Inhabitants. 67 above the plain, which is itself about 3,200 feet above the sea level. To the south-west of Jebel Marra, the plain is about 4,000 feet above the sea, and the main peaks of the group rise to an altitude of about 6,003 feet. The inhabitants report a large lake of brackish water from which salt can be obtained on the north-eastern part of the mountain ; while at a day's journey to the west, salt is also found at Karunga, and the Wadi Bnrka is strongly impregnated with soda.

In all the depressions sand rich in iron is met with. In a southerly direction from Jebel Marra, there stretches a broad alluvial plain which is dotted all over with peaks of granite, giving the impression of a range of mountains, buried all but its highest points. This plain falls rapidly towards the north-west and south-east, and the whole country has a constant fall towards the east and south-east.

On the road from Dara to Shakka, not far from the latter place, there is an isolated tract of sand about 40 miles long and broad ; here water melons are the chief production. The road from Shakka to El Fasher for three days passes through a dense wood where the soil is of sand and clay mixed; it then debouches on a sandy steppe country which stretches up to El Fasher.

Inhabitants (v. also pp. 54, 55). The total number of inhabitants may be roughly estimated at 1,500,000, of which half are Fors, 500,000 Arabs, and the rest Tukruri and Fellatah.

The sandy wastes to the east of Darfur are chiefly occupied by the Tukruri and Berti tribes, mixed races of warlike tendencies, to which belong the Leopard tribe, that gave Gordon a certain amount of trouble.

To the north of these are found Homr Arabs, who occupy themselves in camel-breeding ; while to the south are the Tukruri and Arab races, chiefly Baggara (v. p. 54).

North of El Fasher, Tukruri and Zayadieh Arabs appear; south are the Fellatah, and further south the Baggara.

The Marra Mountains are exclusively inhabited by the Fors, and further west we again find Arabs occupying the northern districts, the negro race of the Masalit the central, and the Baggara the southern.

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