These wells, being off the track, were not used by the Desert Column, 1885.
Before reaching Jebel-el-Nus, a tract where much drift sand prevails is reached. This drift sand usually travels from the E. to the W., under the influence of the prevailing winds, in the form of low mounds, in plan somewhat of a crescent form, with the convex side turned towards the wind. This slope of the mound is about 6 in 1, up which the sand constantly travels to the summit of the ridge, and then rolls down the sheltered side where the slope is 1 in 1, every sandhill having in windy weather a slow but constantly progressive action. As all traces of the beaten camel tracks are often obliterated, the Jebel-el-Nus is an invaluable landmark. Bad, soft going here.
Jebel el-Nus 22 122 It is a remarkable conical rock of sandstone, and stands out prominently in the landscape.
After this a valley is approached in which the drift sand becomes heavier, but where trees and grass grow abundantly.
On either side, however, the aspect of the ground is most forbidding, the rocks surrounding the valley, seen from an elevation, having the appearance of a troubled stormy sea.
The drift sand continues in the valley only for a distance of about 3 miles.
Jebel-el-Sergein 10 132 After crossing a grass-grown wady that partially drains a range of hills on the W., Jebel-el-Sergein (or Saddle Hill), another remarkable desert beacon, is passed.
The valley round Jebel-el-Sergein is fertile and contains much grass, and many groups of trees. As it affords good pasturage for camels, it is always selected for a resting-place when the traveller cannot reach the nearest wells.
Beyond this another wadi is crossed. It is about a mile in width, and well covered with trees and grass.
For the next 12 or 13 miles the route runs through the district of Ummat Handal.
The first part of it is covered with much broken sandstone and loose rock. This is followed for 3 or 4 miles by a stretch of sand, which further on gives way to a more agreeable country in which grass and trees are plentiful.
15½ 147½ The scene of the battle (17th January ’85) was 2½ miles further on, ½ mile S. of the usual track.
Abu Klea (Abu Tleh)
4½ 152 Some more wadis and low intervening hills are crossed till the wells of Abu Tleh are reached.
These wells are sunk in the same manner as those of El Fura, but, as the soil does not stand so well, they are constantly falling in, and have, therefore, very frequently to be reconstructed. The water is excellent for drinking, and the supply is good, having failed only once within the 30 years preceding 1872. These wells are directly on the camel track to Metemma and are constantly visited by caravans. They also form a favourite watering place for the flocks and herds of the Arabs.
The route now enters a valley with grass and trees, and after following it for some distance across a plain covered with sand and black boulders, succeeded by a more favourable district, capable of cultivation during the rains.
Shebakat
16 168 A little further on occurs the well of Shebakat.
This well is also directly on the caravan route. It is 12 feet in diameter and 50 feet in depth, excavated through the sandstone rock to a bed of sandy shingle. It is situate on an extensive plain amongst thick scrub and coarse grass, and as there is no water channel in its vicinity, the supply must be obtained from low-level springs. The water being brackish, it is unfit for drinking purposes, and it is thick and clouded. The supply is abundant and never failing in the driest seasons. Small puddled basins are formed, as at other wells, on the ground surface for the use of cattle.
An acacia forest, traversed by the Desert Column on the night of 18th January, 1885, lies a mile or two S. of the ordinary track hereabouts.
The track to Metemma now leads over light scrub and tussocky gravel; that to Abu Khru or Khrug and Gubat is similar, but with less scrub.
The caravan route ends at Metemma, which is situated near the W. bank of the Nile, and is separated from the desert by a low line of hills.
Metemma 8 176 A considerable tract of fertile land, about 1,200 yards broad, dividing the town from the river, is occasionally inundated during the season of the floods.
Metemma contained (1885) about 3,000 inhabitants, and was in 1897 and 1898 the headquarters of Mahmud and his men. It now (1903) contains 2,500 inhabitants who are chiefly women.
This town in 1885 consisted of mud houses with straw roofs, with one or two earthworks W. of the town; two or more mosques. Bombardment with small 7-lb. guns produced no effect on the houses, the shells passing through without damaging them. Setting roofs on fire of no use, as it did not destroy the houses. It is now (1903) only just beginning to recover from the effects of Mahmud’s occupation and massacre.
Summary of Water Supply.
Ambukol — — On the Nile.
Korti — — On the Nile.
Hambok 47 — Wells.
El Haweiyat 8 59 Wells.
Magaga 14 73 Two good reservoirs 1 mile N. of track.
Abu Halfa 17 90 Wells, 3½ miles from the camel track.
Jakdul 10 100 Three miles N. of the caravan track. Abundant supply of water good for a large force.
El Fura — — About 8 or 9 miles from Jakdul, and some miles from the caravan track. Wells—water good, supply generally plentiful.
Abu Tleh 52 152 Wells—water excellent, supply fairly plentiful.
Shebakat 16 168 One large well. Supply abundant and never failing, but the water is brackish, and only fit for animals.
Metemma 8 176 On the Nile.
Shendi — — On the Nile 3 miles below Metemma.
113. — ОТ КОРТИ ДО БАЮДЫ И СЕДЕЙРИ.
Капитан В. Банбери и виконт Садли, март 1897 г.
Place. Miles. Description.
Inter-mediate. Total.
Korti — — Road indifferent going for infantry; suitable for cavalry.
Um Tub
35 35 One permanent well here, 10 feet in diameter, sides faced with stone. Water, 125 feet below ground level, good; constant supply. Fourteen hods at the well’s mouth in good order. Country open, good grazing. Well in the middle of a gravelly rise, easy for defence. It took 5 hours to water 115 camels.
For the first 3½ hours (10 miles) after leaving this the route is very bad going, especially for cavalry, and lies along a broken wadi and many stony bits. Ground on either side rocky, hilly; efficient scouting impossible. After the broken ground the route lies over open country, and is good for cavalry.
Um Sunt Bayuda
30 65 The wells here are in a khor which runs from S. to N. at this point. Only two wells were open to any depth (about 10 feet), but were quite dry. Dug in both of them, but had to desist in one after a short time, as it was too narrow for a man to work in. In the other, reached water after 3 hours’ digging at a depth of 23 feet below the ground level. Water flowed freely, and was good.
The wells are commanded from E. and W. by high ground immediately above the river bed, and from N. and S. by hills from 100 to 150 feet high at a distance of 200 yards, and from N.E. by a range of hills about 800 feet high at a distance of 1 mile.
Ten days later this well was revisited and found to be dry.
The next 4 miles are through the Wadi Bayuda defile. Road very bad here; flanked on either side by rocky hills, which appear to run far inland on both flanks. All scouting on flanks impossible. After heavy rains a flood of 9 feet deep is said to pour northwards through this defile.
Two miles further on lies
Monasieb
6 71 or Um-el-Nasaib. Two wide-mouthed wells; water in one of them 8 feet down. A few hods. Trees and bushes growing close around; unsuitable place for watering beasts, and unfavourable for defence.
Road good to
Um Sedeiri
3 74 Many wells here, mostly unused. Three wide-mouthed wells and one narrow well, newly opened in the sand, had water in them about 6 feet below ground level. The water in the former was unfit for human consumption, but the camels drank it freely; the water in the latter was good. After clearing away some of the mud and slime from the large wells water came fairly freely. Also obtained a constant supply of very good clear water by digging 2 feet in one of the unused wells; the hods at these wells are not numerous, and require repairing. I consider that any amount of water can be obtained here by a little digging; it is of good quality, and appears to be about 6 feet below ground level. I was informed that there is water here all the year round.
A great quantity of long coarse grass grows round the wells and on each side of the river bed. The wells are commanded from N. to S.E. by high ground from 60 to 30 feet high, at distances of 500 to 150 yards from N. to S.E.; also from W. by ground about 30 feet high, at distances from 80 to 100 yards from S. to N. Some large trees and the long grass above-mentioned would afford cover near to the wells.
The road back to Um Tub (35 miles) is good and open, with the exception of the 10 miles mentioned above.
The direct road Um Sedeiri to Korti (70 miles) is good going, but no water.
114. — ОТ МЕРОВЕ ДО ДЖАКДУЛА.
Майор достопочтенный М. Г. Тэлбот, август 1898 г.
Общие замечания. За исключением участков песка, тяжелых для пехоты и лошадей, дорога хорошая на всем протяжении, за исключением ущелья Магага. Хотя дорога часто переходит с одного берега хора Абу-Дом на другой, по долине которого она обычно идет, пока не пересечет водораздел в бассейн Магаги, ни одна из переправ не представляет трудностей; но в летние месяцы всегда существует опасность паводка, вызванного дождем в верховьях.
Дрова и пастбища для верблюдов в изобилии на всем пути, но травы для лошадей практически нет.
Дорогу до Каласа включительно можно считать пройденной в самое сухое время года.
Примечание. — Отряд состоял из 1 эскадрона (кавалерия) и 1 роты (верблюжий корпус).
Place. Miles. Description.
Inter-mediate. Total.
Merowe — —
Ghazali 8¼ 8¼ General direction from Merowe, a little S. of E. No definite track. Troops can take shortest line across open plain, dotted with bushes and tabas grass. At 4 miles the Khor Abu Dom, whose very sandy bed is 100 yards wide, is struck, and the right bank ascended. At 6 miles the low rocky hills close in to form a short, and very easy, defile; the hills soon recede and allow the valley to expand, and at 7¼ miles the first well is reached, at the foot of a low hill on right bank. A mile further on is another well from which a small garden is supplied. There are one or two water holes in between. Water good, plentiful, and near surface. No good camping ground.
Hannek (Upper)
22¼ 30½ Road keeps up right bank of khor; Geren hill at 3¾ miles marks site of well. At 5¾ miles road crosses to left bank at Um Sayala wells, and after 4 miles of good going through thickish scrub, Beida is reached. Both Geren and Um Sayala were said to have water, but were not visited. Beida well is about 20 feet deep. After a few minutes clearing out, it supplied a drink for all the horses. Good shade. At 10¼ miles the road leaves the main khor, and keeps up an affluent called Ab Jowalis, which it leaves by a very low and easy saddle at 14¼ miles, and after crossing the heads of many minor tributaries eventually returns to, and crosses the main bed of, the Khor Abu Dom at 20¼ miles. At ¼ to ½ mile below the point of crossing is the Lower Hannek well, which was not visited. After crossing, the track keeps up the right bank to Hannek (Upper) well at 22¼ miles. The two wells here required clearing out, and then gave sufficient water of rather indifferent quality. Plenty of shade.
Kalas
32½ 63 The khor is crossed at ½ mile, and road then passes over an open plain, affording good going, until it strikes the khor again at Um Jueiri well at 8½ miles. After this a few stony bits, and one or two stony ridges are crossed, with which exceptions road is excellent to well at El Tawila at 14½ miles. Water good; and well, after being a little cleaned out, afforded a drink for all horses, and some of the camels. Road continues good, and follows left bank of khor, except for a few hundred yards at 18½ miles, when the hills close in and drive it into the bed of the khor, under J. Lebarug. At 23½ miles it crosses a considerable branch of the khor, and at 26½ it crosses a low rocky saddle, and returns to basin of main khor Abu Dom, in bed of which at 28 miles is situated the well of El Tueina, lying about ⅓ mile to left of direct road to Kalas. From here to Kalas, 32½ miles, the road keeps crossing bed of khor, 60 to 100 yards wide, and the narrow basin is enclosed by low irregular-shaped hills. Two lots of wells at Kalas, about 300 yards apart. Water bad. Even after cleaning out, the horses and camels were watered with great difficulty. Little shade.
Abu Halfa 25½ 88½ Road keeps up left bank over some stony ground, and crosses khor at 2 miles and recrosses at 2½. After 5 more miles of good going on the whole, the very low and easy saddle forming the watershed is reached at 7½ miles, and on crossing it the basin of the Wadi Magaga is entered. The road for the next 7 miles is down a gradually widening, but always stony, defile, along which it is preferable to lead horses almost the whole way. The path is mostly down the actual watercourse, which has all the characteristics of a mountain torrent. A dry water hole was passed at 10 miles, and some pools of water at 13½ miles. At 14½ miles the road emerges from the stony bed and crosses a low saddle at 15 miles, from which the first view of the plains to the S. is obtained. At 15¾, another low saddle is crossed, and the track then descends to the plain and keeps along the feet of the hills, crossing patches of stony ground alternating with flat khors, covered with scattered bush and thick tabas grass, to 25 miles, when it turns to left up Wadi Abu Halfa, and strikes the wells at 26 miles, close to the junction of a tributary with the main khor, and at the foot of a low—but conspicuous—rocky hillock.[35] There is a large pool, said never to get dry, about ½ mile up the khor. Good camping ground. Some shade. Water plentiful.
Jakdul
10½ 99 Road crosses khor at once, and keeps straight along foot of higher hills, leaving some very low ones on its right. At 8 miles track turns to left up Wadi Jakdul, and reaches lower pool at 10½ miles.
The former descriptions of Jakdul still hold good, so it need not be described here. Vide Route 112.
115. — ОТ МЕРОВЕ ДО БЕРБЕРА ЧЕРЕЗ САНИ.
Капитан Н. М. Смит (1897 г.) и полковник Френд (1902 г.).
Place. Miles. Description.
Inter-mediate. Total.
Merowe — —
El Dughayet 14 14 On left bank of Nile. Shaigia Arabs. Mud huts, and palms to shade one battalion in vicinity. Thorn bush and grazing for 1,000 camels.
A well-defined but narrow track, passable only in single or double file, leads across some rocky hills about 150 feet above level of High Nile, till at 6 miles it strikes the Khor Shingawi, which is broad and sandy, with a few scattered bushes.
Jebel El Dega 8 22 Is passed on the right of the road. From 6 to 8 miles the ground is firm, and admits usually of marching camels four abreast.
El Nus 8 30 El Nus is merely the name of a locality where the track crosses a spur from the north, whence Jebel El Ghanam is visible 10 miles north and Jebel El Khullal 5 miles south; no shade. Drainage, after Jebel El Dega crossed, flows south-west.
The track generally continues good, mostly over hard shingle or firm sand. In many places several parallel tracks.
Jebel El Mgarfur (?) 10 40 A rounded hill about 100 feet high, is passed on the right. This is the first place where shade is to be got from thorn bushes. There is enough for about one battalion if scattered over about 2 square miles.
Um Geren 5 45 The well-known Arab camping ground, Um Geren, marked by a tall tree, is left ½ mile to the north of track in the wooded Khor Abu Siba.
El Kua
1½ 46½ The well El Kua is passed ½ mile north of track in the Khor Abu Siba. This well is 25 feet deep, and, though liable to run dry in winter, generally contains about 3 feet of water from July to September.
El Bar
1½ 48 A similar well, El Bar, is passed ½ mile to the north of track in the Khor Abu Siba, which all along here is well wooded with dom palms, sunt trees and bushes for camel grazing. Both these wells belong to the Hawawir sub-tribe of Monasir.
Sani
2 50 Sani is a pool of rain-water with rock, sand, and shingle banks. It is said that the water is perennial, and if drunk dry, it refills to three-quarters former depth; more than 6 feet deep in centre. Water good; contained at time of visit about 26,000 gallons. Thirty animals can drink at once; if buckets are used 60 could drink. Sagias and cultivation.
Abu Koreit
14 64 Many old wells, but disused, and water supply very small.
Kurbai
62 126 Water, but supply bad.
Abu Haraz
19 145 Well; good water.
Berber 4 149
116. — ОТ САНИ ДО ЭЛЬ-ЗУМЫ (НИЛ) ЧЕРЕЗ ДЖУРУ.
Капитан Сент-Дж. Генри, август 1897 г.
Place. Miles. Description.
Inter-mediate. Total.
Sani Pool — — Going good; in some places over rough, tussocky grass, but generally over firm sand. Features of country very indefinite, and drainage lines hard to trace; there is, however, no doubt that they all cross the track from right to left.
J. Sergein 7 7 From 6 to 8 miles the track crosses some rocky undulating ground. At 7 miles, J Sergein, or Sargit, is left to the S., and the road passes N. of J. El Hueish, an isolated rocky hill with a patch of yellow sand halfway up.
J. El Hueish 4 11
21 32 A branch of Wadi Argu or Argubi is now crossed. From this point J. Gormuli lay due N., and J. Ibnali (the mass of hills S. of Jura Well), lay due E.
15 47 At 3 miles from Jura the track joins, in a branch of the Wadi Argu, the track from Kirbekan. At this point the direction of Sani bears 250 degrees magnetic (Tudway). For the next 3 miles the track winds in a south-easterly direction through low undulating hills, between the mass of the Jura range (J. Ibnali) on the right, and some sharp-pointed hills of considerable height on the left.
Jura
3 50 The well at Jura is situated in a small rocky plain surrounded by hills N. of eastern end of J. Ibnali. It has been cut out of the solid rock and is about 2 feet in diameter. The water was about 6 feet below the surface; it is good and sweet, and tastes like rain-water. One hundred camels were watered from it without emptying it. It is said never to dry up. There were formerly six other wells, equally good, close by, of which the marks are still visible. The natives say they only want cleaning out. Water can sometimes be got by scraping at the mouth of the khor about 110 yards distant. Near the well stands the ruin of a house, built at the time it was proposed to take the telegraph line to Berber by this route.