122 suspected of a desire to attack the Government for some time and was under supervision in Singa. He escaped, and collecting a band of 150 to 200 adherents announced that he was the prophet Isa, and that he was empowered to destroy the Government and set himself up in its place.

He was pursued by a force of mounted police, who were accompanied by the inspector of Singa and the Mamur of Karkoj, and was caught up about two days south of Singa, with the result that he and his band were scattered and put to flight, and he himself and his principal followers captured two days later. About forty were killed or wounded in the fight, and about fifty were captured, tried and sentenced to various terms of imprisonment. The leader and his three principal lieutenants were hanged.

They only inflicted one casualty—the murder of a merchant who refused to hand over his rifle.

The promptness and vigour with which this affair was handled by the local authorities prevented what might have been a serious disturbance.

The southern, very-lightly administered portion of the province, has been disturbed by the continual incursions of the Nuer blacks of the Upper Nile province into the territory of the Burun tribe. A punitive patrol is now at work among the Ishiers exacting reparation for the damage done by them for many years past to the Buruns, and endeavouring to ensure that the latter will be left in peace from this quarter for the future.

27. Upper Nile Province.

The main problem of this province is getting into touch with native tribes who have hitherto only been brought under a light administration. It is hoped that during this and next year the Garjak Nuer country between the Zeraf and the Abyssinian border will be successfully penetrated and controlled.

The Governor, hlr. K. C. P. Struve, who took over from Major Stigand when he went to Mongalla province in April, reports that public security is as good as can be expected except in the unadministered Garjak Nuer territory. Inter-tribal fights are still common and unlikely to die down for some time to come.

The people generally are contented, but the exceptional floods of 1917 and 1918 did much harm by destroying crops. The Government were able to provide relief by selling dura to those in want of it. This year the floods are not excessive and the rains have been good.

There is a great field for agricultural development in this province; the whole country produces a wealth of wild growth of every kind, and the rainy season is an assured one. The chief hindrance to rapid development is that the training of the people to habits of industry cannot be effective until the administration becomes much closer than it is possible to make it at present.

28. White Nile.

This province, which is in the riverain district stretching for abouh 250 miles south of Khartoum, roughly to the point where the negroid tribes begin, depends for its prosperity on cattle, cultivation (chiefly rain-grown) ard gum.

The 1918-19 rains were poor, and the food supply consequently became a serious problem as early as J uly. The situation would have been serious but for the importation of dura from Egypt.

The indifferent rains were also responsible for heavy casualities in the herds owing to the lack of grazing. The export of cattle to Egypt was reduced after the severance of communications owing to the disturbances in Egypt in April, and local prices are returning to their normal level.

The same circumstances that have affected the main gum-producing centre, Kordofan province, have also operated in this province, and the output has been much less during the past year.

The greater part of the inhabited region of this province will be inundated when the White Nile Dam is built. That project, however, includes a plan for lowering the level of the'reservoir slightly just before the cultivating season whereby a strip of land will be left ready for planting along the edge of the flooded area. It is estimated that the area of this cultivable area will be about 250,000 acres. A survey and settlement of the land to be inundated is now in progress.

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