desired to march through Italian territory from this point, the route mentioned in the previous report may be taken by marching up Khor Langeb to junction Khor Windi, and thence up the latter khor for about 20 miles until the eastern road is met.]

[Footnote 9: The Sudan-Eritrea frontier here runs from a point on the Hafeira-Umbrega road, marked by a blazed heglig tree, straight to the bend of the Setit immediately opposite the mouth of the Khor Royan, which enters the Setit on the left bank about 11 miles above Umbrega.]