Bisharin and Ahabda.

93 Sub-tribe. Name of Well. Eemarks.

Sliantiral) — continued.

Amrab ...

Hamedorab (ii) Um Nagi. Eireiab ...

Nafab Gunnub Murio ... Hora Labasoi... Sania . . . Sohanit . . .

Oni Beshbesh Eiweb . . . Dilko ... Nufrium Nasari ...

Oyia Meheiriga J.Elba... Halaib ... Shellal ...

Naba ...

El Dueim Kamotit Kamoreib but much polluted by animals Well, 25 feet deep — water sweet, (December, 1902). ? Well, 12 feet deep — good water and plentiful. Bad water — only fit for camels and goats. Bad water, but plentiful. Bad water, but drinkable. Better water from the tanks in neighbouring hills. Water plentiful and good from well, if open. Also from natural tank in rock.

Not always open — water good, 10 feet below the surface. Good water, and plentiful — 8 feet down. Eain water only — little. Good water, and plentiful — 6 to 8 feet down. Good water 1 Water near the surface, but not always in the same place (1903). Spring — water rather salt. Water plentiful, in springs or wells round its base. Well, 15 feet deep, near Government Post — water brackish. Well, 14 ft. deep — very brackish, better from natural tanks 300 feet ?

deep.

Much water, 4 to 5 feet down — very salt. 3 wells about 8 miles apart in bottom of the wadi. Good water and plentiful — about 10 feet down. I Much water — brackish, 10 to 12 feet down.

Good water — plentiful, about 10 feet down.

Limits.

Three mainsub-tribes.

{d) Ababda.

The following brief account of the Ababda Arabs, whose country adjoins the Bisharin, is given here, as, although with the exception of the Meleikab section, they are under the Egyptian Administration, they are generally said to have sprung from the common ancestor Kahl {vide origin of Bisharin). Feuds, too, between these tribes, though now less frequent, were, until recently, of constant occurrence.

The Ababda, who inhabit the Atbai from roughly north lat. 22° 30', where they adjoin the Bisharin, to as far north as the Kena-Kosseir road, are divided into three main sections or sub-tribes, viz., Eshabab,Fogara, and Shanatir.

(1) EsHABAB. — The Eshabab, which is by far the largest and most powerful section of the Ababda, range practically the whole way from Kena to Ongwat, and share the Kosseir route with the Shanatir. The Sheikhship of this sub-tribe rests with the Gubran family, of which Beshir Bey is the representative. Beshir Bey's residence is at Aswan ; he claims to be Nazir of the Ababda, and does not admit any common ancestry with the Bisharin. This sub-tribe is divided into many minor sub-tribes.

(2) FoGAEA. — The most important sub-tribe of the Fogara is the Meleikab, part of which sub-tribe belongs to Egypt and part to the Sudan. The Meleikab in the Sudan, who are practically a colony of those in Egypt, range from Korosko to Abu Hamed, but considerable movement goes on between the two sections. The head Sheikh of the Fogara is Abdul Azim Bey of the Khalifa family ; his headquarters are at Derau, in Egypt, on the Nile, north of Aswan.

(3) Shanatir. — The Shanatir share the Kosseir route with the Eshabab, and also live on the river between Aswan and Korosko. Their headquarters are at Sayala. Their hereditary Sheikh is Bashari Bey, who belongs to the Shanatir family. Their largest sub-tribe is the Abudiin.

The feuds before-mentioned are, as a rule, in connection with the wells. The Ababda having gradually moved Feuds with north, base their claims to wells, now occupied by Bisharin, on the fact that they originally belonged to them, despite Bisharin. the fact that they themselves left them perhaps half a century ago.

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