94 Suttkin, Erkowit, Tokar.

Section 3. — Suakin and District. Sdakiii. The town of Suakin is built partly on an island and partly on the mainland, connected by a causeway, called after the famous General himself : " Gordon's Gate and Causeway." The portion of the town on the mainland is caUed El Kaf.

The Government offices, official, and most of the larger civilian residences are situated on the island. Many of them are imposing-looking buildings of coral, several stories high. Harbour. The khor or inlet of Suakin is bordered by a reef of rocks on either side, its length being 2 miles, and its breadth at the narrowest part, 180 yards. At the entrance of the khor there is a depth of 25 fathoms, which gradually decreases towards Quarantine Island to a depth of from 6 to 8 fathoms. The bottom throughout the channel is mud.

The harbour will accommodate about 20 vessels without blocking the channel, though as many as 34 vessels, men-of-war and transports, were berthed at one time during the expedition in 1884.

Owing to the numerous coral reefs Suakin is a most difficult harbour to enter and to beacon adequately, and would probably never be safe to navigate at night.* For further details, vide " The Red Sea Pilot." Population. The population at the present time may roughly be estimated at about 10,500 inhabitants. Water The water supply is from two sources, firstly, from Shaata Wells, distant about J mile from the walls of the Supply. town, and, secondly, from the pulsometer, which pumps water at the rate of 12J tons per hour, from wells J mile beyond those of Shaata.

This latter water is brackish and is only used as a rule for cooking and washing : it is sold in the town at 1 noillieme per can of about 3 gallons. Shaata water, on the other hand, is fairly good : it is brought into the town in skins and is sold at 1 PT. per skin in the summer months and rather cheaper during the winter.

New condensers to take the place of the old sets which have not been used since 1900 are now (1904) on their way to Suakin. Rains. In the neighbourhood of Suakin heavy rains occur at intervals from October to February, with occasional rare storms up to the end of March. In the desert, between Suakin and Berber, torrential rains sometimes fall about July to September. No year passes without rain unless in the extreme north of the Province, where very occasionally there is a wholly dry season. In July, 1896, and in 1903, exceptionally heavy rains took place, filling all the wells, including Obak, almost to overflowing. The total rainfall for the 12 months March (1903)— February (1904) was 1145 m.m.,"!" of which 124 m.m. fell in May.

The part of the town built on the mainland, is entirely surrounded by a high coral wall, built in the old days to resist the attacks of the Dervishes. There is also a line of outer forts about a mile beyond, but since the suppression of Mahdism these have not been garrisoned, and there is now only half a battalion stationed at Suakin.

Time at Suakin is Cairo time, not local time. Suakin is connected by Eastern telegraph cable with Aden, Suez, Perim and Obokh, and by Ottoman cable with Jedda. Communication by land is by land lines to Berber and Kassala.

The heat at Suakin is very great during June, July, August and September, and the climate is much damper than is usually the case in most parts of the Sudan. The difference between the wet and dry bulb thermometer is often 21°. Sand storms are experienced during summer, when sand fills the air for 40 or 50 miles seaward, rendering objects invisible at a distance of more than \ mile.

In January the average daily temperature is about 77° and at night about 73°. Erkowit, the summer headquarters of the Suakin district, is an undulating plateau with low granite hills and easy khors, about 3,000 feet above sea level, and 35 miles from Suakin. The headquarters have now ( 1904) moved to Erkowit for the third year in succession. The station consists at present of seven houses, built of stone and mud-brick, white washed, which are used as offices and quarters for certain of the employes. A mess-house has been built on the slope of a hill not far from these offices, also quarters or rest-houses, four in number, for the Governor or inspectors or other officers. These are all built of wood with corrugated iron roofing over felt and raised about I foot from the ground on iron piping as a protection against the white ant. This precaution has proved to be wholly successful. There is Water an abundant supply of excellent water from two wells situated in a khor in close proximity to the Government supply. offices.

Erkowit is in telegraphic communication with Suakin during the summer months. Climatcu The climate of Erkowit in the summer is dry and healthy, a striking contrast to Suakin. In the winter, the hills are wrapped in clouds, and a drizzling mist nearly always hangs over them. In March, the plateau and the eastern * Chiefly on this account it has been decidetl to abandon Suakin and construct a harbour and town, etc., at Sheikh Barghut, vidi' p. 95. + About 4*5 incheH.

Defences.

Time.

Telegraph cables.

Climate.

Erkowit.