78 No. 98 ECONOMIC CONDITIONS season , from July to September, when the road to Wau, the capital of the Bahr el-Ghazal province (107 miles ) , is impassable, the boats ply only as far as the mouth of the Jur , 25 miles from Meshra el -Rek, where connection is made with a service of smaller steamers, which go up the Jur to Wau . ' ( c ) From Khartum to Gambela , on the Sobat , there is a steamer every month from about the end of May to the end of November. The distance is 874 miles, and the time taken is thirteen days up-stream and ten days down . A large and increasing export and import trade with Abyssinia is carried on by this route .

(d ) On the Blue Vile there is a fortnightly service from mid -June to mid -September. This plies between Wad Medani , 109 miles from Khartum on the Khartum-El Obeid railway, and Roseires, 259 miles up -stream . The time taken is six days up-stream and four days down. There is also a tug service between Sennar, where the railway leaves the river, and Abu Nama, 94 miles up -stream . When cargo offers, this tug service is extended both to Roseires and Wad Medani.

( e ) From Kereima to Kerma, a distance of some 200 miles, steamers run in connection with the branch railway from Abu Hamed to Kereima from May to October, the time taken being four and a half days up stream and three days down. During low Nile the steamers only run asfar as Dongola(170 miles ) , pro duce being shipped from Dongola to Kerma (34 miles) by native sailing craft.

( 1 ) Between Halfa and Shellal ( Egypt ) , a distance of over 200 miles , there is a bi-weekly service of fine passenger steamers throughout the year , and a bi weekly intermediate service, calling at 21 stations .

In addition to these regular services, arrangements can be made for carrying cargo or passengers up the Atbara to Goz Abu Rejeb, a journey which takes eight days up -stream , but only twenty hours down ; also to places on the Rahad and the Dinder , and on other rivers when the state of the water permits .

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