Bor — Gondvkoro. 77 Place.

Miles. Kilometres.

» O aizi 1 <o s « fea ii a M Deacription.

Dervish Deiru ...

Bor (military post) Tree disappeared* 3.3 through which the inmates crawl. The people show no signs of shyness and appear comfortable and contented. They pos.sess large herds of c:ittle. At mile 38 i the river runs close under the high bank, hugging it for S3m3 distant The land here is from 6 to 8 feet over the water, and is, of course, never floided. Tiie forest consists of thick bush, with a few large trees ; a distinctive feature is the thicket of small deleib palms which cover the ground. Not one in 500 of these young palms appears to develop into a tree, but they form an extremely dense undergrowth. The Bahr El Jehel is now a fine stream, 80 to 90 yards wide, with a strong current. On the west the marshes stretch into space. The valley here must be (juite 20 miles across. South of Bor, the sudd, properly so-called, disappears. The marshes are formed of a deeper layer of sand, covered with a thin surface of clay, and with streaks of clay running through them. These swamps, except in the centre of the valley, are, as a rule, well over summer water-level, and the loss of water can be as nothing compared with that north of Bor. The vegetation, too, is of a different kind, being chiefly grass, and though deme enough, is not c )mposed of those reeds which retiuire to have their roots under water for a great portion of 3n0 the year. At mile 390 the Dervish " Deim " is visible, situated on the east bank. This is the 62:i place held for so long by the Emir Arabi Dafaalla. The spot is well chosen for defence, as the river sweeps round it on two sides. The bank all round has been cleared of bush for a long j way. The " Deim " is surrounded by a mud wall forming a rectangle, of which the river I forms one side. The inclosure is some 4 )0 yards deep by 700 yards in length. The mud bank, fast disappearing, is about 4 feet G inches high, with an outer ditch 3 feet deep by 4 feet wide. At the comers are small watch towers, and in other places remains of loopholed houses. The Bahr El Jebel now, for many miles runs close to the east bank. It winds continually, and there are occasional loops of swamp, but as n whole it follows the high land closely. 398 i Small military ])ost, furnished from Mongalla. Formerly a wood station, now much cut up. Large numbers of elephants. This is to be the site of the Headquarters of the new Administrative District of Bor.

In places the bank is perpendicular down to the water's edge, and from C to 8 feet high. At such points there is always great erosion. The scenery more resembles that of the Blue Nile than the White. The forest close to the river, tlie high banks, the profusion of creepers and undergrowth, the boils and eddies of the river along these curves, combine to form a picturesque scene, utterly different from that usually met with on the White Nile. About 22 miles south of the Deim the Dinka inhabitants are replaced by those of the Bari tribe. The difference is at once apparent. The "tukls" are untidy, crowded together, and badly built. The people .seem poor and possess few cattle. They live chiefly by fishing ; in April the whole population is engaged in preparing the laud for cultivation, if the river allows, chiefly on the west bank. At mile 401 the river bifurcates, one channel branching off to the west, while the other, and the deeper, follows the eastern bank. These two channels reunite at mile 422. The width of the island between them is not very great, being rarely more than 800 to 1,000 yards. The west bank is now a flat grass plain, marked by swampy depressions. The river must top this in flood, but not to any depth, as the marks show that the total rise cannot exceed 4 feet. The west bank is inhabite(l by the Aliab tribe, a sort of cross between Baris and Dinkas, but they consider themselves ([uite distinct. The solitary mass known as Jebel Lado is now first visible on the south-west horizon. The river above the junction of the two channels averages 80 yards in width and 11 feet in depth. The bends and twists are never-ending, and there is hardly a straight rea;h in its whole length. The banks are very sandy, as are the fiats which show up above the water. Occasional small islands separate the channel into two or more branches.

I'here is now a decided ridge on either side of the main channel resembling that described in the White Nile. East and west of this ridge the level of the fiats is lower, and in the depressions lagoons are formed and winding channels wander. The average width of the valley here cannot be more than from .5 to 7 miles. On either bank the forest line marks the liigh ground. On the narrow ridges above described are located a few groups of Bari huts surrounded by fields of dura. The high ground does not average more than 100 to 200 yards in width. At mile 431 a magnificent tree used to be situated on the eastern 431 shore. It made a striking landmark, but disappeared in 1902.* The forest rises rapidly <i:)Ji from the water, and at its highest point is quite 20 feet above summer level. One-and-a-half miles up stream, the river, which has followed the eastern bank for so long, now winds • There is a large Oemmeiza tree, sheltering a rest house, with a wooding station, in this neighbourhood, it is the original tree.

Opinions are divided as to whether M 2