Place. Miles. Description.
Inter-mediate. Total.
Khartoum (Palace) — — The road passes over an open plain after leaving the old line of fortifications (gate 1 mile from palace), passing Buri District, comprising 3 villages, to the left; then through Gereif district; 7 villages, population about 1,000; opposite third village the road is ½ mile from river; road runs over flat open plain; cultivation—dura, cotton, dukhn, and vegetables in small quantities round each village. A track also leads straight to the Sabil Rest house, by following which about 1 mile is saved.
Um Dom Island — —
Meshra El Hagar or Hageirat
7½ 7½ Not inhabited.
Road passes in straight line from Khartoum to Meshra El Hagar or Hageirat; at this point it meets the river; excellent watering place only, no village. The village of Um Dom (R.) is exactly opposite Meshra El Hagar.
Soba
4 11½ A small village of tukls on the R. bank. Fourteen miles from Khartoum there is good watering place, no grazing.
El Sabil
6 17½ Rest house. No village.
El Bageir
1½ 19 On river bank, 1½ miles from road, population 200. Through Sabil Kasm El Sid District; signs of ruined village on side of road, from which Eilafun can be seen, bearing 55°.
Goz Shereig
— — On R. bank.
Gedid
7 26 Population 1,000; cultivation round villages (3). Track passes over barren treeless plain to
Masudia
5½ 31½ Village on River, population 500; cultivation between village and river.
Nuba
2¼ 33¾ A large village, mud houses, population 1,000; good cultivation. Encamped ½ mile south of Nuba.
El Masid
5 38¾ Rest house. Road still through open plain. No cultivation between Nuba and Masid, nor at latter. Inhabitants cultivate opposite bank. Large village with mosque.
Alti
1 39¾ A straggling village ¾ mile long, population 1,500; bank of river cultivated.
Um Magad
3 42¾ Village ½ mile long, population 300.
El Tikeina
1¾ 44½ Population 200. Encamped in open plain ½ mile south of village; good watering place; no grazing.
Bishagra El Gharbi
2 46½ Large village, 3 mosques. Bishagra El Sharki on opposite bank.
Fadl El Fogur
1 47½ A small village on river bank, population 150.
El Takela
2¼ 49¾ Straggling village, population 800, ½ mile from road on bank of river. Traces of rain cultivation. Another village on right of road, 1 mile further south, also called El Takela.
Wad El Turabi
2¾ 52½ A large village, with large mosque, ½ mile from river. There is a small village on river bank under trees (mimosa). Rain-cultivated dura commences on right of road. Plenty of cultivation on river bank.
Kasembar
2½ 55 A small village of Kamlin district, ¼ mile from road, population 200. The road now enters the Kamlin district, which stretches as far as Abu El Ashr.
El Heleila
1 56 A small village of Kamlin district 1¼ mile left of road, population 200.
Kalkol
— — Same as El Heleila. A thick grove of Dom palms close to village.
Kamlin
2½ 58½ A large village, population 1,500, with thin grove of date palms on north side with rest house. Market place, dura obtainable. There are government farms and old ruined indigo factory. A good camping ground on south side of village. The road to Kamlin is quite suitable for wheel traffic. The inhabitants of Kamlin seem prosperous. The Gezira seems well supplied with grass. The road now passes through more cultivation; rain-cultivation dura on both sides of road. Head Quarters of Blue Nile Province (P.T.O.).
Um Degersi
6½ 65 Two small villages, population 700, 1 mile east of road; nearly all straw tukls. Near here another small village on bank Abd El Magdi, population 200; river cultivation. One mile south on right bank of river is the large village of Helalia.
Abu El Ashr
3 68½ A large village on river bank. Here commences Halawin district (includes Abu El Ashr), population 600; mud houses. Road passes through open woody country.
El Talbab
3¼ 71¾ Two miles from river, population 1,000. Mud houses. The road continues through the Halawin district, comprising some 64 villages inland. Cultivation by rain.
Um Haboba
3¼ 75 Commonly called by the natives the Geneinat El Halawin; excellent camping ground, garden, excellent grazing, date palms, lemon trees in garden. The road now passes through somewhat thick mimosa jungle to plain covered with thorn scrub.
Wad Abu Ferugha (Furur?) 3 78 Rest house. A large village, ¼ mile from road on left, population 800. A few dom palms and grazing (indifferent) along bank. Opposite bank well wooded, inhabitants depend on rain cultivation.
Debeba
2 80 A long straggling village, 1 mosque, a few sunt trees. An island called Debeba in front of village. Bearing from north end of village to Rufaa 110°, about 3 miles off on right bank.
Wad El Ramil ½ 80½ A small village east of road. Bearing to Rufaa 90°. Road passes through open plain.
Hassa Hisa or Hassai 2 82½ Two large sunt trees, one at north end, one at south end. Fair size village at the apex of the bend of the river, mostly tukls. One and a quarter miles further on are two very large acacia trees; road open. The river here makes a sharp south bend, Rufaa being about 3 miles north-east from here on R.B. There is a telegraph office at Rufaa.
In the bend opposite Rufaa are several villages, chief being El Amara, which is the Head Quarters of the Mamur of Mesellemia District.
Wad El Fadui
5 87½ Road leaves El Amara to the left and strikes the river again near Wad El Fadui.
El Akura
4 911 Conspicuous palms near river’s edge. Rain cultivation all along road and inland.
Grigrib
3 94½ Small Halawin village. Old Mesellemia now mostly in ruins, lies about 4 miles south-west inland from here.
Fadasi
1¾ 96¼ Large village. Inhabitants chiefly Rekabia Halimab. Omda is Sheikh El Nazir Yusef. Rest house. From here track passes through dura cultivation whole way to Wad Medani.
Fadasi El Amara
1¾ 98 Palms and good deal of bush along river bank.
Wad Medani[20]
10 108 Head Quarters of Sennar Province and 1 battalion of infantry. Second largest town in the Sudan.
Habiballa
3 111 Village on Blue Nile on left of road. Much cultivation hereabouts.
Um Bellal 3 114 Village on right of road. Much jungle along river bank.
Bagadi
9 123 Several villages are passed and a good deal of cultivation to Bagadi, a large village with good watering place. From here the telegraph runs to Meshra El Beriab (10 miles), and thence to Meshra El Shukaba (6½ miles); however, the most direct road cuts off the bend and strikes the river at Meshra Shukaba. Several villages in this neighbourhood and bush both inland and along river bank. A road from Segadi joins in here.
Meshra El Shukaba
14 137
El Denegila
4 141 Good watering place; several villages. Cultivation.
Meshra El Dai
9¾ 150¾ Several villages and much cultivation is passed on the river bank about half way to Meshra El Hegerat. Much bush about here, but main road is good.
Meshra El Hegerat
7 157¾
Sennar
9 166¾ In ruins, but being re-built. Head Quarters of District and garrisoned by a detachment from Wad Medani.
2½ 169¼ River bends eastwards and road leaves it about 2 miles to the east and passes through thick bush to Meshra Eridiba, 1¾ miles before reaching which Sheikh Talha is passed on the right bank. Good camping ground and grazing.
Meshra Eridiba
11 180¼
Leaving Meshra Eridiba the country is more open, and cultivated with dura and semsem.
Abdin is a moderate-sized village on river bank 1½ miles from main road. Good watering place. No grazing near camp, but it is obtainable some 2 miles north.
Abu Shoka is passed 2 miles to the east.
Enediba
13 193¼ On river bank. From here there is a road following the river which makes a big bend to the east to Senga. The direct road is viâ Enediba, and passes through much cultivation and crosses many tracks to Senga, an important village on the river bank. This is now the Head Quarters of the old Karkoj District. It is garrisoned by a detachment from Wad Medani. Many Kenana and Baggara Arabs live here, but the population is much mixed. From Senga roads lead to Lueisa and Abu Kashim on the Dinder.
Senga or Seneij 11¾ 205
There is a P.T.O. here.
A road runs east from here viâ Teigo (wells 16 miles) to J. Dali, and another to J. Moya. From J. Dali there are tracks to the White Nile at Jebelein and Goz Abu Guma.
Senga Um Benein
6½ 211½ From here the track runs due south to Senga Um Benein on river bank. Kenana village.
Meshra Dar Agil
7½ 219 Thence to Meshra Dar Agil, whence by river bank to Karkoj, a town of not much importance now owing to the transfer of Government offices, &c., to Senga.
Karkoj
5 224
32. — КАРТУМ до ГОЗ-АБУ-ГУМА и ДЖЕБЕЛЕЙНА, вверх по правому берегу БЕЛОГО НИЛА.
Составлено на основе отчетов капитанов Т. Конолли и У. А. Бульнуа (1899 г.).
Примечание: К реке можно подойти практически в любом месте до Шавала.
Place. Miles. Description.
Inter-mediate. Total.
Leaving the most westerly group of palms at Khartoum, the road runs due south for a mile, leaving the village of Goz on the left, and that of Rumeila on the right. Cotton soil. River visible.
Assara — — In next 7 miles road runs (185 Mag.), passing a string of villages on the right (W.) about 1 mile away. The name of all these seems to be Assara, till one gets to the village of Kalakla, about 6 miles from Khartoum, situated in a large clump of trees. Road runs on open desert sand—very good going; river invisible, about 2 miles off.
Kalakla 5 6
Sheikh Um Meriom 3 9 At 9 miles from Khartoum road passes a village with a high tomb in it, called Sheikh Wad Um Meriom. This lies on the river about 1½ miles from the main road.
El Kalakeil 1 10 At 10 miles road passes El Kalakeil on the E. side of it. There are some signs in this last mile of the country having been cultivated. From here the river is about 3 miles off, invisible on account of the bank of sand which forms the desert edge, and some trees on it.
After this the road enters some low sand hills, with large clumps of big trees on the river side about ½ mile off.
3 13 Three miles off this brings one into the first open scrub, which gets closer as it approaches the river—but is not thick, except in a few places on the river bank.
Geziret Haraz 4 17 At 17 miles the head of two islands at high Nile (now no longer islands), called Geziret Haraz and Geziret Um Arda. These islands are, I believe, some 5 miles apart at high Nile, but are now practically one, owing to big alluvial flat from which they rise, being dry at this time of the year (10.3.99).
Geziret Um Arda — —
At this point, and for the next 3 miles on the road, there are a good number of shallow, 15 to 20 feet, wells, giving good water, slightly bitter. I only saw 3, but 7 were reported by natives. There are a good number of camels to be seen in this piece of country.
J. Auli 8 25 Eight miles further takes one to J. Auli, a steep rock about 100 feet high, with a small under-feature on the N.W., about 50 feet. There is a good meshra, or watering place. Under this mountain there is a good camping ground for a brigade.
Gar El Nabi 3 28 Passing E. of J. Auli, after 3 miles Gar El Nabi is reached, which lies close to it. These 3 miles are through open bush, with river visible about ½ to 1 mile off.
4 32 For the next 4 miles the bush gets thicker and the road is crossed by small khors, and in places by cultivation zeribas. River invisible.
Next 6 miles the bush gets more open again, and a line of small sand hills is seen along the river edge hiding it. Horses can be watered anywhere in this 6 miles. In the last half of this distance the trees cease on the east side of the road and 2 large khors cross it.
Opposite J. Barima or Breima 6 38 At 38 miles J. Barima is opposite on the other bank of the river. For about 2 miles before reaching this point, and for 2½ miles after it, the road runs through sand hills, the river being visible about ½ mile off.
At this point (2½ miles south of J. Barima) the river is quite close to the road, which changes its direction to 200° magnetic.
7 45 The road rises slightly in the next mile and 3½ miles further on goes through bush which, though open on the E. side, is fairly thick on the W., making the river invisible.
Wad Belal 3 48 After 3 miles through open bush and sand hills, Wad Belal, a wood station for steamers and a good watering place is reached.
2 50 For the first 2 miles from Wad Belal the road runs through scattered trees which become fairly close bush on the river side for another 2 miles.
El Geteina 4½ 54½ The road enters a large plain of cotton soil, with three tracks across it to Arab dwellings, towards the centre of the Gezira about 4 miles in, and reaches the large village of El Geteina. On the river side there is a large alluvial flat about 2 miles across, and 3 to 4 miles long, which runs north of El Geteina towards Wad Belal. There is a curious round sand hill in the middle of this flat which must be an island at high Nile.
El Geteina consists of two villages about 1 mile apart, the larger of the two being to the north. It is fairly clean and has a very good market. There was a certain amount of cultivation going on with Shadufs (not an amount proportionate to the size of the village), and a large tract of country is obviously sown with dura during the rains. This was the most prosperous village I saw on the Gezira (March, 1899). It is now Head Quarters of Geteina District.
One mile over cotton soil beyond the village of El Geteina, a small one of the same name is reached.
Immediately on leaving this, the road runs into sand dunes with bush for 1 mile; river close (200 yards).
After that, 6½ miles of very good going through scattered trees. The road here is crossed by a large number of Arab tracks to meshras; and many herds of sheep and goats were seen. River invisible from road.
The next 3 miles runs through fairly thick bush with open spaces. This bush gets thinner as it recedes from the river. During the next 2½ miles the road passes to west of a fine strip of open cotton soil about 2½ miles wide, separated from the river by a thick strip of bushes and a large alluvial plain, so that now (12.3.99) it is about 2 to 3 miles from the river. Much dura seems to have been grown here, but only a small portion of this large plain was under cultivation last year.
Garrasa 12 66½ At the end of this plain to the S.E. there are a line of sand hills running N.E. to S.W., and getting gradually smaller towards the S.W. These run alongside the road, beyond the open plain, and end in some small dunes near the village of Garrasa. Garrasa is a small village—without a market—the people of which seem poor. There is a good meshra here. Leaving Garrasa the road runs through about 3 miles of dura land, a large part of which has been recently cultivated. River ¼ to ½ mile away.
3 69½
Wad Shalai 2½ 72 After 2½ miles more, alongside sand hills near the river, the road reaches the small village of Wad Shalai—the inhabitants of which were all away on the river bank cultivating.
Wad El Saki 7 79 Seven miles further, Wad El Saki, a large village on the top of some sand hills, is reached.
The population was about 400 to 500 (March, 1899). The road runs the first half of this distance through sand dunes on both sides, with the river close and visible. The last half leaves the river gradually, and passing through some dura ground, is about 1½ miles from it at Wad El Saki.
Sayef 3 82 From here 3 miles take one to a few houses about 2 miles from the river on some sand hills called Sayef, being one of three villages of that name.
4 86 After 4 miles over cotton soil the road crosses a sand-hill ridge running at right angles to the river, and about 1 mile from it, and descends into the plain close to the river at a point where another village, also called Sayef, is seen about 2 miles inland. At this point there is a good meshra, and a ferry to the other bank.
1 87
6 93 After several miles of low scrub on the river side, and cotton soil which has all been cultivated, on the east Debasi Meshra is reached.
Debasi 2 95 Here the Khalifa had a big grain depôt, the ruins of which can still be seen. There is a regular ferry from here to the other bank. Two miles from this meshra is the village of Debasi; population about 400. The road for this distance is through sand hills, ½ mile from the river.
The village is on the north bank of deep khor. No water in khor (13.3.99 or 1.10.99), but might entail 2 or 3 miles circuit at high Nile. From Debasi to Shabasha (3½ miles) road close to bank. Thence to 14th mile 1 to 1½ miles distant.
Stony hills from 6th to 12th mile east of road. Sandy bank to river, good watering; slight scrub close to river to 6th mile. Thence scrub and sunt trees along road (thick near river), cotton soil, muddy bank. Road closes to river at Ghobeisha.
Ghobeisha 13 108 Ghobeisha meshra and village, good place for camp and watering. Road crosses open plain with high grass cotton soil, probably under water at high Nile.
Ghayafa 4½ 112½ Ghayafa meshra, good camping ground and watering place; sand hill near meshra. Scrub fairly thick, cotton soil.
Denegila 8½ 121 Denegila village, W. of road, opposite island of same name; 1½ miles further, village Abu Karun, N. of road, where it crosses track to Um Seneita, thence to Um Gar village, W. of road, opposite island same name. Dura crops in this district; thick bush close to river to Meshra El Hella. Road runs close to river to Kawa.
Um Gar 4 125
Meshra El Hella 3 128
Kawa 4 132 Kawa, large village with suk, Head Quarters of District, Post and Telegraph station. Road runs ½ mile to 1 mile from river through dura cultivation, and then over grassy plain past village Abu Hindi.
Meshra Shaggara 6 138 Meshra and village close to river.
Hassan Alob 7 145 Thence past Kanuz village, with island opposite, the road runs ¼ mile to ½ mile from river to Hassan Alob, on the banks of the river with an island called Dabus opposite. Still through bush country to Nur El Daim (large village and police station). Road leaves river ½ mile to 1 mile distant up to Sheikh’s tomb (Sheikh Nur El Taib), which is on the river bank. Three large trees, a ruined mud and brick building, and some flags mark it.
Nur Ed Daim 3 148
Sheikh’s tomb 3 151
Shawal 2 153 Road bends due S. to Shawal. Large village. Country: open bush, slightly undulating; good sandy watering places at river. J. Tueima visible S.E. Aba Island begins 2 miles S.