Anglo-Egyptian] 127 FORESTRY butter being known as the “ Sudan date," the abu surug (Prosopis oblonga),mudus ( Parkia filicoidea ), higlik ( Balanites aegyptiaca ), ardeib ( Tamarindus), balsams , large acacias,and other bush species . The mahogany tree is to be found in both forest and bush . Most of this ironstone region of the western Bahr el-Ghazal is extremely fertile, especially that near the divide,, which in places is thickly populated with natives of above the average level of intelligence, physique, and industry. If a railway were constructed the district would probably become prosperous and important .

The White Nile forests consist mainly of belts lining the banks of the river and its tributaries, and are composed chiefly of sant and , in a lesser degree, of other species of acacia . From Goz Abu Guma to Lake ' Ño the forest is composed chiefly of higlik ( Balanites), siddir (Zizyphus), dabkař (Crataeva religiosa ) , and acacia of various kinds .

The Blue Nile forests , north of 12° north latitude , have a composition similar to those of the White Nile province . To the south, however, a change occurs, the most abundant trees being silag (Anogeissus leiocar pus) and the Sudan ebony ( Dalbergia melanoxylon ). Suba ( Combretum ), leyun (Odina ), homeid (Sclero arpa ), inderab ( Cordia crenata) also occur, together with species of acacia . Talh (Acacia seyal ) occupies large areas inland from both banks.

Along the whole length of the Upper and White Niles the necessity of obtaining wood-fuel for the steamers has resulted in considerable depletion in those areas where the bush approaches the river banks, but very little of the wood used for this purpose could have been put to other uses .

In the sudd region there is no fuel of any sort to be obtained, and it has occasionally happened that steamers imprisoned there for a length of time have been obliged to burn their deck fittings in order to avoid starvation. There is a long stretch between Attar wood -station , near the mouth of the Bahr el-Zeraf, and Kanisa (about 400 miles ), through